The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones are one of the greatest rock bands of all time. Few bands can touch the magic and experience they bring to the stage. The band first formed in 1962 and is still rocking over forty years later. They have amassed a large collection of studio and concert albums and an even larger collection of fans.

The Rolling Stones have released twenty four studio albums and nine concert albums. The band has broken numerous records, selling over two hundred million records worldwide. Their discography hosts a long list of number one albums, including a consecutive streak of eight number ones beginning with 1971’s Sticky Fingers.

The Stones first number one international hit was the 1965 single “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” Their second number one single came from the album Out of Our Heads and was entitled “Get Off of My Cloud.” These first two hits gave The Stones the push they needed to begin taking over the music industry by storm.

Their next album, released in 1966, topped the charts at number two in the US and was entitled Aftermath. Aftermath included the two classic hits “Paint it Black” and “Lady Jane.” Soon after that the hits began to pour out of the band, with a top single coming almost every year for the next ten years.

These popular singles included: “Mother’s Little Helper” (1966), “Ruby Tuesday” (1967), “Jumpin Jack Flash” (1968), and “Honkey Tonk Woman” (1969). In 1969 the album Let It Bleed hit number three in the US and yielded such hits as “Gimme Shelter” and “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” But The Rolling Stones were just getting started; the 1971 release of Sticky Fingers began an eight album streak of number one records.

Sticky Fingers hosted a few chart topping singles, “Brown Sugar” and “Wild Horses” being the most popular. The next number one album was Exile on Main St. which was released in 1972, followed by 1973’s Goat’s Head Soup featuring the number one single “Angie.”

Their streak of number one albums in the US continued with 1974’s It’s Only Rock and Roll, introducing the top hit by the same name. Black and Blue followed in 1976, but probably the most popular album to come out of the streak was the 1978 album Some Girls.

Some Girls is still a top selling album and hosts a number of recognizable hits like “Miss You,” “Far Away Eyes,” “Beast of Burden,” and “Shattered.” Some Girls was The Stones’ answer to the surge of punk rock and showed the world that they wouldn’t be soon forgotten.

The streak ended with Emotional Rescue and the 1981 Tattoo You which featured the well-known “Start Me Up.” Since then The Rolling Stones have seen many chart topping hits and they continue to make great music. Even today they are still one of the top searched and downloaded bands on the internet. In 2002 the band celebrated their forty year anniversary with the release of Forty Licks, which sold more than seven million copies and topped the charts at number two.

The band has mastered their unique blend of rock with rhythm and blues, always injecting an unruly youthfulness even as they creep up in age. Through many ups and downs the band has been able to rise and rise again, surprising fans with their undying commitment to continue to be one of the greatest bands in rock and roll.