The 1960s was the time to be alive. The Beatles were on the verge of becoming the biggest rock band in the world. Liverpool was only the beginning. And the band had no idea what was in store for them. 

From their first single, Love Me Do to their last album Let It Be, the Beatles were simply a class of their own. They were regarded by music lovers as one if not the greatest band that stamped their class in the music industry. 

By 1962, The Beatles took on another drummer. And that man was Ringo Starr joining John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison. 

Lennon and McCartney were the lead vocalists and Harrison provided backup vocals for the band. But did you know that Beatles drummer Ringo Starr also provided lead vocals for a number of songs?

In this article, we’re going to share Ringo Starr’s songs, when they came out, and how they charted. Grab your headphones. We have The Beatles music to listen to.

The “Ringo Starr” Songs: The 11 Beatles Songs with Ringo on Lead Vocals

Boys

Boys

Boys was written by Dixon/Ferrell and was included in the album Please, Please Me (1963). This was the first song performed by Starr, who usually had at least one vocal appearance on every Beatles album (with the exception of A Hard Day’s Night, Magical Mystery Tour & Let It Be) [1]. Before Ringo joined the band, this song was still known as the drummer's spot on their usual setlists, being sung by former member Pete Best. Despite the connotations of the lyrics from the original song being about attractions to men, the Beatles never really minded performing it.

I Wanna Be Your Man

I Wanna Be Your Man was written by John Lennon from the album With The Beatles (1963). Paul McCartney was the one who thought Ringo Starr should sing it, seeing as it was an uptempo song similar to Boys, which could be easily sung behind the drums [2].

Matchbox

Matchbox was composed by Carl Perkins, and included in the album Long Tall Sally (1964). This was first recorded as "Match Box Blues" by Blind Lemon Jefferson in 1927. It was reworked by several Blues musicians afterwards. The Beatles' version is influenced by Carl Perkins' recording of the song [3].

Honey Don’t

Honey Don’t is another Carl Perkins composition from the album Beatles For Sale (1964). But this song was actually first released in 1954. The song highlights a man getting honest with his girlfriend, saying she’s not giving into the relationship as much as he is [4].

Act Naturally

Act Naturally was a Voni Morrison/Johnny Russel collaboration included in the album Help! (1964). The band recorded it in 13 takes – the first 12 were essentially rehearsals, with Starr’s vocals making their first and only appearance on the final attempt [5]. Although ‘Act Naturally’ was never a part of The Beatles’ live repertoire before they recorded it, they did perform it during their fourth and final appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1965.

What Goes On

What Goes On was a John Lennon and Paul McCartney song from the album Rubber Soul (1965). This is the first time Starr received songwriting credits. 

Yellow Submarine

Yellow Submarine is a Paul McCartney original featured on two albums; Revolver (1966) and Yellow Submarine (1969). The chorus at the end consists of the studio crew, as well as their friends Mal Evans and Neil Aspinall, producer George Martin, and Pattie Harrison. The famous folk singer Donovan, who was McCartney's friend and neighbor at the time, helped him with uncredited lyrical contributions on this song [6].

Many have speculated this song is about drugs, but the band never explicitly confirmed it.

With A Little Help From My Friends

With A Little Help From My Friends is another Paul McCartney classic composition included in the album Sgt. Pepper’ Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967). Facing a deadline from EMI to finish the album, the band hunkered down in the studio to work on what would become “With a Little Help from My Friends.” Engineer Geoff Emerick and his deputy, Richard Lush, were on hand with producer George Martin, and together they worked through the wee hours to capture a usable rhythm track. McCartney played piano, Harrison strummed electric guitar, Starr manned the drum kit, and Lennon bashed a cowbell. After 10 takes they had a “keeper,” a formidable accomplishment for a night’s work [7].

Don’t Pass Me By

Don’t Pass Me By was a Ringo Starr original from the album The Beatles (1968). Written by Starr in 1962, it took time before Starr’s song made it on an album. 

Good Night

Good Night, written by John Lennon, was featured on the album The Beatles (1968). Even though Lennon wrote this song for his son, Starr was the one who sang it for the band.

Octopus Garden

Ringo Starr composed Octopus Garden from the album Abbey Road (1969). Ringo’s second and final solo composition for The Beatles finds him sweetly weaving a dreamlike tale of rest and relaxation “in our little hide-a-way beneath the waves.” Over the years, critics have come to the conclusion that this song had a deeper message: One that used its catchy lines and timeless lyrics to spread awareness of Earth’s impending doom, and our need to find shelter in a watery abyss.

Buying Guide

• Get the complete works of The Beatles at Discover Books.

• And make sure to play them on a record player from Burke Decor.

• If you have a Spotify or Apple Music account and don’t want the physical copies of the music, but still love The Beatles, hang the famous Abbey Road print in your home from Wolf & Badger.

• If you want to be a drummer just like Ringo Starr, check out the Zildjian Ringo Starr Artist Series drumsticks from Sound Pure.

• Or if you just love Ringo Starr, you need to get a copy of 500 Days of Summer, where Zooey Deschanel’s character unabashedly loves Ringo Starr.