Keith Richards highlights difference between The Beatles, The Rolling Stones

Keith Richards was always aware of The Beatles throughout the 1960s. As one of the few bands that could rival the Fab Four, The Rolling Stones possessed unique insights into their strengths and what made them tick.

Despite being friends and occasional collaborators, Richards always recognized the fundamental differences between the two bands.

In a 2010 interview with NPR, Richards expressed that The Rolling Stones consciously chose not to emulate The Fab Four's image.

“They were different. Basically, the differences between the bands – The Beatles were basically a vocal band, you know? They all sang. And one song, John would take the lead, another Paul, another George and sometimes Ringo, right? And our band’s set up totally differently with one frontman, one lead singer, right?”

However, Richards doesn't discount his own contributions as a vocalist, having sung iconic Stones songs such as 'You Got The Silver' and 'Happy.'

In the mid-1960s, both The Beatles and The Rolling Stones traded chart-topping singles with remarkable frequency.

The Stones even borrowed their early single 'I Wanna Be Your Man' from the Lennon-McCartney songwriting partnership.

“We were friends with them, and I just thought ‘I Wanna Be Your Man’ would be good for them,” Paul McCartney told Rolling Stone in 2016. “I knew they did Bo Diddley stuff. And they made a good job of it.”

Richards recognized and appreciated the significant differences between the two bands, but also highlighted their friendly and fruitful relationship.