I remember hearing Paul tell a story about the first time Ringo played with him and John. During the session, Paul and John looked at each other in amazement, and afterward they both said it was the first time they had played with a truly professional drummer.
What made Ringo stand out was his rock-solid timing that freed Paul to be melodic on bass, his short and perfectly placed fills that always served the song, and his unusual left-handed feel on a right-handed kit that gave the Beatles a unique swing. He was unselfish, creative with the kit, and had a rare sense of dynamics—knowing when to push and when to hold back.
In short, he wasn’t flashy, but he was the ultimate musician’s drummer, and he made the Beatles sound tighter and bigger than ever.
There is a story about George Martin, the Beatles producer, who did not think much of Ringo at first and even brought in a studio drummer for the recording of “Love Me Do”.
Several years later he admitted that during live shows and recording sessions other members of the band made mistakes here and there but he admitted he “never” heard Ringo make a mistake. He was always rock solid.
Underrated by many, but the better the drummer the more likely they respect Ringo as one of the greats.