It’s usually a tough debate to pit The Beatles against The Rolling Stones. The decision between the two rock and roll titans is the ultimate musical conundrum for music lovers worldwide. Both groups have had an immense influence; their discographies are replete with gold, and they are rightfully regarded as historical figures who fundamentally changed the nature and sound of music. For Jack White, however, The Beatles is the only acceptable response.
He doesn’t even question or criticize the response for a moment. White actually goes one step farther and declares that he not only prefers the Beatles but also views the Stones as little more than a knockoff of them and any other band that Jagger believed he could score a hit off of, or “whatever the hippest thing was.”
According to White, “people want The Rolling Stones to be cool, dirty, and raucous.”
That is how a great deal of people see the organization. The Beatles were always a little more reserved, whereas the Stones were the bad boys and scene rebels. However, White saw through it all, even when the Stones were crafting strong innuendos into rock songs fit for the radio and getting arrested for drug offenses. Rather, he regards Mick Jagger as a kind of genius and values his intelligence beyond everything else.
White added, “They don’t want to understand that The Rolling Stones were copying whatever The Beatles did last week, and they were constantly chasing a hit.” According to him, the Stones constantly seem to be lagging behind the Fab Four, who are always one step ahead.
