McCartney’s comments reignite rivalry with Stones

Beatles legend Paul McCartney has reignited the debate of which music icon was the greatest, following recent comments comparing The Rolling Stones and his former band.

In the latest instalment in the ongoing friendly rivalry between the two iconic bands, McCartney suggested in a recent interview with The New Yorker that the Stones were a mere “cover band”.

“I’m not sure I should say it, but they’re a blues cover band, that’s sort of what the Stones are,” he said.

“I think our net was cast a bit wider than theirs.”

Paul talks to @NewYorker about his life, lyrics, and more. Copies are on newsstands now! #PaulMcCartneyTheLyricshttps://t.co/ZsI0i9x4R8

— Paul McCartney (@PaulMcCartney) October 12, 2021

It’s not the first time McCartney has taken a friendly swipe at his former rivals, telling Howard Stern in an interview in 2000 that the Beatles were “better”

“There’s a lot of differences, and I love the Stones, but I’m with you. The Beatles were better.” he said.

Rolling Stones lead singer Mick Jagger laughed at the time as he said there was “no competition” during an interview with The Zane Lowe Show for Apple Music.

“The big difference, though, is and sort of slightly seriously, is that the Rolling Stones have been a big concert band in other decades and other eras when the Beatles never even did an arena tour, Madison Square Garden with a decent sound system,” he said.

“They broke up before that business started, the touring business for real.”

The Beatles and The Rolling Stones were two of the biggest musical acts of the 1960s with music fans typically falling into either the Stones or the Beatles’ camp. While The Beatles split up in 1970, The Stones have continued touring to this day.

McCartney recently commented on the band’s infamous split claiming in an upcoming BBC Radio 4 interview that it was John Lennon who “instigated” the break-up.

“I am not the person who instigated the split. Oh no, no, no. John walked into a room one day and said I am leaving the Beatles. Is that instigating the split, or not?” he said.

McCartney’s comments come as he promotes his latest book “The Lyrics” which is due to be released on November 2 and will include previously unseen lyrics to an unrecorded Beatles song.

Regardless of the friendly competition between the two iconic bands, both group’s contribution to music history cannot be overstated.