Mick Jagger has praised the Beatles as "the most prolific songwriters of that time" in an interview aired on SiriusXM's Classic Vinyl channel, crediting them not only for their own run of hits but for supplying songs to numerous other artists, including the Rolling Stones. The comments matter as they come just ahead of the Stones' new album, Foreign Tongues, released the following day, and underline the long-standing creative ties between the two bands rather than any supposed rivalry.

Jagger recalled how Lennon and McCartney gave the Stones "I Wanna Be Your Man", their second single and a Number 12 UK hit in 1963, and noted that handing over songs also earned the Beatles money. The new album features Paul McCartney on two tracks, alongside contributions from Robert Smith of the Cure, Steve Winwood and Bruno Mars. Jagger also addressed touring, saying he would love to perform live, while noting Keith Richards has expressed a preference for residencies in one city at a time.