The Truth Behind The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, And Bob Dylan’s Alleged Super Group: ‘The Masked Marauders’

Rock fans would definitely love to have a super band, including the members of the Beatles, Rolling Stones, and Bob Dylan. They all defined and shaped rock music since the Beatles are regarded as the most influential band of all time, Bob Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture, and the Stones are the pioneers of hard rock.

If somebody said the kings of rock music got together to record an album, fans would naturally jump at the idea of listening to their collaboration. Unfortunately, this dream band was nothing but a dream when they ‘released’ their debut studio album. Let’s travel back in time to dig deeper into one of the most amusing and interesting stories in rock history to see how thousands of people fell for a clever joke pulled off by Rolling Stone Magazine.

The Masked Marauders Were A Hoax Band

In Rolling Stone Magazine’s October 18, 1969 issue, the editors came up with a brilliant prank for their readers. Under the pseudonym T.M. Christian, Editor Greil Marcus published a review of a non-existent album with a fantastic line-up including the era’s leading rock and roll musicians; Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, George Harrison, John Lennon, and Paul McCartney. 

The editors decided to take the joke to the next level by recording an actual album and then securing a deal with Warner Bros. The self-titled album, ‘The Masked Marauders,’ was released in November 1969. This prank was intended to parody the supergroup trend that had become pretty popular back then. Surprisingly, countless people bought the album, although it was a pretty obvious prank.

Furthermore, the record reached No. 114 on Billboard’s album chart with numerous fans seeking it in stores to purchase the dream record. The review and the album were so believable that they fooled thousands of people, becoming one of the best pranks in rock and roll history.