Ranking the 5 Best Vocal Performances by Ringo Starr With The Beatles

It wasn’t all that often Ringo Starr had the opportunity to step out on the microphone and sing lead on Beatles songs. The band deployed him almost like a stealth weapon in that respect. Just when you least expected it, Ringo would pop out and charm us all with a sterling vocal performance.

With that in mind, let’s look back at some of Starr’s best lead vocal efforts as a Beatle. Check it out and see if you agree with our rankings.

5. “Act Naturally” from Help! (1965)

Starr’s often espoused his affinity for country and western music. In fact, he loved it so much he did an entire record of country covers not long after leaving The Beatles’ fold. And he did a great job with that album, Beaucoups of Blues, in 1970, treating the genre with the utmost respect. Knowing that, it’s not too surprising The Beatles turned to Starr to sing “Act Naturally,” perhaps the band’s most overt nod to country music to that point. Starr gives a robust performance, but never loses touch with the subtle strain of melancholy running through Buck Owens’ lyrics.

4. “Good Night” from The White Album (1968)

Only on The White Album could you expect a song as cacophonous and bizarre as “Revolution 9” to be followed by “Good Night,” perhaps the most lush production the band ever committed to tape. Those sweeping strings sound as if they were borrowed from a Hollywood musical. John Lennon mostly wrote the song, but he realized Starr was the perfect delivery system for a track of such innocence and sweetness. Starr certainly rose to the occasion, singing with a gentleness befitting a lullaby, even whispering at one point to make sure the toddlers don’t get roused from slumber.

3. “Yellow Submarine” from Revolver (1966)

Give credit to The Beatles for having the wherewithal to include a song meant for children on Revolver, one of their most forward-looking albums. When John Lennon began writing the song, it featured lyrics with a much darker tone. But somewhere along the way, he and Paul McCartney transformed it into a magical aquatic tale, one that would inspire a memorable animated film a few years later. Starr’s knack for children’s programming would follow him well into his post-Beatles career. (Remember Shining Time Station?) Here, he captures all the wonder of the lyrics without overdoing it.

2. “Octopus’s Garden” from Abbey Road (1969)

The other four songs on this list feature songs that were written by others. “Octopus’s Garden,” however, was credited solely to Starr (even though George Harrison helped him realize the idea from a musical standpoint). Perhaps that’s why it feels like Ringo’s most emotional vocal as a Beatle. When he sings about getting away from it all to a haven under the sea, he wasn’t just making it up—at least not the sentiment. He came up with the idea for the song after briefly leaving the band during The White Album sessions because he was feeling like the odd man out.

1. “With a Little Help from My Friends” from Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)

The whole idea of Sgt. Pepper’s was that The Beatles could write and record an album without the baggage of expectations that came with being in the world’s most popular band. Starr was the only one who actually took on an alter ego for the album (Billy Shears). He perfectly inhabits the role of a music hall-style showman who comes out to belt a signature tune. His vocal here also stands out because of how he taps into the loneliness of the narrator, the help of his friends notwithstanding. And he gets to close out the whole thing by hitting a glorious, showstopping high note.

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