The 1967 song Paul McCartney called “best” of Ringo Starr
Paul McCartney described “With a Little Help From My Friends” as probably the best song he and John Lennon wrote for Ringo Starr. The song gave Starr a prominent role on the Beatles’ ambitious 1967 album *Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band*, introducing the character Billy Shears.
The article says Starr’s warm, self-deprecating vocal helped make the song distinctive, despite his being less celebrated as a singer and songwriter than his bandmates. After the Beatles split in 1970, he also came to treat the song as a kind of personal theme, reflecting the musical support he received from friends throughout his solo career.
- McCartney praised the song as their best written for Starr.
- It introduced Billy Shears on *Sgt Pepper*.
- Starr later made it a signature tune.
New here? Start with this
The Beatles were a British band whose songs were mainly written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, while Ringo Starr was best known as their drummer. Starr also sang lead on some tracks, and “With a Little Help from My Friends” was written for him to perform.
The song appeared on the Beatles’ 1967 album *Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band*, which presented the band through the imagined stage characters of a concert group. Starr sang as Billy Shears, bringing one of the album’s songs into the voice of a character.
After the Beatles broke up in 1970, Starr continued making music as a solo artist, often with help from other musicians. The song’s place in his story reflects both his role in the band and the friendships that supported his later work.