The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones have been called one of the greatest rock ’n’ roll bands of the 20th Century. Initially a blues cover band who gradually integrated themselves into the so-called ‘British Invasion’ (of the American charts), the Stones developed into the only group capable of rivaling the Beatles in the late 60s. In comparison to the Stones, the Beatles were seen as a relatively clean cut pop group uninvolved with the sexual revolution and were more easily appreciated by parents.

The Stones were more rebellious, singing about sex and drugs, with lead singer Mick Jagger becoming the archetypal flamboyant front-man. Their ‘bad boys of rock’ image attracted both controversy from conservative commentators and idol worship from teenagers. In the 70s, a succession of huge-selling albums and stadium tours to support those releases affirmed the Stones' position as one of the biggest rock bands in the world. This is a position they arguably maintain today: The A Bigger Bang tour from 2005-07 was the highest-earning tour of all time, grossing over $550 million from nearly five million tickets sold.

Several Stones albums are acclaimed as being among the greatest ever recorded. The similarly named Rolling Stone magazine has always been supportive of the Stones’ music and proved evangelical early in their career. Although they have released more than 20 studio albums and nine live albums, Aftermath (1966) is often considered their first essential release. Four more must-haves are Beggar’s Banquet (1968), Let It Bleed (1969), Sticky Fingers (1971) and Exile on Main Street (1972). Exile was again released in 2010 with ten additional tracks recorded at the same time as the rest of the album.

The Stones have enjoyed 32 Top 10 hits in the United Kingdom and America. Among their most famous songs are "(I can’t get no) Satisfaction," "Paint It, Black," "Jumpin’ Jack Flash," "“Street Fightin’ Man," "Sympathy for the Devil," "Gimme Shelter" and "Brown Sugar."

The Rolling Stones were formed in London in 1962 by multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones, who was soon joined by singer Jagger, lead guitarist Keith Richards, pianist Ian Stewart, drummer Charlie Watts and bassist Bill Wyman. Their sound is steeped in the Rhythm and Blues; they're named after blues man Muddy Waters' song, "Rollin' Stone."

Members of the Stones have long had reputations as bad-boys, much of that due in large part to the public's perception of rock stars' hedonistic lifestyles. The Stones did little to change that perception. Jagger and Richards were briefly jailed for drug misuse in 1967, before the conservative Times newspaper published a famous editorial criticizing the sentences, which were quashed on appeal. Similarly, in 1970 Richards was arrested in Canada on heroin charges. Drug charges and bouts with alcoholism have plagued the band throughout their career with members lapsing in and out of sobriety. Too, the band members personal lives have augmented and detracted from the legacy of the band.

In 1969, Mick Taylor replaced founding member Jones, who agreed to leave the group due to problems with drugs. Jones was found dead in his swimming pool a few weeks later. Just two days after Jones’ death, the Stones performed in front of 250,000 people at Hyde Park, releasing thousands of butterflies in Jones' memory.

Despite playing on seminal albums Sticky Fingers and the double-length Exile on Main Street, in 1974, Taylor was replaced on guitar by Ron Wood. Many thought that Taylor wanted a solo career more than to be a part of a band, which is how his career has progressed. Wood, unlike other members of the band, remained a salaried employee for almost two decades until Wyman's departure in the early 1990s.

The 1980s and 1990s were not unkind to the Stones, but it's widely recognized that the 70s were their heyday, and by the late 70s some critics referred to them as "rock dinosaurs." The Stones kept a lower profile in the mid-80s due to internal disputes and the death of Ian Stewart; for a short while Jagger and Richards pursued solo careers. Yet in 1989 they reunited and the same year were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Now in the 21st century, their appeal endures.

All in all, the Stones have sold over 200 million albums and spent 1749 weeks in the US album charts, which is over 33 years total! 2005 saw the release of their last album with completely new material and in October, 2010, a DVD called Ladies and Gentlemen: The Rolling Stones was released and documents moments from the North American tour supporting Exile on Main Street.