It’s true that sometimes, the brilliance of a single member or a specific element of a band can elevate its status from ordinary to legendary. So, individual band members can have an impact on the overall perception and success of a band. A classic example of this is seen in the remarks made by the Who frontman Roger Daltrey regarding the Rolling Stones.
In an exclusive interview he joined with the Coda Collection in 2021, the rocker discussed a range of topics, including feeling underrated as a singer, his dislike for the internet, the band’s drug use, and a tense incident with Keith Moon. At one point, he was also asked about Paul McCartney’s statements on the Stones when he labeled them as a ‘blues cover band.’ Daltrey responded:
“I know what he means, but the Stones have written some great songs, but they are in the blues. They are in that format. It’s like comparing cheese and apples. They’re both very tasty, but the cheese does one thing and the apple does another. I’ve always thought that you cannot take away the fact that Mick Jagger is still the number one rock and roll show.”
Daltrey’s Admiration For Mick’s Performance Style
He praised Jagger on par with other notable names in the industry, explaining:
“The only other people I’d put up against him would be perhaps James Brown, maybe Jerry Lee in his day, or Little Richard, but Mick Jagger, you’ve got to take your hat off to. He’s the number one rock and roll performer.”
Roger then went on to share his thoughts on the Stones’ live performance:
“But as a band, if you were outside a pub and you heard that music coming out of a pub some nights, you’d think, ‘Well, that’s a mediocre pub band.’ No disrespect. You’re looking at me very patchy. But that music can. It’s part of its charm. Like I say. You have to see the Stones. I love them. I just think they’re great entertainment.”
Jagger’s Response To McCartney’s Statements
More recently, during a conversation with the Times, Jagger reflected on the comments of McCartney and said that the Rolling Stones and the Beatles had similar origins. The frontman explained:
“[McCartney] said the Beatles were better than the Stones because the Stones were really just a blues cover band. Well, the Beatles were also really just a blues cover band when they started out. Every band is a cover band at the beginning because that’s how it goes.”
The Beatles and the Rolling Stones have often been compared in the music industry. As he revealed in the first episode of ‘My Life As A Rolling Stone,’ Jagger believes that their manager, Andrew Loog Oldham, strategically positioned the Stones as more rebellious and edgy to contrast with the Beatles’ more wholesome image crafted by their manager, Brian Epstein, to separate the band from the shadow of the Beatles.
