The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger ‘Refused’ to Believe His Band’s ‘Myth’

TL;DR:

• The Rolling Stone’ Mick Jagger said some musicians get “trapped by their past and destroyed by it.”
• Jagger felt he should constantly have to “earn” his success.
• The Rolling Stones had eight No.1 hits in the United States and the United Kingdom.

The Rolling Stones‘ Mick Jagger said he doesn’t like to buy into the band’s “myth.” Subsequently, he discussed the adverse effects believing the “myth” could have. Notably, The Rolling Stones had eight No. 1 singles in the United States and the United Kingdom, but different songs hit No. 1 in the U.S. and the U.K.

The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger discussed his issue with older journalists

During a 1989 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Keith Richards commented that The Rolling Stones were “amazing.” Jagger wasn’t as celebratory.

“I’ve seen too many people trapped by their past and destroyed by it — destroyed as people and as musicians,” Jagger said. “The media makes it easy for you to fall into that trap, especially the older journalists because they have this mythological approach to the band.”

Mick Jagger didn’t want to act like an ‘elusive’ god

Jagger discussed this “mythological approach.” “I’ve noticed it in the interviews on the tour and I don’t want that burden,” he said. “I don’t want to spend my life having to live up to someone’s idea of the ‘importance’ of the Stones.”

Jagger said he didn’t want to be remote. “We could [fuel] that mythology by making ourselves less accessible, refusing to do interviews and act like we were some kind of elusive gods,” he continued. “But you also have to work against it on a personal level. You have to refuse to believe the myth and refuse to lean on your success. You have to go out and earn the success on the new tour.”

How The Rolling Stones’ songs performed on the pop charts in the United States and the United Kingdom

The Rolling Stones were a massive success in the United States. Nine of their singles topped the Billboard Hot 100. The songs in question were “Miss You,” “Angie,” “Honky Tonk Women,” “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” “Ruby Tuesday,” ‘Get Off of My Cloud,” “Brown Sugar,” and “Paint It Black.”

According to The Official Charts Company, The Rolling Stones also had eight No. 1 singles in the United Kingdom. However, it was a different set of songs than the ones that reached No. 1 in the U.S. The tracks were “It’s All Over Now,” “Little Red Rooster,” “The Last Time,” “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” “Get Off of My Cloud,” “Paint It Black,” “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” and “Honky Tonk Women.”

The Rolling Stones are a legendary band even if Jagger refused to believe in their “myth.”