Jumpin' Jack Flash vs. Hey Jude: The 1968 Chart Showdown, and the One Time They Actually Played Together

The Beatles and the Stones never really had a proper chart war, but 1968 came closest. In May, the Stones dropped “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”—a raw, electric return to blues-rock after the psychedelic detour of Their Satanic Majesties Request. It hit No. 1 in the UK, their first since “Paint It Black” two years earlier. Then in August, the Beatles released “Hey Jude,” which stayed at No. 1 for two weeks and kept the Stones from climbing higher. “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” peaked at No. 3 in the US behind “Hey Jude”—but the rivalry was friendly. Mick Jagger later said he loved the song and called it a “masterpiece.”

As for collaboration: they never co-wrote or co-released anything official, but they did share a stage once. In December 1968, the Stones filmed The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, a TV special that never aired. One segment featured a supergroup jam on “Yer Blues” with John Lennon on vocals, Keith Richards on bass, Eric Clapton on guitar, and Mitch Mitchell on drums. That was it—one song, no studio sessions, no joint singles. The chart face-off of ‘68 was the closest they ever got to direct competition.