The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones are a London-based English rock group formed in 1962 and active since then. They are associated with blues, blues rock, British rhythm and blues, classic rock, pop rock, and psychedelic rock, and are widely regarded as one of the most commercially successful and influential bands in rock music. The group’s line-up has included Dick Taylor, Tony Chapman, Brian Jones, Ian Stewart, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Mick Avory, Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts, Mick Taylor, and Ronnie Wood.

Formation and early years

The band develops from a blues and early rock and roll repertoire, initially playing cover versions of American rhythm and blues artists including Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Howlin’ Wolf, and Bo Diddley. Jagger and Richards meet in Dartford, Kent in 1961 and build a songwriting partnership that becomes central to the group. Brian Jones initially leads the band, and Ian Stewart is later removed from the official line-up by manager Andrew Loog Oldham. The first billed performance takes place at the Marquee Club in London in July 1962, and by early 1963 the band has a regular following, including a residency at the Crawdaddy Club in Richmond. Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman join the stabilised early line-up in 1963.

Recording and commercial breakthrough

Oldham signs the band in 1963 and encourages Jagger and Richards to write original material, while also shaping a public image that contrasts with the Beatles. Early singles include a cover of Chuck Berry’s “Come On”, “I Wanna Be Your Man”, written by Lennon and McCartney, and “Not Fade Away”. Their first UK number one EP appears in 1964. The early albums mainly contain cover versions, but original songs gradually increase. International success grows in the mid-1960s, particularly during the British Invasion in the United States, with major hits including “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”, “Get Off of My Cloud”, and “Paint It Black”.

1960s development and personnel changes

Aftermath is the first Rolling Stones album made entirely from Jagger/Richards compositions. During this period, Brian Jones adds instruments such as sitar, dulcimer, and marimbas to several recordings. Other internationally charting singles include “19th Nervous Breakdown”, “Mother’s Little Helper”, and “Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow?”. In 1967, Jagger and Richards face drug-related convictions that are later reduced or overturned on appeal, while Jones also faces legal problems and increasing personal and professional difficulties. The same year, the band releases Their Satanic Majesties Request, a psychedelic album that receives mixed critical reactions before the group returns to blues- and rock-oriented material.

Beggars Banquet and Let It Bleed follow in 1968 and 1969, with songs including “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”, “Sympathy for the Devil”, “Gimme Shelter”, and “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”. Jones leaves the band in 1969 and dies shortly afterwards; Mick Taylor replaces him. Taylor’s first major appearance with the group is at the free Hyde Park concert in July 1969. The band also plays the Altamont Free Concert in California that year, an event remembered for violence and controversy.

1970s and 1980s

Sticky Fingers is released in 1971 and is the first album issued on the band’s own label. It includes “Brown Sugar” and “Wild Horses”. Exile on Main St. follows in 1972; this double album is recorded partly in France and includes “Tumbling Dice” and “Happy”. Mick Taylor leaves in 1974 and Ronnie Wood joins. The band continues with successful albums such as Some Girls and Tattoo You, with songs including “Miss You”, “Beast of Burden”, and “Start Me Up”, and becomes known for large-scale concert touring.

During the 1980s, internal tensions increase and members pursue solo projects, including solo albums by Jagger and Richards. Steel Wheels appears in 1989 and leads to a major world tour. The band is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the same year.

1990s to the present

Bill Wyman leaves in 1993 and Darryl Jones replaces him for touring and recording. The group releases Voodoo Lounge in 1994 and Bridges to Babylon in 1997, both supported by major international tours. A Bigger Bang arrives in 2005, followed by a world tour that runs until 2007 and becomes one of the highest-grossing tours of its time. Charlie Watts, the band’s drummer since the early 1960s, dies in 2021 and is succeeded on tour by Steve Jordan.

In 2016, the Rolling Stones release Blue & Lonesome, a blues covers album. Hackney Diamonds follows in 2023 as their first album of original material in 18 years, with guest contributions from Elton John, Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder, and Paul McCartney. The band continues to tour and release new material, and its catalogue spans many decades of rock, blues, and related styles.

Recognition

The Rolling Stones have sold an estimated more than 250 million records worldwide. They receive multiple awards, including Grammy Awards and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and are inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the UK Music Hall of Fame.