The humility that Ringo Starr has always promoted in his public persona belies the fact that this guy is a hitmaker. For a while in the early to mid-70s, Starr proved more reliable than his Beatle bandmates when it came to denting the charts.

His biggest hits are contained within a relatively short period of time. Here are the five songs released by Ringo that did the best on the US pop charts.

5. “Oh My My” – No. 5 in 1974

Ringo Starr grabbed the world’s collective ear and held it tight on his 1973 album Ringo. The LP was notable for having the other three Beatles all contributing to it. Even beyond that, a slew of top session men eagerly helped. It’s a testament to the goodwill Ringo had fostered among musicians. On “Oh My My”, that included Billy Preston and Klaus Voorman, both members of the Fab 4 extended family, as well as Jim Keltner doubling up the drums with Starr. Vini Poncia, who’d go on to collaborate with Starr often throughout the years, co-wrote the boisterous track.

4. “It Don’t Come Easy” – No. 4 in 1971

Instead of jumping right into the pop music wars in the wake of The Beatles’ breakup, Ringo Starr wisely slow-played it a little. He released two solo albums in 1970 dedicated to covering songs from his favorite genres (the Great American Songbook and country). When he finally struck with “It Don’t Come Easy”, the public was anxious to hear what he had to say. The crisp rock track, which included George Harrison as a clandestine co-writer, features an all-time opening couplet: “Got to pay your dues/If you want to sing the blues.”

3. “No No Song” – No. 3 in 1975

Ringo Starr wouldn’t achieve sobriety for good until the late 80s, so many of his pronouncements in “No No Song” have to be taken with a grain of salt. By all accounts, the making of Starr’s albums in the mid-70s included all kinds of wild antics spurred on by excess. Even within that atmosphere, however, he was keeping his eye on the pop music prize. This song, written by Hoyt Axton and David Jackson, was Starr’s second Top 10 hit from his 1974 album Goodnight Vienna, following his cover of The Platters’ “Only You (And You Alone)”.

2. “You’re Sixteen” – No. 1 in 1973

Even going back to his years with The Beatles, Ringo Starr possessed a knack for cover songs. Something about his amiable voice sort of bends every song to his will. Obviously, Starr wouldn’t be able to get away with recording a song like “You’re Sixteen” today, but those were different times. Most people assume that the solo is Paul McCartney playing a kazoo. In actuality, Macca simply sang a solo, which was then altered by effects. Speaking of vocals, Starr’s occasional partner in chaos, Harry Nilsson, pitches in as well.

1. “Photograph” – No. 1 in 1973

Ringo Starr received help (this time credited) in the songwriting from George Harrison. Harrison’s acoustic 12-string guitar also figures prominently on the record, along with Bobby Keys’ nostalgic sax solo. Richard Parry’s production smoothly updates Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound efforts from the 60s. But forget all that assistance for a minute, and focus on the beauty of the song and the excellence of Starr’s vocal. Because he always seems to be reaching for the notes, his performance carries an urgency that perfectly matches the sentiment of the lyrics.

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