“Ringo said it straight: we didn’t always get along… but there was one guy who never let The Beatles get ‘lazy.’” In an interview, Ringo Starr shared a lesser-talked-about key to The Beatles’ success: Paul McCartney was the band’s workaholic. No matter how heated the arguments got, once the count-in started, all four of them gave it everything — and it was Paul who would always call, “Alright lads,” pulling everyone back into the studio to cut more records, write more songs, and make more history. Ringo even said they still thank Paul to this day for everything he did.

There are so many reasons why The Beatles became so big in the 1960s. First and foremost, their music was amazing. They had the boy band look and a fine mix of personalities that resonated with young listeners at the time. They had two legendary songwriters in the mix and four excellent musicians who could put all the pieces of a hit song together beautifully. And, according to Ringo Starr, there was another factor that was very important in the Fab Four’s massive success as the biggest band of the 20th century.

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Back in 2018, the famed Beatles drummer sat down for an interview with AXS TV to talk about his own career and the glory days of the Fab Four. He talked about how each of the band members, including himself, often didn’t “get along” and would have “rows” at times. Fans of The Beatles likely know that this was particularly true of the band toward the end of their tenure together, which resulted in numerous fights and even lawsuits.

However, it’s clear that the members were friends; how could they not be after years together? On top of that notion, Starr noted that the key to keeping the band together and putting out as much music as they did came down to the work ethic and leadership of one Paul McCartney

Ringo Starr Said That Paul McCartney’s Drive and Work Ethic Resulted in The Beatles’ Success

In the interview embedded above, Dan Rather mentioned that there were many stories in the media about The Beatles not getting along and not liking each other. Surprisingly, Starr seemed to agree.

“No, no, we didn’t get along,” Starr said matter-of-factly. “We were four guys, we had rows. It never got in the way of the music, no matter how bad the row was. Once the count-in happened, we all gave our best. Suddenly, we’ve got lives, and I’ve got children, and, you know, the effort that we put in because we worked really hard was starting to pale a little, and we always thank Paul to this day.”

Starr went on to say that McCartney’s habit of being a “workaholic” pushed the band to get things done.

“Because of Paul, who was the workaholic of our band, we made a lot more records than John [Lennon] and I would’ve made,” Starr continued. “We liked to sit around a little more, and then Paul would call, ‘Alright lads,’ and we’d go in.”

Everybody say, “Thank you, Paul McCartney!”