The-Beatles in the 1960sApple Corps Ltd/Cover Images
By
Fiona MacPherson-Amador
Published Feb 4, 2026, 7:52 PM EST
Curious from birth, Fiona is a music writer, researcher, and cultural theorist based in the UK. She studied her Bachelor of Music in London, specializing in audiovisual practices, and progressed to a Master’s in Arts and Culture from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. Her MA research focused on the societal impact of sound within urban communities and how the narratives of art can contribute to their shaping and commentary.
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On February 5, 1962, Ringo Starr stepped behind the drum kit for The Beatles for the very first time at Liverpool’s legendary Cavern Club. He was filling in for the band’s drummer, Pete Best, who was sick on the day. Best had been drumming for The Beatles since 1960, with the main attraction for his recruitment being that he owned his own drums. At the same time, Starr was a familiar face on the circuit, having played with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, who were hot in the Merseyside scene. At the substitute gig, the chemistry between the band and the new drummer was obvious, and within months, Starr was a permanent member. Looking back, the move made the four so "fab," and Starr’s unconventional approach to drumming changed rock and roll forever.
The Genius of Simplicity: Ringo Starr’s Drumming Was Revolutionary
Starr’s genius was not a flashy exhibition of technique, but was led by emotional intuition, demonstrating his musicality more sensitively. Compared to his contemporaries, Starr’s understated approach was genuinely refreshing. Keith Moon of The Who commanded chaos, Ginger Baker’s virtuosity left jaws on the floor, and Mitch Mitchell’s heavy jazz influence brought a new flavor to psychedelia. But Starr’s supposed, and even mocked, minimalism rang loudly in its impact on rock.
Ringo Starr's drumming was always anything but simple, and he quietly tore down the expectations of rock drummers. Starr was different from childhood, being naturally left-handed. At the time, this wasn’t perceived to be acceptable, so he was forced to drum on a right-handed kit. This, in itself, was enough to result in a slightly unusual, almost delayed, but very personal sound.
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Posts By Val BaroneBut what is truly so special about the style of Starr is how he approaches the drums as a melodic instrument rather than merely a time-keeping tool. In The Beatles, Starr went far beyond using the drums as a simple rhythmic accompaniment; he really entwined them as part of the arrangement. It was revolutionary in the rock world to see how the drums could be so expressive, delicate, and tuneful. This wonderful signature style is particularly prevalent in “In My Life,” “Come Together,” and “Something.”
Starr’s refusal to overplay was a defining mark of class in a band that was sometimes plagued by competitiveness. His emotional stability is evident in his playing, with a steady and reliable backbone that served the songs and band without ever making any fuss. This maturity has, sometimes, been mistaken for simplicity in the past, but Starr is exactly what The Beatles and the music-loving world needed.
Ringo Starr Helped Shape The Beatles’ Cultural Impact
Ringo Starr’s genuinely beautiful drumming is an often-overlooked reason The Beatles are so ingrained in Western popular culture. Starr’s perfectly restrained approach was guided by emotional intuition and served as a form of dialogue within the songs. This emotive drive gives many Beatles songs their well-known charm. His personality can really be felt through his playing and arrangements, relaxed, nonchalant, but very sweet and even amusing.
It also needs to be celebrated that Starr was incredibly adaptable in his playing, and he accommodated many shifts in style with no pushback or pretentious explanation. In the early days, he gave songs like “I Want To Hold Your Hand” the bouncing, grooving swing they needed. As time passed and The Beatles explored more psychedelic and sophisticated sounds, he met those developments with energy while keeping a lightness that grounded and guided the listener. Starr’s gentle but ever-charming playing ensured that the discography of The Beatles remained welcoming and timeless, and never with an edge of aggression.
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Posts By Val BaroneThough no musician could live up to Ringo Starr, his influence is still heard in music that is recorded today. From Phoebe Bridgers to The 1975, Arctic Monkeys to Harry Styles, indie musicians rarely place the drums at the center of production, at least obviously or obnoxiously. Listening to contemporary productions, fills are controlled, but there is a slight looseness to the beat that favors groove over gymnastics. Generally speaking, drums support vocal phrasing rather than competing with it, and a lot of that can be traced back to Starr. Actually, you could go as far as saying that Starr’s philosophy of playing the song feels more radically modern than the bells and whistles (quite literally) of the prog rock that came after him.
Subscribe for deeper music-history stories, including Ringo Starr
Join the newsletter to explore deeper music-history features — from drumming innovations and arrangement techniques to cultural impact — expanding on stories like Ringo Starr and other influential artists. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.That initial fill-in lunchtime show at the Cavern all those years ago was no substitute; it was the moment The Beatles truly became fab. Without Starr’s warmth and emotional intuition, sure, The Beatles would have been loved, but would they have thrived and connected with audiences quite so much? It’s hard to definitively answer, but sixty-four years on, his playing is still iconic and sounds modern because it was never about ego, and that will always transcend any trend.
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Join the newsletter to explore deeper music-history features — from drumming innovations and arrangement techniques to cultural impact — expanding on stories like Ringo Starr and other influential artists. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.What To Watch
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