The Beatles and The Rolling Stones: Why Their Rivalry Was Good for Music
For years, fans of The Rolling Stones and The Beatles thought the “rivalry” that was often explored in pulpy magazine articles was (more or less) fabricated. However, according to Paul McCartney, it looks like that beef was actually real.
“I’m not sure I should say it, but they’re a blues cover band, that’s sort of what The Stones are,” McCartney said in an interview with The New Yorker from 2021. “I think our net was cast a bit wider than theirs.”
A week after McCartney made his comments, Mick Jagger took to the stage at a Rolling Stones show as said that McCartney should be “joining us in a blues cover.” There’s your proof, folks. The rivalry was real, even though it was likely pretty tame and playful.
So, why was the rivalry between The Beatles and The Rolling Stones a good thing? In my opinion, it resulted in some really killer music.
A Legendary Rivalry That Yielded Some Killer Rock Tunes
The Beatles and The Rolling Stones first met back in 1963 and even partied together for a bit. The Stones would then sign a big record deal with Decca, after being recommended to do so by none other than George Harrison.
Source: Em Casalena/American Songwriter
