According to Rolling Stone, Ringo Starr revealed which Beatles track he would keep if he could listen to only one for the rest of his life during a bonus edition of Stephen Colbert’s 2021 “The Colbert Questionert.” His answer pointed to one of the group’s most celebrated recordings and the performance he believed captured the band at its very best.
Why Ringo Starr Chose “Come Together” Above Every Other Beatles Song
During the rapid-fire interview, Colbert challenged Starr with a simple hypothetical: if he could listen to only one song for the rest of his life, which would it be? Without much hesitation, the drummer chose “Come Together,” the opening track from the Beatles’ landmark 1969 album Abbey Road.
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Starr admitted the decision was not an easy one, acknowledging, “There’s lots of other favorites, but if you want one, ‘Come Together’ can’t be bad. I just think it worked perfectly with the band and the song and John being John. I loved that moment.”
Written by John Lennon and credited to the Lennon-McCartney partnership, “Come Together” introduced listeners to Abbey Road when the album arrived in September 1969. The track later topped the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States as part of a double A-side single with George Harrison’s “Something,” becoming one of the Beatles’ signature recordings. Over the years, it has also been covered by artists including Aerosmith, Michael Jackson, Arctic Monkeys, Gary Clark Jr., Ike and Tina Turner, and Joe Cocker.
More than five decades after its release, “Come Together” remains one of the Beatles’ most recognizable songs, praised for its unmistakable groove and memorable opening riff. For Starr, however, its lasting appeal comes down to something simpler: it reminds him of a moment when the chemistry between the four Beatles came together exactly as it should.
