“He Imitates Us”: John Lennon Slammed Mick Jagger for Copying The Beatles

When The Beatles rose to international fame in the early 1960s, their groundbreaking success changed the music industry overnight — and it didn’t take long for others to follow in their footsteps. But not every band earned John Lennon’s admiration. In fact, The Beatles co-founder once called out The Rolling Stones’ frontman, Mick Jagger, for blatantly copying their every move.

In a fiery interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Lennon didn’t hold back.

“I would like to just list what we did and what the Stones did two months after on every f—— album,” he said. “Every f—— thing we did, Mick does exactly the same — he imitates us.”

According to Lennon, the Stones’ pattern of following The Beatles’ lead became impossible to ignore. From stylistic shifts to album concepts, Lennon felt his bandmates were setting trends that Jagger & Co. quickly tried to match.

Not Just Lennon — George Noticed Too

John Lennon wasn’t the only Beatle who noticed the shadow the Stones seemed to cast. George Harrison once shared a similar sentiment, recalling Jagger’s keen interest in what The Beatles were up to behind the scenes.

“Mick Jagger was also there,” Harrison said. “He was always lurking around in the background, trying to find out what was happening. Mick never wanted to miss out on what the Fabs were doing.”

While these remarks may sound harsh in hindsight, they speak to the intense rivalry between the two British rock giants, whose legacies remain intertwined to this day.

The Beatles Helped Launch the Stones

Ironically, despite the accusations of imitation, The Beatles helped the Rolling Stones gain early traction. In 1963, Lennon and McCartney gifted the Stones one of their songs — I Wanna Be Your Man — which became one of the group’s first hits.

Mick Jagger later recalled the moment:

“We knew [The Beatles] by then,” he said. “We were rehearsing and Andrew [Loog Oldham] brought Paul and John down to the rehearsal. They said they had this tune — they were really hustlers then. I mean, the way they used to hustle tunes was great.”

“They played it and we thought it sounded pretty commercial, which is what we were looking for, so we did it like Elmore James or something… It was completely crackers, but it was a hit and sounded great onstage.”

A Complicated Musical Rivalry

Though Lennon’s comments seem pointed, they also reflect the complex dynamic between the two bands. The Beatles and The Stones were competitors, collaborators, and cultural icons who often inspired — and occasionally frustrated — one another. While the Stones found their own identity in time, it’s clear the Beatles’ innovation shaped the landscape they emerged from.

John Lennon never shied away from controversy, and his unfiltered words about Jagger only add to the storied history between two of the most influential bands of the 20th century.