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A song with two lives

Before the Rolling Stones ever stamped their identity onto it, Money (That’s What I Want) had already lived an entire life of its own. Originally recorded by Barrett Strong in 1959, the track didn’t immediately ignite the charts. Only after its 1960 re-release on Anna Records—run by Berry Gordy Jr.’s sisters—did it begin climbing upward, driven by Strong’s gritty, 18-year-old vocals and a bold lyrical twist on the old idea that money can’t buy happiness. Co-written by Gordy and Janie Bradford, the song quickly became a surprising early cornerstone for Motown. Even though it remained Strong’s lone hit as a performer, Money quietly set the stage for a much larger legacy still ahead.

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When The Rolling Stones Covered ‘Money’ in 1964

Barrett Strong’s unexpected legacy

Strong’s solo chart success may have been brief, but his influence was anything but. Teaming with Norman Whitfield, he co-wrote landmark tracks like I Heard It Through the Grapevine, War, and Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone. What began as a teenage gospel singer’s lucky break grew into one of Motown’s most important songwriting careers.

Jagger, The Beatles, and the Stones’ turn

Mick Jagger remembered buying Strong’s American single and noticing it never quite caught on in England. The Stones saw potential—and claimed it. Although The Beatles had already recorded the song in 1963, the Stones carved out their own space with a rougher, freer take shaped by Brian Jones’ harmonica and Jagger’s wild, imperfect vocals. For a young band barely into their early studio sessions, Money wasn’t just a cover; it was a glimpse of the swagger and rebellion that would become their signature.

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