Sir Ringo Starr says The Beatles were the best band in the world because of their "psychic" connection.

The iconic Liverpool group's drummer has insisted no other act can top the 'Hey Jude' hitmakers - which was also made up of Sir Paul McCartney and the late John Lennon and George Harrison - because they shared a telepathic bond when performing live.

Speaking on SiriusXM, he said: "When we were playing together as a band, we were the best band in the land.

"I don't care what anyone says. We knew each other and it was like psychic.

"I would be playing drums with my eyes closed and the headphones on and would know John was going to go somewhere.

"I'd drum in that and hold it together while they went mad and then bring it back."

Ringo previously revealed he nearly missed out on being one of The Beatles because he'd planned to move to America.

The 80-year-old music legend was working in a factory when, at the age of 19, he and a friend decided to take the plunge and emigrate, but they were put off when they saw how many forms they had to fill in, and he often reflects on how different his life could have been.

The sticksman said: "I love the blues and wanted to go and live in Houston because I wanted to be where Lightnin' Hopkings was - my all-time favourite blues player.

"John and I went down to the embassy and we filled in all these forms - we were just teenagers filling in all these damned forms.

"So we filled them in and took them back to the embassy and they gave us more paperwork, with even more questions - sheets and sheets of it.

"Well, we turned back into teenagers then. We just ripped them up and said, 'Sod it'.

"I often look back on my life and think, 'what if I'd gone and lived in America? Because who knows where I'd have been now."