The 11 Beatles Songs With Ringo Starr on Lead Vocals, Ranked by Their Lasting Appeal

Finding His Place at the Microphone

Ringo Starr’s influence on the Beatles’ sound is often underestimated. In the band’s early years, he largely stayed out of songwriting while John Lennon and Paul McCartney led that work; George Harrison began writing sooner, and Starr followed later.

The group often gave Starr lead vocals, including on covers and songs written by his bandmates. His performances ranged from gentle ballads to lively rockabilly numbers.

Covers From the Early Years

“I Wanna Be Your Man” was written by Lennon and McCartney and first given to the Rolling Stones, who made it a hit single. The Beatles also recorded it for their second album, With the Beatles, with Starr singing lead; it became a fixture of their early live shows.

“Matchbox,” a Carl Perkins song the Beatles had performed in Liverpool clubs, had previously been sung live by original drummer Pete Best. After Starr joined, the band gave him the part and recorded the song in 1964 for an EP.

Starr was unwell during the recording, with a sore throat that led to hospitalization for acute tonsillitis. He missed the beginning of a world tour, and Jimmie Nicol filled in for almost two weeks.

Rockabilly Suited Starr’s Voice

Starr also sang “Honey Don’t,” another Carl Perkins song. Lennon had performed it before Starr joined, but the band later assigned it to the drummer, whose lead appears on Beatles for Sale.

The song also appears on On Air – Live at the BBC Volume 2. Starr’s live performance was described as matching the studio version’s appeal. For Help!, the Beatles chose Buck Owens’ “Act Naturally” for Starr to sing. Its story follows a lonely man who lands a film role playing a sad man and becomes a star; Starr later became the only Beatle with a major acting career after the band broke up. He met his wife, actress Barbara Bach, on a movie set.

A Songwriting Credit and a Lullaby

“What Goes On,” released on Rubber Soul in late 1965, marked Starr’s first songwriting credit with the Beatles. It is the only Beatles song credited to Lennon-McCartney-Starkey, though Lennon and McCartney composed most of it. Starr joked in 1966, “I wrote about five words to ‘What Goes On’ and I haven’t done a thing since.”

“Good Night” closes the Beatles’ 1968 album, commonly known as the White Album. Lennon wrote it as a lullaby for his eldest son, Julian, then gave the vocal to Starr because the song differed from Lennon’s usual work.

Producer George Martin chose orchestral backing after several attempts. Starr is the only Beatle heard on the track, whose soft tone has divided listeners: some appreciate his velvety voice, while others find the song dull beside the rest of the album.