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Even though it’s been nearly 60 years since The Beatles first set foot on Ed Sullivan’s show stage, the “four lads who shook the world” are still as popular today as they were that day in 1964 – perhaps even more so.

One of the band’s surviving members, drummer Ringo Starr that is, feels there are specific albums that its youngest new fans would do well to be exposed to first.

The Beatles perform at the London Palladium with Ringo Starr on drums, rear, and (L to R): Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and John Lennon on bass guitar, lead guitar, and rhythm guitar, respectively
The Beatles on stage at the London Palladium during a performance in front of 2, 000 screaming fans | Michael Webb/Getty Images

Starr just turned 80 in 2020

Now at 80 years of age, Starr is the eldest Beatle statesman. The former Beatle drummer marked his birthday in 2020 with, naturally, a distanced virtual party, as he told Rolling Stone at the time.

“I love birthdays,” Starr said.  “This year is going to be a little different. There’s no big get-together, there’s no brunch for 100. But we’re putting this show together – an hour of music and chat. It’s quite a big birthday.”

Starr’s July 7 birthday coincided in 2020 with the worldwide demonstrations protesting the death while in police custody of George Floyd. The Photograph singer used the star-studded event to benefit causes important to him, including the David Lynch Foundation, MusiCares, WaterAid and Black Lives Matter Global Network, as he tweeted at the time.

“As my brother Paul said, The Beatles always stood for equal rights&justice and I’ve never stopped working for peace&love ever since,” he wrote. #blacklivesmatter, #peaceispossible — I send my peace love & continuous support to everyone marching & speaking up for justice & a better world.”

Ringo Starr closed out the 2021 Grammys

Earlier this month, Starr appeared at the 2021 Grammy Music Awards ceremony to present Billie Eilish with the Record of the Year award for her song  “everything i wanted.”

Before presenting the 19-year-old singer with her statuette, Starr made sure to let the other nominees know, “I want to say this with peace and love to all of these gifted nominees: If you’re making music in our world today, you’ve already won. And I thank you.”

The Beatles themselves won four Grammys before their 1970 breakup: Best New Artist in 1964; Best Performance by a Vocal Group for “A Hard Day’s Night” in 1964; and two for Best Album of the Year and Best Contemporary Album in 1967 for their pioneering album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Incredibly, the album many consider The Beatles’ masterpiece, Abbey Road, never won a Grammy, although it was nominated.

The 3 Beatles albums Starr says kids should get started on

And so, what are Starr’s picks for the newest and youngest Beatles fans? No Meet The Beatles or A Hard Day’s Night here. Starr wants them started on the band’s later work.

“They should listen to Revolver and Abbey Road and if they really get to like us, they should listen to [the album known as] the White Album,” the drummer recommended.

Related

Why John Lennon Didn’t Worry About The Beatles Topping ‘Sgt. Pepper’

Starr himself is aware that most of the Grammys audience and young people at large are unaware of who he is or of his place in music history, as he told Billboard in 2012.

“There’s always going to be some kid somewhere saying, ‘Who the hell is that guy?'” he said. “And there’s always going to be someone picking up on it. That’s just how it is. Nobody knows everybody. We’re still selling more records than most people and we’re selling them to the kids.”

Forbes reported in 2019 that of Spotify’s 1.7 billion Beatles songs streamed, 18- to 24-year-olds accounted for over 30% of Beatles listening that year.

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