Fact Finder - Music

Fact
The Rolling Stones and the Bad Boy Image
Category
Music
Subcategory
Famous Singers & Bands
Country
United Kingdom
Description
When the Rolling Stones first emerged, their manager Andrew Loog Oldham deliberately crafted a 'bad boy' persona for the band to contrast with the clean-cut, 'lovable mop-top' image of The Beatles. While The Beatles wore matching suits and smiled for the camera, the Stones were encouraged to look scruffy, grow their hair longer, and maintain a surly, rebellious attitude. Oldham even came up with the famous press headline: 'Would you let your daughter marry a Rolling Stone?' This marketing strategy was incredibly effective, making them the face of the 1960s counterculture and the 'British Invasion.' Despite the rivalry portrayed in the media, the two bands were actually friends; John Lennon and Paul McCartney even wrote the Stones' second hit single, 'I Wanna Be Your Man.'