George Martin had seen The Beatles play live with Best and wasn’t impressed with the drummer. --http://www3.sympatico.ca/gary.lessard/08120818.htm

George Martin, after hearing their demo tape and listening to them live in studio was "less than impressed" with Pete's drumming abilities. He told Brian Epstein that while he wouldn't interfere with their live shows, he wanted to do what was done quite often in those days: replace a so-called "lesser" player in a band with a studio musician when recording. According to The Beatles Anthology book, this was the proverbial last straw for Pete in the eyes of John, Paul, and George - George Harrison mentions that Pete was starting to "...not turn up for gigs,,," and Paul McCartney said that the rest of the band was growing a "...bit disillusioned..." with Pete's playing. The irony of this was that whenever Pete wasn't available or didn't turn up, they would get their mate Ringo to sit in (Ringo was in the Liverpool band Rory Storm and the Hurricanes and knew the Beatles from both bands playing in Hamburg in the early 60's).

They did not think Pete was a good drummer and they were getting along with Ringo Starr better.

because ringo starr is amazing

I also heard the story that Best was quite good looking and the other Beatles wanted him replaced with Ringo because he was 'interesting' rather than handsome, therefore not a threat to John & Paul's popularity with the girls.

'cuz Pete Best sucks. My friend said so. He saw him in concert.

If you watch the anthology George martin Said "i told Brian Epstein that he was going to bring in a session drummer and not to interfere with the Beatles in anyway. And when they sacked Pete and bought in Ringo they went to the studio George refused to let him play. You have to think that they became the biggest band in Liverpool with Pete as the drummer in Hamburg also. So he’s couldn’t of been that bad. But now that’s a different story.

There are conflicting theories but the prevailing one is that George Martin did not think Pete Best was good enough. He initially didn't want to use Ringo either. He had a session drummer (Andy White) that he wanted to use for their recordings. But the Beatles won out in the end and Ringo became their drummer.

"Best has never been told why he was dismissed from The Beatles, as the only reason Epstein gave was, "The lads don't want you in the group anymore". It has been documented that while Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison usually spent their offstage time together in Hamburg and Liverpool, writing songs or socialising, Best generally went off alone. This left Best on the outside, as he was not privy to many of the group's experiences, references, and in-jokes. On their first trip to Hamburg, The Beatles realised that the stage suits they wore could not stand up to the hours of sweating and jumping about on stage every night, so they all bought leather jackets, jeans and cowboy boots, which were much tougher. Best preferred to play in shirtsleeves, so didn't follow the style of the group, even though he was later photographed wearing a leather jacket and jeans. Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, and Sutcliffe were introduced to drugs in Hamburg. As they had to play for hours every night, they often took Preludin to keep themselves awake, which were given to them by German customers or by Astrid Kirchherr, whose mother bought them. Lennon would often take four or five, but Best always refused to join in. Kirchherr asked the Beatles if they would mind letting her take photographs of them in a photo session, which impressed them, as other groups only had snapshots that were taken by friends. The next morning Kirchherr took photographs in a municipal park called "der Dom" which was close to the Reeperbahn, and in the afternoon she took them all—minus Best who decided not to go—to her mother's house in Altona. Best was described by Dot Rhone—McCartney's girlfriend at the time, who later visited Hamburg—as being very quiet, and never taking part in conversations with the group. Best's popularity with fans was a source of friction, as many female fans considered Best to be the band's best-looking member. In addition, Epstein became exasperated with Best's refusal to adopt the mop-top-style Beatle haircut as part of their unified look, although Best later claimed that he was never asked to change his hairstyle. In a 1995 BBC Radio Merseyside interview, Kirchherr, who was former bassist Sutcliffe's girlfriend at the time, explained: “ My boyfriend, Klaus Voorman, had this hairstyle, and Stuart liked it very, very much. He was the first one who really got the nerve to get the Brylcreem out of his hair, and asking me to cut his hair for him. Pete Best has really curly hair, and it wouldn't work. ” Radio Merseyside presenter, Spencer Leigh, wrote a book chronicling Best's firing, suggesting that the other members, McCartney in particular, were jealous. During the Teenagers' Turn showcase in Manchester, John, Paul and George walked on stage to applause, but when Best walked on, the girls screamed. Best was surrounded at the stage door afterwards by attentive females while the other members were ignored after signing a few autographs. McCartney's father, Jim McCartney, was present at the time and admonished Best by saying: "Why did you have to attract all the attention? Why didn't you call the other lads back? I think that was very selfish of you". McCartney's father later encountered the dismissed Best in The Cavern Club when a Beatles' gig was being recorded for the ITV series Know the North, and said: "Great, isn't it! They're on TV!" Observers reported that Best said nothing, and quietly left. George Martin was shocked that Epstein had sacked Best: “ He seemed to be the most saleable commodity as far as looks went. It was a surprise when I learned that they had dropped Pete. The drums were important to me for a record, but they didn’t matter much otherwise. Fans don’t pay particular attention to the quality of the drumming". ” Martin used a session musician, Andy White, on the third session for "Love Me Do" on 11 September, and not Starr, who was Best's replacement. - After The Beatles Soon after Best was dismissed, Epstein tried to console him by offering to build another group around him, but Best turned him down. Feeling let-down and depressed, he sat at home for two weeks—not wanting to face anybody or answer the inevitable questions about why he had been sacked. Best joined Lee Curtis & the All Stars, which then broke off from Curtis and became Pete Best & the All Stars. They signed to Decca Records—who had previously rejected The Beatles—and released the single "I'm Gonna Knock On Your Door", which was not a hit. Best later relocated to the United States along with songwriters Wayne Bickerton and Tony Waddington. As The Pete Best Four, and later as The Pete Best Combo (increasing their number to five) they toured America with a combination of 1950s songs and original tunes, recording for small labels, but had little success. They ultimately released an album on Cameo Records titled Best Of The Beatles; a play on Best's name, leading to disappointment for record buyers who expected a Beatles' compilation. The group disbanded shortly afterwards. Bickerton and Waddington were to find greater success as songwriters in the 1970s, writing a series of hits by the Rubettes. - Later years Collage of The Beatles Anthology, showing the centre photo on the far left that was ripped to remove Best's head.Best decided to leave show business, and by the time of Hunter Davies' 1968 authorised Beatles' biography, he was not willing to talk about his Beatles' association. He once tried to commit suicide, but was talked out of it by his mother, Mona, and his brother, Rory. Best did shift work loading bread into the back of delivery vans, earning £8 a week, and married a girl named Kathy (in 1968) who worked behind the biscuit counter at a Woolworth's store. He later became a civil servant for 20 years. Best's marriage has lasted for more than 40 years with Kathy, and they have two daughters (Babs and Bonita) and four grandchildren." Source and further information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Best#Reasons_for_Best.27s_dismissal

Pete was the best looking Beatle, and his more aggressive style of drumming was ahead of its time and so misunderstood by those weaned on softer music. Fellow drummer, Chris Curtis of the Searchers described Pete Best as a genius and he was probably right. But the other Beatles wanted more of a background drummer who knew his place and did not attract so much female attention. The Beatles had a harder edge with Pete Best and so it was a real mistake to dump him for Ringo.

After some research I believe all of the above reasons mentioned played a part in the Beatles replacing Pete best. However, there is one over looked possibility, Pete's mother Mona was a sharp business woman and very vocal about pushing the group, especially Pete. Brian Epstein, always insecure about his hold on the Group, coupled with John, Paul and George's belief that she would interfere (and continue to promote Pete and look after his interests, above those of the group), lead to Pete's firing. Whether these fears were well founded no one can say, but it may have been a determining factor. all of the other elements surrounding Pete's dismissal were obviously in play, but they seem to be only excuses covering up a bigger reason. Locaust1

They were not happy with his drumming. However why did it take them 2 years to replace him? It wasn't fair to dump his at the cusp of a recording contract. At the very least they should have been big enough at some point to contact him and apologise. To dump him as a friend as well was a bit much even if at first it would have been ackward.

The answer by "hercus" is totally wrong. In an interview, Pete Best said that he missed 3 gigs "at the most" during his tenure with The Beatles. As for his drumming; if you watch the video "Best of The Beatles", you will hear the original engineers at the Love Me Do session that they did not see a reason for Pete to be replaced. The 2 engineers who were interviewd say they saw nothing wrong with Pete's drumming. Listen to the Decca audition tapes with Pete on drums. Hear any sub quality drumming? Did he miss the beat or otherwise play poorly? No. Absolutely not. In my research, I have concluded (and my opinion has bee n shared by others; many of whom were there) that Pete was replaced because the other Beatles were jealous of the many female fans Pete had. He was certainly the best looking member by far and had many more female admirers than the others. Jealously, not poor drumming, was the cause of Pete's replacement. It's a shame that the other three never came clean concering this issue, and that George Martin, through his loyaly to the group as backed up the false story told through the years.

I heard Goerge Harrison would get on him about his crappy drumming during gigs,finally Paul and John gave in and fired him.

i think that if they did fire him for his looks i think it would be because he didnt really fit in with the others i mean if you look at a picture of john paul george and pete he sticks out like a sore thumb especially with his elvis themed hairstyle (and isn't comparing the beatles and elvis like comparing snoop dog and kimya dawson?they were like rival bands according to the book the outsiders.) i personally don't really like "love me do"(in which pete drummed in) but am a huge fan of the beatles in fact i think ringo starr would have to be my 2nd favorite (because i gotta love john lennon) but i think they would have fired him because not of his drumming "abilities"(or inabilities) per say but of the way he drummed witch doesnt make him a bad drummer just not the drummer for the beatles i think thats what it was but hey i could be wrong!

Pete's mom, Mona was pregnant with Neil Aspinall's baby. Vincent Roag Best was born a couple months after the Beatles signed a record deal. This fact could have ruined a sweet deal...goodby Pete.