The Beatles versus The Rolling Stones is an age-old debate that can quickly get heated as both bands have loyal fans that will fight to the very end for them. But what do the lead members of each band think?
In an interview with radio legend Howard Stern, Paul McCartney of The Beatles agreed when Stern said The Beatles are superior to the Stones.
McCartney said:
“[The Stones] are rooted in the blues. When they are writing stuff, it has to do with the blues. We had a little more influences. There’s a lot of differences, and I love the Stones, but I’m with you. The Beatles were better.”
Many factors can be debated when discussing the two bands.
Both have stood the test of time and have influenced countless bands themselves. In response to McCartney, Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones said:
“That’s so funny. He’s a sweetheart. There’s obviously no competition.”
Jagger discusses how the Stones are still playing stadium tours while The Beatles disbanded before the 70s.
Although the two living members of The Beatles, McCartney and Ringo Starr, continue to play widely successful tours with their own bands.
But is the fact that The Rolling Stones are still touring enough to give them the coveted title of the best band of all time? We aren’t so sure.
Another common debate is if the Stones should retire or continue touring until they no longer can.
On the one hand, people believe they are still putting on great shows and drawing massive audiences. However, there seem to be more reasons to call it quits on the other side of the argument.
For those that believe the Stones should retire, they cite reasons such as they are past their prime.
Although they are still fun to see, their music isn’t the same quality and will they really be up there at 80 years old singing about young girls.
Others would love to see what they can do individually, saying they haven’t gotten to see much of Mick Jagger’s reflective and poetic side—which would be great as he is getting older.
There is no doubt that the Stones have achieved something amazing by continuing to tour as long as they have, but what do you think? Should they call it quits?
Bands like The Beatles have proven you don’t need to be touring to stay relevant. It is almost impossible to go a day without hearing one of their songs or their name mentioned. Their music speaks for itself.
It isn’t easy to even compare the two bands with their different influences, styles and ideologies in many ways.
The Rolling Stones continue to tour today while The Beatles quit touring before they disbanded for reasons of safety and sound quality; they weren’t willing to risk quality for the stage.
Either way, no one can doubt the accomplishments of both bands and McCartney or Jagger.
They’ve all left their mark on music and will undoubtedly continue living on forever through the people who continue to enjoy their sounds.
In the end, numbers can tell us who is technically the best, but art is subjective.
For some, The Beatles are the greatest band of all time; for others, The Rolling Stones are, and for others, those two bands might not be on their radar at all.
Check out Mick Jagger’s thoughts in the video below:
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