Mick Jagger continues to stoke the friendly rivalry between The Rolling Stones and The Beatles

Mick Jagger continues to stoke the friendly rivalry between The Rolling Stones and The Beatles
ABC/ Craig Sjodin

Mick Jagger seems to be stoking the friendly rivalry between The Rolling Stones and The Beatles

During a 2021 interview with The New YorkerPaul McCartney stirred things up when he suggested The Beatles were the better of the two bands because “the Stones were really just a blues cover band.” Well, apparently Jagger hasn’t forgotten that. 

During an interview with The Times of London, Jagger was discussing McCartney’s contribution to The Stones’ new album Hackney Diamonds, out October 20, when McCartney’s comments were brought up again. “Well, the Beatles were also really just a blues cover band when they started out,” Jagger responded. “Every band is a cover band at the beginning, because that’s how it goes.”

But Jagger doesn’t actually seem upset by McCartney’s comment. In fact, he’s had a lot of fun with it.

“When we’re on tour I like to say that someone is in the audience when they’re actually not, to create a big moment, so I said one time, ‘Paul McCartney is here tonight. He’s going to come up on stage and play some of our blues cover tunes,’” Jagger said. “I texted Paul to say thank you for his comment because it has given me a lot of comic material.” 

Mick also got in one more crack about The Beatles before the interview was over. When asked how he wants his band to remembered, Jagger said he only cared about The Stones being known as “a good rock band.” 

“There is going to be The Beatles and there is going to be The Stones and together they will represent the rock era,” he said. “The Stones are much longer lived, obviously.”

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