The Rolling Stones and The Beatles are frequently compared when talking about the greatest acts of the 1960s. It makes some sense, but their styles and sounds were very different, even though they were both enormous trailblazers in the rock world at the same time. To begin with, The Beatles seemed polished and experienced, whereas The Rolling Stones were more comfortable celebrating unpolishedness.
The differences between the two can be seen from the very beginning. The Rolling Stones had roots in blues, rhythm, and rock. The Beatles came on the scene with their hooks firmly planted in rock ‘n’ roll. The Rolling Stones placed more of an emphasis on harder-edged riffs than did The Beatles, who unquestionably wrote catchy melodies.
One could argue that the topics covered by the Stones in their songs were far more real and representative of society as a whole. The Beatles composed straightforward love songs, at least initially. The Stones were more interested in themes related to the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle. These themes included sexuality, rebellion, and promiscuity. They used these themes to project an air of provocativeness.
This was frequently the outcome of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards’ partnership, as the two wrote some of the greatest rock songs ever. Aside from the obvious examples, “Play With Fire” from 1965’s Out of Our Heads was one such song. According to Jagger, the song is an “in-your-face” melody. It’s about a man who doesn’t let another woman’s wealth intimidate him. He succeeds in something that wasn’t necessarily as commonplace at the time: addressing societal class.
Mick Jagger stated, “It’s a very in-your-face kind of sound and very clearly done.” The musician acknowledged the power of how everything came together in addition to the vocal layer’s beauty, despite its inherent criticism. “It just came out,” he said. It was simply the society you saw, the families of rich girls. These songs portray it in such an innocent manner. I’m not sure if it was courageous. Simply put, it wasn’t finished.
He believed that “Play With Fire” was more innovative than other songs at the time, such as those by The Beatles, even before they realized it. According to Jagger, “The Beatles were doing it, though they weren’t doing it at this period as much as they did later.” He also mentioned that groups like The Kinks were in a similar situation. He went on, “At the time, I wasn’t even aware that I was doing it, but it turned into an interesting source of material.”
While Jagger, as he has often done, was able to look back on the situation with fresh eyes. The originality came from a special gift. It drew from his own experience. It added details. These details gave it a broader appeal. “These songs were really more from experience and then embroidered to make them more interesting,” he said in his own words.
