I think the Rolling Stones, Beatles, and Who have all contributed immensely to the heritage of rock and roll.

It's not a contest. (If it were, the Kinks would win, hands down. Just kidding. But not really.) But we should be grateful for the strengths of all the musicians who have defined us.

Here's what I think may be happening with Daltrey and McCartney. We're approaching a point on the popular music timeline when we can look back and assess the past (i.e. classic rock) fairly objectively. There are observers who would like to edit out or minimize the contributions of the Beatles or the Who or the Rolling Stones (look at the recent Rolling Stone Magazine reboot of its Top 500 Songs). The kind of competitive nonsense that Top xxx Lists or shows like The Voice promote is bad for artists and listeners as well. It's understandable (but not defensible in my view) for trailblazers to try to kneecap the competition. But it's not a zero-sum game. And maybe someday we'll realize the importance of understanding and promoting the complex musical legacy that we are blessed to inherit.