Beatles and Rolling Stones rivalry
| Rivalry in the 1960s |
|---|
| Time period |
| 1963 - present |
| Persons Involved |
| John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronny Woods |
Origins
The Beatles and The Rolling Stones were arguably the biggest bands of the 1960s. Both bands started their careers in the early 1960s in the United Kingdom and rose to fame as part of the British invasion. The Beatles rose to fame in the UK in 1963 with their singles "Please Please Me" and 'Love Me Do". After a successful album contract the band decided to leave Liverpool and move to London. The Rolling Stones were a struggling band at the time and the Beatles had become famous as a self contained Rock Band. Original song content was getting tougher to acquire in the United Kingdom so the Rolling Stones were a Rock and Roll Blues cover group. On meeting the Beatles at a London Pub; John Lennon and Paul McCartney agreed to write an original single for the Rolling Stones called "I Wanna Be Your Man". The song gave the Stones their first commercial success and Mick Jagger and Keith Richards began writing as well.
British Invasion
The Beatles would dominate the charts from the early to the mid-sixties. The Rolling Stones began to show their presence after 1965. From 1965 till 1970 both groups almost always preceded or succeeded each other in the number 1 position on both Billboard (US) or OCC (UK). Music critics often cite the Similarities between "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" and "Their Satanic Majesties Requests" or "The White Album" and "The Rolling Stones Beggars Banquet".
Posthumously
Mick Jagger famously made fun of the Beatles after their breakup in 1970. This received criticism from John Lennon who attacked Jagger's "Fag Dancing" in an interview, stating that the Beatles were true innovators compared to The Rolling Stones.[1] There was great tension between the two groups on this subject. After John Lennon's murder in 1980, Jagger mellowed towards The Beatles and even inducted them in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame calling them a "Four Headed demon". Paul McCartney till this day always praises The Beatles over The Rolling Stones.[2] [3]