How to Win a Beatles Versus Rolling Stones Argument

Since the British Invasion of the mid-1960's, music fans across the globe have argued the case—who is better, the Beatles or the Rolling Stones? From the time both bands’ images began to be carefully cultivated by brilliant young managers (Brian Epstein for the Beatles, Andrew Oldham for the Stones) they were pitched as opposite ends of the same musical revolution--the Beatles as the fresh-faced boys-next-door that wanted to hold your hand, the Stones as the delinquents that wanted to pillage your city. One thing both had in common was the ability to write and record great songs that formed the cornerstone of a musical revolution. Below are five major talking points--argued from both sides--that can help you make the case for either band.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. The Beatles started it all. There was no British Invasion before the Beatles, and there would not have been one without them. Everything that followed is an imitation—including the Stones. Stones fan answer? The Rolling Stones were an R&B band on the London Club Circuit and had nothing to do with the Beatles and the Liverpool sound. As a matter of fact, most of the great bands that followed the Beatles and the Stones—The Yardbirds, the Kinks, the Who—all came from the London scene, not the Liverpool one.

2. The Stones are the real rock group of the two. While the Beatles could and would play all manner of syrupy ballads early on, the Stones were always the tougher outfit, playing only real rock and blues. They also never succumbed to pressure to dress alike and wear similar hairstyles like the Beatles did. They were always more edgy. Beatles fan answer? The Beatles’ early song repertoire during their famous time in Hamburg, Germany featured almost all hard rocking American classics—from Jerry Lee Lewis to Little Richard. Although they might not have been as bluesy as the early Stones, the Fab Four certainly rocked. The Stones also did wear matching outfits for a brief time early on before abandoning them.

3. John Lennon and Paul McCartney are truly great songwriters that set the Beatles apart from all other bands. Their songs touched a nerve with society and dealt with all kinds of topics and problems that the sex-obsessed Stones did not. Stones fan answer? While the talents and accomplishments of the Lennon-McCartney team cannot be denied, a case could also be made that Stones classics like “Mother’s Little Helper,” “19th Nervous Breakdown,” and “Street Fighting Man” dealt even more directly with the troubles and topics of the turbulent 1960’s than the Beatles’ rosy chants of “All You Need Is Love.”

4. The Stones continue to be one of, if not the, greatest live band on the planet. The Beatles gave their last real concert (not counting the handful of songs played on the roof of Apple Records a few years later) in 1966. The Stones were a better live band than the Beatles when they were at their peaks, and have backed that up over decades. Beatles fan answer? At the time that both bands were together, both the Stones and the Beatles performed without proper modern PA systems and amplification. For that reason, it’s hard to argue which band sounded better over the screams of thousands of teenage girls. One thing is certain however; it's hard to find anyone that ever attended a Beatles concert that came away disappointed.

5. The Beatles (with the possible exception of William Shakespeare) are the most influential act in entertainment history. More than 35 years after their break-up, they still sell more records than anyone on the planet, while NASA shoots their music into outer space to greet potential alien Beatlemaniacs. Stones fan answer? Every major rock band of the past 30 years--from Aerosmith and AC/DC to Guns and Roses--was derived from the Stones' template. The Rolling Stones were the top grossing act in the world in 1969, 1979, 1989, and 1999. The top-grossing act of 2007--the Rolling Stones. They have delivered consistently and brilliantly for five decades and remain "The Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World".

Resources

• Bark Back News
• ScottCavanagh.com

[kenbob]

on 2/15/2008 Well said, Scott!! My heart lies with the Beatles, though. It's personal.