Nov 24th in Pop History

On this day, November 24th, in…

(1973 • 48 years ago today)

After cracking Billboard's Top Ten with It Don't Come Easy (# 4) and Back Off Boogaloo (# 9), Ringo Starr reaches # 1 with Photograph, a song he co-wrote with George Harrison (also a former Beatle).

Sir Richard Starkey MBE (born 7 July 1940), better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame during the 1960s as the drummer for the Beatles. He occasionally sang lead vocals with the group, usually for one song on each album.

Ringo Starr anchored the Beatles with a smile and a thundering backbeat, qualities he'd never lose during the group's heyday or through his long solo career. Starr often took the spotlight in the Beatles -- he stole scenes in their feature film debut, A Hard Day’s Night. He sang Yellow Submarine, the 1966 number one single that launched a 1968 psychedelic animated film of the same name -- but he didn't start writing original material until the band's final years, penning Don't Pass Me By for the Beatles and Octopus's Garden for Abbey Road.

While Ringo would pen a number of hits in the first years of his solo career -- It Don't Come Easy and Back Off Boogaloo, his first two Top Tens, were written by him alone -- he'd soon rely on a blend of covers, originals, and songs given to him by his wide circle of friends, colleagues, and admirers. He'd rely on this group in the third act of his career, when he formed the All-Starr Band the in 1989. Over the years, the lineup of the All-Starr Band would change, but the group remained a constant for Starr, allowing him to tour the world on a regular basis. Starr continued to tour with the All-Starr Band and record on his own into the 2010s, turning out collections of new music nearly as often as he launched new tours.

Upon the Beatles’ split, Starr went solo with two novelty projects: the first, an album called Sentimental Journey, found him covering pre-rock standards, and the second, Beaucoups of Blues, was a country music collection. Starr then scored Top Ten hits with two non-album singles, It Don't Come Easy in 1971 and Back Off Boogaloo in 1972. He paired with producer Richard Perry one year later and, with assistance from the three other ex-Beatles, made Ringo, which featured two number one hits: Photograph and You're Sixteen. Oh My My, a Top Ten hit, was also included, and those three singles helped push the album to platinum certification. Almost as successful was the 1974 follow-up, Goodnight Vienna, which featured the hits Only You and No No Song.

Starr continued to issue widely released albums through 1981, though with diminishing success. This year, Ringo Starr turned 81. He is not only the most famous drummer in the world, he’s also the richest with a net worth estimated at $300 million. His catchphrase and motto for life is "peace and love.” It’s hard to argue with that. And he gets by with a little help from his friends. Of course, the 300 mil probably helps a little too....