In April 1962, The Rolling Stones was formed with members Brian Jones, Ian Stewart, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts. This British R&B influenced rock group got their name from a Muddy Waters song.
Former Beatles publicist, Andrew Loog Oldham, signed “The Stones” to a management deal in 1963 and began promoting them as “the bad boys of rock and roll”, compared to the Beatles’ squeaky clean image. Oldham also produced their first albums between 1964 and 1967.
The Rolling Stones’ first UK tour took place in 1964, along with the Ronettes.
Their first American Top 40 hit came in 1964 with “Tell Me (You’re Coming Back)” followed by “It’s All Over Now.” They finally reached the Top Ten with “Time Is On My Side.”
Shortly after leaving the group in 1969, guitarist Brian Jones drowned in his swimming pool in Sussex, England. Mick Taylor replaced Jones as guitarist and Ron Wood replaced Taylor in 1975. Wood had previously played in the bands, The Jeff Beck Group and Faces with Rod Stewart.
The Rolling Stones were never without controversy. That includes the film, “Gimme Shelter,” a documentary of their controversial Altamont concert in 1969, where someone in the audience was murdered by a member of the Hell’s Angels.
Chart wise, The Rolling Stones had forty-one Top 40 hits between 1964 and 1989 and, according to the Billboard’s weekly charts, they went to #1 eight times. Their last Top 40 hit was “Rock And A Hard Place” in 1989.
Lead vocalist, Mick Jagger, tried recording solo and managed to crack the Top 40 four times, with his biggest hit being a cover version of the Martha and the Vandellas “Dancing In The Street.” He teamed up with David Bowie on this tune, which was recorded at the Live-Aid benefit concert in 1985 and it went Top 10. Jagger even made it to #3 in 1984 as a guest vocalist on The Jacksons’ hit “State Of Shock.”
Here are The Rolling Stones twenty biggest hits, according to the Billboard charts.
1. Honky Tonk Women – 1969
2. (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction – 1965 – Otis Redding took a cover version of this song Top 40 in 1966.
3. Brown Sugar – 1971
4. Get Off My Cloud – 1965
5. Paint It, Black – 1966
6. Miss You – 1978
7. Angie – 1973
8. Ruby Tuesday – 1967
9. Start Me Up – 1981
10. 19th Nervous Breakdown – 1966
11. Emotional Rescue – 1980
12. Jumpin’ Jack Flash – 1968 – In 1986, Aretha Franklin took a cover version of this hit to #21 on the weekly charts.
13. Harlem Shuffle – 1986
14. Mixed Emotions – 1989
15. Time Is On My Side – 1964
16. As Tears Go By – 1966 – Marianne Faithfull went Top 40 with this hit in 1965.
17. Tumbling Dice – 1972 – Linda Ronstadt went Top 40 with a cover version of this Stones hit in 1978.
18. Beast Of Burden – 1978
19. Mothers Little Helper – 1966 – The “B” side of this single, “Lady Jane” went to #24 on the weekly charts in 1966.
20. Undercover Of The Night – 1983
The Rolling Stones won a Lifetime Achievement Grammy in 1986 and they were inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1989. Still going strong, The Rolling Stones continue to tour and record, 46 years, after cracking the U.S. charts for the first time.