first number 1 hit on that chart as a solo artist and Harrison's third there as a composer since the Beatles' break-up in 1970. "Photograph" was also number 1 in Canada and Australia, while in Britain it peaked at number 8. In Rodriguez's words, the single "did a good job of setting the table" for Ringo, which also enjoyed considerable commercial success. On 28 December 1973, "Photograph" was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, signifying US sales of 1 million. It was Starr's second such award, after "It Don't Come Easy". Reception Record Mirror predicted a "giant smash" for the single, saying that listeners would be singing along with it "for the next ten years ... at least". The reviewer praised the way the arrangement built to include "jangling piano", "booting sax", choir and strings, yet with "nothing overdone so as to take away from the song". Cash Box described the single as a "moderate paced rocker with a strong blues feel and good vocal performance". The reviewer said the song was "already one of the hottest records in the country" and predicted a top-five hit. In his album review for Rolling Stone, Ben Gerson highlighted "Photograph" as one of the "three most wonderful songs" on Ringo, along with the Lennon-composed "I'm the Greatest" and the Harrison–Mal Evans collaboration "You and Me (Babe)". Gerson wrote that the song's intro provided an effective "pull on the listener" and that, while the lyrics had a sorrowful quality, "the effect is warming". Billboards LP reviewer lauded Perry's "stunning production" on "the best Ringo album ever", adding: "We all know already that 'Photograph' has got to be a No. 1 single this month, right?" Although less impressed with Ringo, Alan Betrock wrote in Phonograph Record: "It's also clear when you reach 'Photograph' that Side One is the undisputed champ of the album. Jack Nitzsche has thrown in a lot of his past influences here, including the Famous School of Phil Spector castanets, lesson No. 2." Betrock concluded: "'Photograph' is one of those rare pop records that grows stronger with each play, and will be covered and revived for years to come (I'll lay you 50–1 it appears on the next Andy Williams album)." Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic views "Photograph" as a "gorgeous collaboration" between Starr and Harrison, and a track that "ranks ... among the very best post-Beatles songs by