Hello, I'm nalem and I'm writing a paper on Ringo Starr.  Over the past few years I've been a Beatles fan.  But I know of many people who have a large distaste for Ringo Starr. The hate spans from young adults in their late teens and early twenties to fans from when the band was still together.  I thought perhaps the older fans hate Ringo Starr because they preferred Pete Best. But what do the younger fans know of him?  Why should they hate Ringo?  I just can't find the answer.  If anybody knows with perhaps some proof (sources) that would be swell. Thank you.

Welcome. No clue. I don' t know anyone personally who ever Disliked Ringo.Maybe the others can help you.

Wow!  It'd be really weird if there were some crotchety old-timers hobbling around Liverpool muttering "Pete Best forever, Ringo never."  

On what inforamtion your assumption is based? (sorry if im sounding pushy or mean- i really dont mean to)

Hello. what on earth do you base that on? Sorry, but it's silly. While people may debate his drumming skills, he is universally (as far as I know) acclaimed as the likeable, unaffected Beatle. I think in your desire for some meat for your paper you're inventing a problem that doesn't really exist - you should be in politics.  

he is short........

Ringo's done nothing to upset me & he seems to have a goods head
on his shoulders!

Welcome nalem!!

I wouldn't say (I can't believe) that a fan of the group can hate Ringo ... "hate" is a strong word to use here   ... what's more, he's very beloved and respected ...

Welcome to the forums, nalem ... hope you'll enjoy them!

I didnt know that somebody really could hate Ringo !
Why ?!
Ringo is the cuttier Beatle for me !

And his songs are so happy all the time

I'm one of the people who has certainly noticed unjustified contempt for Ringo over the years. I'm surprised that so many fans here haven't noticed. Many times I've heard people knocking Ringo; even Beatles' music admirers.

I think that maybe (I said, maybe!) the main reason is because when they were famous in the sixties, people were comparing Ringo's songwriting skills with John, Paul, and George. And, also perhaps, comparing Ringo's looks with John, Paul, and George in the screaming girls phase. And, perhaps, the 'drummer being a guy who hangs around with rock stars' kind of thinking.

Anyway, I don't know for sure. But, we've had this discussion in the past I think though some time ago.

^bemusement and humour maybe, but contempt? He has earned the respect due of The Beatles drummer and has never pretended to be anything else. He has always been completely upfront about his limitations., i would have to some examples of contempt to be convinced.

but i heard that in sixties people from USA really like Ringo, and even they like him much more than John, Paul or George. It was something like this in interviews: "Ringo, John, Paul and George"

As I said before - I didnt heard that people HATE Ringo - hate is such a big word - but I agree that they understimate him in past and now too.

Ringo is a beautiful witty & funny guy everytime i listen
or hear him being interviwed!  
He makes me laugh so much, he was a very important ingrediant
in the shape of the beatles. I don't think Pete Best worked with the
humour (maybe? ), so they needed that change.

ringo got more fan mail then and now......

Quoted from pc31

ringo got more fan mail then and now......

Must have cost him a fortune in stamps, then again he does come from a large family  

Quoted from Kevin

^bemusement and humour maybe, but contempt? He has earned the respect due of The Beatles drummer and has never pretended to be anything else. He has always been completely upfront about his limitations., i would have to some examples of contempt to be convinced.

Angus Deayton once said something about it on Have I Got News For You, to which Paul Merton responded with words to the effect that his drumming on Rain was of a very high standard. Other times I've heard it from people.

he's been the butt of a lot of jokes (luckiest man in the world etc) but contempt or hatred? And surely Angus Deyton's job on HIGNFY was to lampoon everyone.

Ringo was really the genius behind the Beatles.  He told John and Paul what to write.  Bucked up George who was prone to melancholy.  Had as much job "arranging" the songs as George Martin (since his drum parts, Paul interfering or not, laid down the basic foundation of the song).  He also controlled Brian Epstein with a voodoo doll.

Don't fall for the smile.  Ringo is one tough powerful s-o-b.

You speak the truth, Adamzero! I learned it all in the book "Ringo: Pillar of Power Behind the Beatles". Why do you think his drumset was set up on a high riser, like a king overlooking his subjects? All that good-natured act was just to throw us off the track. I would write more, but Ringo's spies are everywhere! *quickly buys his latest album, to throw off suspicion*

The Tony Soprano of the Beatles, really.  Threatened to gut Paul if he ever touched his drumset.  And remember how he kicked a** on Thomas the Tank Engine.  You knew who was in charge!

Only too true, AZ!

I'm sorry, but I can no longer remain silent. I think it is time we admitted the tyranny of Ringo!

Ringo often forced the others to carry him--literally:


Here he is documented actually snatching away an award from John Lennon!


He often used George as his personal slave. Here George is forced to read to him...


...and mist his delicate throat.


In addition to all this, Ringo hogged the controls for the toy racetrack.



No wonder he is so universally hated.

I hope this is helpful for your report, Nalem! Good luck!  

aaaahahahaha hilarious! All is being steadily revealed

So now George is actually a rabbit, and Ringo is in fact a pillar of power- the forceful king of the beatles

They were all convincing media and fans alike with their devious coverups but they don't fool us!  

Perhaps it all began in the film 'A Hard Days Night' - you know how Paul's 'Grandad' encouraged him to stand up for himself and to go out there and get what he wants!

And with regards to Ringo being hated- I must agree that I havent heard of anyone putting Ringo down at all! (well other than John Lennon!)  

And where would the beatles be without the steady support of his drum beat!!

Quoted from tangerine

[...]So now George is actually a rabbit, and Ringo is in fact a pillar of power- the forceful king of the beatles[...]

But I'm not sure that I want to know who/what John and Paul were   ...

Quoted from Kevin

he's been the butt of a lot of jokes (luckiest man in the world etc) but contempt or hatred? And surely Angus Deyton's job on HIGNFY was to lampoon everyone.

I wouldn't say hatred. But, yes, contempt at times I think.

Quoted from 665

Hello, I'm nalem and I'm writing a paper on Ringo Starr.  Over the past few years I've been a Beatles fan.  But I know of many people who have a large distaste for Ringo Starr. The hate spans from young adults in their late teens and early twenties to fans from when the band was still together.  I thought perhaps the older fans hate Ringo Starr because they preferred Pete Best. But what do the younger fans know of him?  Why should they hate Ringo?  I just can't find the answer.  If anybody knows with perhaps some proof (sources) that would be swell. Thank you.

Say, ummm, are you getting what you were after? Just wondering...  

@ harihead: That is AMAZING. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Ahhh...Ringo the tyrant...

Well, on a more on-topic note, I wouldn't call feelings towards Ringo dislike - he's just not everyone's favourite. Compared to 'adorable' (note quotes) Paul, John the rebel, and George the philosopher, he doesn't really have any striking personality traits. He's a likeable person, but that doesn't give him something that people can distinguish him by so they can call him their favourite Beatle. He never made a spiritual trip to India, sung at the Superbowl, or staged massive peace protests - he's just not that kind of person, but rather a nice, easy-going guy who is content with and even awed by the idea of Beatles-type fame. Mostly, I would say many fans like and tolerate Ringo, as opposed to hating him, but he just doesn't get the limelight the lads with the more striking traits do and therefore is often ignored.

I would agree that looks has something to do with it as well. Let's face it - most people prefer Paul or John to George and Ringo. Some people, in fact, would consider Ringo dead ugly, more than those who would consider someone like Paul ugly. Something someone told me this weekend seems to sum this up: Paul's the one you date in high school, John's the one you have a passionate affair with in college, George is the one you marry, and Ringo's your best friend.

Personally, Ringo, if you can't tell from my sig, is my favourite, so I'm just putting in my two cents from my observations.

^Can't agree too much with that. Ringo got the most fan mail during Beatlemania. Girls went nuts for him more than others it seems. And he was popular precisley because he didn't play the big rock star or get spiritual - he's the unaffected guy that everyone can identify with.

I guess you can interpret it either way. Fan mail can mean a lot of things, both love-stricken letters and hate mail - I wouldn't look at it just based on the numbers. (Besides, he comes from a large family!) At any rate, he's still not everyone's favourite, really - every poll I've seen on the subject has proved that.

Quoted from Kevin

[...]Ringo got the most fan mail during Beatlemania. [...]

A Hard Day's Night (film) told US so   ...

Quoted from The Fox Drummer

At any rate, he's still not everyone's favourite, really - every poll I've seen on the subject has proved that.

I guess it was because he wasen't really a songwriter.
He was & still is a brilliant solid rock drummer & has the Ringo sound
but i do suspect it was because the other 3 were writers & Ringo just
kept it together. But of course, without Ringo it woulnd't be the Beatles!

Quoted from The Fox Drummer

Something someone told me this weekend seems to sum this up: Paul's the one you date in high school, John's the one you have a passionate affair with in college, George is the one you marry, and Ringo's your best friend.

I love that!

Ringo did appear to be the most popular Beatle during early Beatlemania in the United States.  He received the most fan mail by far, although I personally think that Paul had the most teenagers screaming for him outside the hotel room windows. And don't forget the Ringo for President campaign! It was started by an American DJ, but it certainly caught on like wildfire.

Quoted from tangerine

So now George is actually a rabbit, and Ringo is in fact a pillar of power- the forceful king of the beatles

I think tangerine's nailed it.  Ringo's ancestor, Atouk, demonstrated this eons ago.



"Macha pooka!"

"Atouk aloonda Tala.  Zug Zug!"


These traits were passed down over many generations.

Ringo is human.  That's what makes him great.  If you've ever messed around with a drum machine (even the kind you can "humanize" it still sounds like a machine.)  Even some of the great session drummers can sound like machines.  

Ringo is human.  He plays a human beat.  Whether it's "Get Back" or "Things We Said Today."  It's idiosyncratically Ringo.  Human.  The Beatles needed that humanness/uniqueness at the center of their sound.  

A technically "better" or steadier drummer might not have worked, because as a group they became an organic rather than mechanical entity.  

No Ringo, no Beatles.  Simple as that.  Without the heart the body dies.  

Quoted from adamzero

Ringo is human.  That's what makes him great.  If you've ever messed around with a drum machine (even the kind you can "humanize" it still sounds like a machine.)  Even some of the great session drummers can sound like machines.  

Ringo is human.  He plays a human beat.  Whether it's "Get Back" or "Things We Said Today."  It's idiosyncratically Ringo.  Human.  The Beatles needed that humanness/uniqueness at the center of their sound.  

A technically "better" or steadier drummer might not have worked, because as a group they became an organic rather than mechanical entity.  

No Ringo, no Beatles.  Simple as that.  Without the heart the body dies.  

Very well put. Ringo is so good I f*ucking hate him!!

The without the heart quote is so true. My ex father -in - law passesd away last Sunday. He and his wife had split. She was his Heart.

harihead your really crack me up!!!!

  I read somewhere the 13 reasons why everybody should respect ringo...  
he is a really good drummer...

if i find that i'll post it....

   I for one love ringo... and everything about him! GO RINGO!!!!

Please,please,please,please,please,please,please,please tell me what "Atouk aloonda Tala" means!