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Rolling Stones quotes: Mick Jagger about the Stones “not being that good” (1976)
MICK JAGGER KEEPING IT REAL Leave it to Mick Jagger to serve humble, blunt, classic rock-star vibes all in one go. Back in 1976, already a Stones legend, he threw cold water on the hype: “People overestimate the Rolling Stones… ” Then, of course, he flips it: “Obviously I think the Stones are a very good band.” Honest, cheeky, and always leaving a smirk—classic Mick.
“People overestimate the Rolling Stones. I don’t think the Stones are as good as people think. Obviously I think the Stones are a very good band.”
Leave it to Mick Jagger to drop a quote that’s equal parts humble, blunt, and classic rock-star contradiction. Back in 1976, while the Rolling Stones were already cemented as rock legends, Jagger had no problem throwing cold water on the hype — or at least poking at it. “People overestimate the Rolling Stones,” he said. “I don’t think the Stones are as good as people think.” But, in true Jagger fashion, he followed that up with, “Obviously I think the Stones are a very good band.” That little pivot captures exactly who Mick is: honest to a fault, never too sentimental, and always leaving room for a smirk.
Rock Legends with a Shrug
The quote might seem self-deprecating, but it also reflects something deeper about the Stones’ legacy. They never tried to be perfect. Their charm was in the looseness, the swagger, the grit. Jagger wasn’t putting the band down — he was just being brutally real. Maybe he knew that part of the Stones’ power came from not pretending to be flawless. That raw energy is what made them timeless.
A Little Modesty Never Hurt
It’s also possible Jagger was just sick of the pedestal. After years of being labeled “the world’s greatest rock and roll band,” maybe he was trying to remind everyone that the band was still made of humans — not gods. Either way, the quote says more about Jagger’s personality than the band’s actual greatness. And let’s be honest: the Stones were that good — even if Mick tried to act like they weren’t.
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