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TL;DR:

  • John Lennon liked The Rolling Stones’ “Honky Tonk Women.”
  • He hated one aspect of Mick Jagger’s performances.
  • Jagger responded to John’s comment.
Mick Jagger and John Lennon in suits
Mick Jagger and John Lennon | Ron Galella / Contributor

John Lennon liked The Rolling Stones‘ “Honky Tonk Women,” but he dismissed the band as a whole. Subsequently, Mick Jagger reacted to John’s comment. He also had something negative to say about The Beatles.

John Lennon liked The Rolling Stones’ ‘Honky Tonk Women’ even though he hated the way Mick Jagger danced

The book Lennon Remembers is an interview from 1970. In it, he was asked about his feelings regarding The Rolling Stones. “I think it’s a lot of hype,” he said. “I like ‘Honky Tonk Women,’ but I think Mick’s a joke, with all that [feminine] dancing, I always did. 

“I enjoy it; I’ll probably go and see his films and all, like everybody else, but really, I think it’s a joke,” he continued. “I never do see him.”

Mick Jagger responded to John Lennon and discussed why The Rolling Stones weren’t trying to be ‘butch’ all the time

During a 1995 interview with Rolling Stone, Jagger reacted to John’s comment. “[John] said something in your magazine,” he said. “It wasn’t to do with appearance, more with music. When asked about The Rolling Stones, he said, ‘I like the butch stuff, and I don’t like the [feminine] stuff.’ But you don’t want to be butch the whole time. It would drive you mad, wouldn’t it?”

The book 50 Licks: Myths and Stories from Half a Century of The Rolling Stones features a 1977 quote from Jagger. “We were not The Beatles … The Beatles were a pop band … and, though we liked them … you know … I mean … Keith [Richards] and Brian [Jones] sort of liked them, but I didn’t really,” he said. “I mean, they were sweet and all that, but we were a blues band.”

Related

Beatles: Why Mick Jagger Nearly Felt ‘Sick’ When He Heard ‘Love Me Do’

How ‘Honky Tonk Women’ performed on the pop charts in the United States and the United Kingdom

“Honky Tonk Women” became a massive hit in the United States. The tune reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks, staying on the chart for 15 weeks. “Honky Tonk Women” appeared on the album Hot Rocks 1964–1971, which hit No. 4 on the Billboard 200. Hot Rocks 1964–1971 remained on the chart for a total of 402 weeks.

According to The Official Charts Company, “Honky Tonk Women” became even more popular in the United Kingdom. There, the track reached No. 1 for five of its 17 weeks on the chart. Meanwhile, Hot Rocks 1964–1971 reached No. 3 and stayed on the chart for 59 weeks.

The Rolling Stones recorded a country version of the song called “Country Honk” which is on the album Let It Bleed. “Country Honk” is so different from “Honky Tonk Women” that it even has some different lyrics. Notably, The Rolling Stones are known to perform “Country Honk” live.

“Honky Tonk Women” was so good John praised it even if he wasn’t a big fan of The Rolling Stones. 

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