Paul McCartney Sets the Record Straight on The Beatles vs. The Rolling Stones Rivalry ‘Rumor’
The Beatles and The Rolling Stones were at the forefront of the British invasion of the 1960s. The two bands were different in style, but both dominated the rock and roll genre during that decade. While The Beatles vs. The Rolling Stones has created speculations of a rivalry between the two bands, Paul McCartney said the two musical acts did not have a heated rivalry.
The Beatles met The Rolling Stones in 1963
The Beatles formed in 1960, while The Rolling Stones formed two years later. The Beatles had a headstart in their rise to fame, but it didn’t take long for the Stones to be on their tail. The Rolling Stones began as a Blues cover band but began creating their own original hit songs after emerging as new rock stars.
The relationship between the two bands began on April 14, 1963. According to Variety, they met after The Beatles went to a pub in Richmond to listen to the Stones play. After the performance, the two bands went to an apartment in Chelsea and reportedly partied until 4 in the morning. The Beatles were helpful to the Stones early in their career as they wrote the Stones’ first big single, and George Harrison was pivotal in getting The Rolling Stones a record deal.
Paul McCartney says The Beatles vs. The Rolling Stones was never real
In an interview with Wired, Paul McCartney addressed whether The Beatles got along with The Rolling Stones. The guitarist and songwriter says the bands always got along, and he still gets along with the Stones today. He doesn’t believe there ever was a rivalry, but he does end his statement with a playful jab.
“The thing was, we were all young guys who were just coming into the music business. We all had a lot in common and we would meet each other in clubs or TV programs we were all doing and we’d hang out socially. We knew them quite well and had a lot of fun and stuff. I don’t quite know how the rumor got started that we were rivals. Me and John actually wrote their first hit, which was ‘I Want to be Your Man.’ So, we couldn’t have been that much rivals. We really liked them and, to this day, I go to their shows, and we get to sometimes hang out. Good group, not as good as The Beatles, but good.”
The two bands have traded insults with each other before
While McCartney says no rivalry ever existed, there is evidence that could suggest otherwise. Per Variety, John Lennon insulted the Stones a few times, saying they imitated whatever The Beatles and even called lead singer Mick Jagger a “joke.” In 1987, Jagger said he didn’t care that The Beatles broke up, and Keith Richards called Sgt. Pepper’s “rubbish” in 2015.
However, Jagger did induct the band into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, admitting that they had somewhat of a rivalry, but they still ended up friends. Recently Jagger and McCartney threw verbal jabs at one another, but they appear to be jokes out of respect rather than animosity.
