With the recent loss of drummer Charlie Watts, it’s tough to imagine the Rolling Stones going on much longer. But while we are thinking of the legendary drummer, let’s look back on a one-of-a-kind career. Imagine being in a band and having the ability to play for three hours straight and still not covering all the hits you’ve had over the years. Imagine being in a band for over 50 years and all but one of your original members were still playing into their 60s and 70s. Imagine being in a band that has played to the largest crowds in the biggest arenas for three fourths of their existence and is still going strong.
As we all know, there are several bands that have stood the test of time but if someone were to ask you to name the greatest band in terms of longevity and producing hits there’s not doubt this month’s cover story band would rank well above the rest. Imagine a band that has 20 studio albums and 33 live albums. Imagine a band that has 98 top 100 songs since 1964. Once you wrap your head around what the Rolling Stones have accomplished; maybe, just maybe, they could be considered the greatest rock ‘n roll band ever. To write about this band and its history would probably take ten magazines but here’s just the tip of the iceberg of why and who the Rolling Stones are.
The Rolling Stones were formed in London in 1962. They pioneered a grittier, heavier-driven sound with a divergence from the pop rock of the early ‘60s. Made up of vocalist Mick Jagger, multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones, guitarist Keith Richards, bassist Bill Wyman, and drummer Charlie Watts. Jones assembled the band, named it and was the primary leader in the early years. Jagger and Richards became the primary creative forces after Andrew Loog Oldham became the group’s manager in 1963 and encouraged them to write their own songs. This alienated Jones, who developed a drug addiction, hindering his ability to contribute meaningfully. Jones left the band shortly before his death in 1969 and was replaced by guitarist Mick Taylor.
The began being introduced on stage as “The Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World”. Sticky Fingers, released in 1971, included the first usage of their tongue and lips logo and was the first of eight consecutive No. 1 studio albums in the US. Taylor was replaced by Ronnie Wood in 1974 and the band continued to release successful albums, including their two biggest sellers, Some Girls in 1978 and Tattoo You in 1981. Their comeback album is widely considered to be Steel Wheels (1989) and was followed by Voodoo Lounge in 1994, which was a worldwide number one album.
Both of these album releases were promoted by stadium and arena tours and by 2007 they had four of the top five highest-grossing concert tours of all time. From the departure of Wyman in 1993 to Watts’ death in 2021 they continued as a four piece with Darryl Jones playing bass on most of their studio recordings as well as on tour.
Their latest album, Blue & Lonesome (2016), became their twelfth UK number-one album. The Rolling Stones’ estimated record sales of 200 million makes them one of the best-selling music artists of all time. The band has won three Grammy Awards and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004. In 2019, Billboard Magazine ranked the Rolling Stones second on their list of the “Greatest Artists of All Time” based on US chart success. They are ranked fourth on Rolling Stone’s list of the Greatest Artists of All Time.
