chefs with three Michelin stars were the culinary equivalent of the Beatles or Rolling Stones -- they were sorcerers.

...it was not simply a matter of musical taste; whether you preferred the Beatles or [the Rolling] Stones said much about your personality and character. People who were happy, intelligent, well-adjusted, popular, clean, decent and punctual tended to be Beatles fans. Those who were evil, cretinous, scabby, drug-ridden, filthy, criminal perverts liked the Stones.
As for your author, I personally take no side in the controversy, remaining strictly neutral.

The Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Phil Spector. Those were my idols.

Paul really loved the Beatles. If he'd loved the Rolling Stones it would have been different. The Beatles was all about youth and getting it done by the age of 25. The Rolling Stones are based on the blues ... and getting better as they got older.

While other girls swooned over The Beatles and the Rolling Stones, I worshipped Rudolf Nureyev and Isadora Duncan.

Whether it's a blatant homage or unconscious mimicry, the Rolling Stones have permanently, indelibly influenced how rock stars look and behave.