Which of the 6 Beatles' sons has the biggest music career?

As a kid in the ‘80s, I found the idea of a second generation of Beatles fascinating because The Beatles themselves were so talented and intriguing. Hearing that Julian Lennon, John’s oldest son, played drums in a band called Quasar was exciting to me. I couldn't wait to hear them, but nothing surfaced.

What came next, though, was something better — “Jude” released his own album, "Valotte," in 1984, singing lead vocals on every track in addition to playing guitar, bass, keyboards, and drums. That made me wonder: if Julian could do it, what about the other Beatles’ sons? Would they also follow in their famous fathers’ footsteps?

As it turned out, all six Beatles’ sons — John’s sons Julian and Sean, Paul’s son James, George’s son Dhani and Ringo’s sons Zak and Jason — chose to make music, albeit some with more intention than others. Here’s a look at their musical careers.

Jason Starkey

Ringo's second son was born during the Summer of Love — in August 1967— and played drums in several bands, including Buddy Curtis and the Grasshoppers, The People's Friend, Empire of Sponge, and, along with his brother Zak, Musty Jack Sponge and the Exploding Nudists.

Starkey’s music career was shorter and less visible than the other Beatles’ sons, as none of his bands gained significant recognition.

Dhani Harrison

The son of George Harrison and his second wife, Olivia, Dhani, whose physical resemblance to his father is uncanny, started his musical career slightly later in life than his contemporaries, becoming involved in the post-production of his late father’s 2002 posthumous LP "Brainwashed" along with Jeff Lynne.

Soon thereafter, he formed the band Thenewno2, which released three unremarkable albums between 2009 and 2013, the latter being the soundtrack for a mediocre film called "Beautiful Creatures".  As much as I wanted to like his music, I didn’t.

I caught his band at one point during these four years and found his show to be dull. His vocals were virtually inaudible, and Dhani didn’t address the audience once. Of the thousands of shows and concerts I’ve seen, Thenewno2 was possibly the least engaging of them all.

Harrison began releasing albums in his own name in 2014, dropping a soundtrack to another so-so movie called "Learning to Drive".

He’s continued to release albums, but sales have dropped significantly. He’s had no hit singles or albums, and public interest in his work has waned inexorably. Dhani has shown little knack for songwriting, and his only song to register over a million Spotify streams is a cover of his father’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.”

James McCartney

At age 19, Paul McCartney’s only son, James, made an appearance on his famous father’s album Flaming Pie, playing guitar and singing backup vocals. The following year, his mother died, which had a deep impact on him, and he began using drugs.

Due to his substance abuse issues, James didn’t accomplish much during his 20s. He checked into an Arizona rehab center for a short-term stay, but he took a few years before focusing on his music. In 2010, he released an EP called Available Light, recorded partially at Abbey Road Studios.

McCartney followed up with another EP and a couple of full-length albums. Last year, he released a single called "Primrose Hill”, co-written by Sean Lennon.

I saw him perform in a club in 2016 and was somewhat impressed. He played with poise in a folk-rock style. While I don’t recall any of his songs resonating with me, he demonstrated excellent command of his acoustic guitar and confident, melodic vocals, although his stage presence was a bit rigid.

Julian Lennon

Technically, Julian’s career in music began at age 11 when his drumming appeared on a short throwaway track, "Ya Ya”, on his father’s album Walls and Bridges.

His solo, grown-up career started with a bang when his first album, Valotte, yielded three hit singles: the title track, “Too Late for Goodbyes”, and “Say You’re Wrong.” I saw him perform at the Universal Amphitheater in May 1985, and it was enjoyable. The 22-year-old sounded so much like his father, and the songs were delightfully Beatle-esque.

I had the album on vinyl and enjoyed it from start to finish. There wasn’t a bad song on it. I bought his sophomore offering, too, but, although it produced a hit, “Stick Around”, I thought the songwriting was half-baked.

His third effort bombed critically and commercially. However, he managed a hit in 1991 with the excellent "Saltwater". Julian took seven years before releasing his next album, Photograph Smile, which some claim is his best work.

Unfortunately, it didn’t sell well, and Lennon blamed the record company for failing to promote it properly, leading to much bitterness.

He released two more albums that didn’t sell, but Julian, who was already etched in Beatles lore by inspiring the songs “Hey Jude” and “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”, succeeded long ago by satiating public demand for quality second-generation Beatles material.

Zak Starkey

Until recently, Ringo's elder son, Zak Starkey, kept a relatively low profile. It's only been in recent months that Starkey's name has been all over the news. Starkey was fired twice in a two-week stand by legendary British rock band The Who, causing controversy and bad blood between him and the band.

It’s often stated that Ringo didn’t want Zak to follow in his footsteps. He allegedly only gave his son one lesson and intentionally dissuaded him from pursuing the path of a drummer. Regardless, Zak began playing drums in pubs by the age of 12. By 15, he was getting drunk, had quit school, and was kicked out of the house.

Eventually, he joined a re-formed Spencer Davis Group and became an in-demand session drummer, playing for high-profile groups like The Waterboys, Icicle Works, and the Lightning Seeds.

In 1996, he reached the pinnacle of his career as he was invited to join The Who as their permanent drummer. Zak worshipped The Who growing up and idolized Keith Moon, so this was a dream come true.

During the band’s latent periods, he would often tour as the drummer for Oasis and other bands, but Starkey remained The Who’s regular drummer for 29 years.

Earlier this year, however, Starkey was fired by vocalist Roger Daltrey, who claimed after two performances at the Royal Albert Hall in London that he couldn’t hear himself singing due to the drums. Even Pete Townshend was puzzled by this, and two weeks later, Zak was reinstated.

It didn't last long, though, as Starkey was fired for the second time within a month, with all the drama being played out in the press.

Regardless of the situation, Zak Starkey has been wildly successful as a drummer, playing for nearly 30 years with his favorite band and other high-profile acts.

Sean Ono Lennon

Of all the Beatles’ sons, Sean Lennon has shown the highest level of creativity, exploration and versatility.

But Sean didn’t exactly set the world ablaze with his 1998 debut album Into the Sun, a pop-rock affair filled with electronic blips set to bossa nova beats. I bought the CD when it came out and was disappointed. Lennon’s voice on this sounds wimpy, and the album lacks focus.

He went on to play in the Plastic Ono Band, fronted by his mother, Yoko Ono, for a long stint and joined New York indie-rock band Cibo Matto as their bassist, becoming keyboardist Yuka Honda’s boyfriend along the way.

Later, he formed GOASTT (Ghost of a Sabre-Tooth Tiger) with new girlfriend, Charlotte Kemp Muhl. They put out some low-key acoustic records but didn’t hit their stride until 2014’s Midnight Sun, which marked the beginning of Lennon’s psychedelic period. Surprisingly, the duo, while still a couple, only released one more effort: an EP called Long Gone in 2015.

Lennon teamed up with Primus frontman and bassist extraordinaire Les Claypool to form the Claypool-Lennon Delirium and release two excellent psychedelic albums and a covers EP, all of which are worth checking out. Lennon’s also released several film scores, most notably Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Undead.

Additionally, Sean has served as a session musician and a producer, having worked with Lily Allen, Lana del Rey, and the English psych band Temples. Last year, he released an ambient, mildly psychedelic, jazz-inflected album called Asterisms.