When it comes to drumming in The Beatles, Ringo Starr’s reputation has often been clouded by one of rock’s most famous — and false — quotes: “He isn’t even the best drummer in The Beatles.” Attributed to either John Lennon or Paul McCartney, the quip actually came from British comedian Jasper Carrott, but it has unfairly stuck for decades.
Despite the myth, Ringo’s playing has been praised by countless top musicians, including Phil Collins, who believes Starr’s subtle brilliance is too often overlooked. Speaking to BBC 6 Music, Collins said The Beatles’ recordings still “baffled and impressed” him, particularly the intricate drumming on tracks like Tomorrow Never Knows and A Day in the Life.
“I’ve been a staunch supporter of Ringo, while a lot of people kind of haven’t seen the fuss,” Collins said.
The Hidden Challenge of “All My Loving”
While many might expect Collins to pick a complex Beatles track like Rain or Come Together as Ringo’s hardest drum part, he instead points to an early hit — All My Loving.
Released on the 1963 album With The Beatles, the song is often perceived as a straightforward pop shuffle. But Collins insists that playing it correctly is far from easy.
“It sounds like an easy shuffle, but to play it properly isn’t easy,” Collins explained. “He was moving, he was really flashing around. What Ringo did was bring the drums out from the back and make people listen to them slightly.”
This “hidden complexity” lies in the song’s fast triplet hi-hat pattern paired with a driving backbeat, demanding both precision and stamina from the drummer. Collins believes this subtle difficulty catches out drummers who underestimate it.
Why Ringo’s Style Stood Out
For Collins, All My Loving is a perfect example of how Ringo managed to support the song while still injecting his own feel and personality. He notes that when people say they “love a song,” they often overlook the intricate work happening in the rhythm section.
Dave Grohl, another vocal defender of Ringo, summed it up best:
“Define best drummer in the world? Is it someone that’s technically proficient? Or is it someone that sits in the song with their own feel? Ringo was the king of feel.”
Grohl added that hearing even 15 seconds of an isolated Beatles drum track makes it instantly clear who’s playing. Arctic Monkeys drummer Matt Helders agrees, once remarking:
“Not everybody can play a simple groove for three minutes with no variation and have it mean something. It sounds easy, but it’s not.”
The Legacy of “Feel Over Flash”
Collins’ praise for All My Loving reinforces a key lesson for drummers: technical fireworks aren’t everything. Sometimes the hardest part is playing a tight, consistent groove that elevates the song without overshadowing it.
For Ringo Starr, that approach was his signature. It’s why musicians like Collins and Grohl continue to defend his legacy — not as a technical showman, but as a drummer whose unique touch helped define the sound of the world’s most famous band.
