Frequently, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones are brought up in the same breath; they were both part of the first British Invasion and changed music. Undoubtedly, they are two of the greatest bands of all time; Rolling Stone has them as the first and fourth best of all time, respectively. However, according to Spotify, The Beatles have about ten million more monthly listeners than the Stones. Personally, I enjoy listening to The Rolling Stones exponentially more than I enjoy listening to the Beatles, so I’ve set out to make the case on why you should listen to more Rolling Stones.
I won’t argue that the Rolling Stones are inherently better musicians or songwriters. I also won’t argue that they are the more influential of the two bands; I don’t believe that to be true. However, the Rolling Stones, during their peak, produced incredible music, some of the best ever recorded, at an unprecedented volume, the likes of which not matched by even The Beatles. The run of four albums, starting with Beggars Banquet in 1968, followed by Let It Bleed (1969), Sticky Fingers (1971), and concluded with Exile On Main Street in 1972 is, in my opinion, the greatest run of four albums in history. Don’t just take it from me, though. Steven Van Zandt says, “They make up the greatest run of albums in history – and all done in three and a half years.”
The Rolling Stones’ greatness is about more than just their music, though. They started playing in America at a time when much of the country was still segregated. But, to them, it didn’t matter. They played hard, legit blues music. In fact, Keith Richards (the lead guitarist) and Mick Jagger (lead vocalist) first became good friends because of a chat on the railroad station about a Muddy Waters record. Not only were they inspired by blues music, but they stood behind it, and its ideals, while bringing it more mainstream. Though Elvis was the first white person to be singing blues mainstream, Jagger was the second and embraced it more.
Jagger, born and raised in London, had a quite nice upbringing. He grew up with two loving parents and fell in love with blues music through acquiring records from the likes of Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. In fact, Mick Jagger attended the London School of Economics, one of the premiere institutions on the isles, and received good grades until dropping out once the Stones signed their first record deal. But, the first time I watched one of his performances, that was not the impression I got. Jagger approaches singing in an adult way. His vocals sound hardened, and have the half-talk half-sing quality that permeates blues music. On stage he has an almost androgynous quality, his chest always showing and his face framed by copious amounts of makeup. Through all of this, Jagger made it cool to be harsh. In an age that was dominated by The Beatles and other bands like them who wore suits and had a firm posture while they sang, Jagger was a sign that it was O.K. to not be perfectly polished.
One of the best parts about The Rolling Stones was that they appreciated the culture of blues music instead of appropriating it. People like Elvis Presley were bad at bridging the gap between stealing from and building off the culture of the day. Criticism of Elvis has likely been overdone in past years as many black artists of the day were actually fans of him. Nonetheless, The Stones have widely evaded these critiques because they were genuinely entrenched in the development and process of blues culture. They also consistently give credit to the blues greats and play with them on tour. They have played with the likes of Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Buddy Guy, John Lee Hooker, and plenty more. The Rolling Stones, better than almost any other band like them, have been able to appreciate blues culture in a mutually beneficial way.
Their cultural influence is incredible, but one doesn’t hear cultural influence while listening to music — especially 60 years later. But that doesn’t matter. Keith Richards is, simply put, one of the greatest guitarists of all time; Rolling Stone has him ranked at fifteen. Richards envelops one into the music by his swimming guitar and the obvious influence of swinging blues. Though he can easily steal the spotlight (see: “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking”), he is equally adept at providing a backdrop for Mick Jagger’s ripping vocals (see: “Wild Horses”). The guitar isn’t the only thing swinging on the stage at The Rolling Stones concerts; the rhythm section of Bill Wyman (bass) and Charlie Watts (drums) made the Stones one of the best bands to dance to.
Overall, are The Rolling Stones a better band than the Beatles? Probably not; did they have more influence on music than the Beatles? Probably not. That said, The Rolling Stones, for me, are much more fun to listen to (and they’re still kicking). I beg you to just give the Stones a chance, it could change your musical journey.
