The Rolling Stones have been involved in music since the early 1960’s. The Stones get their name from a song by blues artist Muddy Waters. They are a very complicated band, they have a lot of music and much of it is pretty good. With Mick Jagger and Keith Richards leading the band, the band has received a lot of publicity in both positive and negative forms.

They are often the subject of “band offs” like the question as to who is better. The Stones or The Beatles? or the Stones or Led Zeppelin?

This is often a hard question to answer because the Stones are very accomplished musicians much like many of their other fellow musicians. So really, their is no winning when it comes to versing the bands against each other. When it comes down to it, all the bands are different from one another. It’s how you care for the music is what really matters not winning and losing.

In 1964, The Rolling Stones released their very first album. This was their self-titled album but is also referred to as England's Newest Hitmakers. This album is what started it all for both the musicians and their fans alike. With this album the band releases songs like “Route 66”, “Walking the Dog”, and “Can I Get A Witness”.

It was also in ‘64 that they performed their first headlining tour in the U.K. and later in the year moved on to do a full-fledged American tour.

Later that year came the second Stones album which was titled 12 X 5. Songs from this album include the tracks “Good Times, Bad Times”, “Confessin’ The Blues”, and “2120 South Michigan Avenue”.

The Rolling Stones No. 2 is the bands next release in the beginning of 1965. Songs on this album include the hits “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love”, “What a Shame”, and “Susie Q”. This album is followed up later that year by The Rolling Stones, Now! which contains tracks like “Heart of Stone”, “Mona (I Need You Baby)”, and “Little Red Rooster”.

At this point, the band has released four albums and have only been producing records for two years. This is very rare in the world of music as most bands will wait a full two years in between album releases. The Stones, however, are relentless when it comes to making music.

Out of Our Heads is the third album released in 1965 from the band and the fifth total from the band. Songs on this album feature “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”, “Play with Fire”, and “I’m Alright”. “Satisfaction” is one of the Stones most popular songs and is known by millions of their adoring fans. If you weren’t listening to the Stones after “Route 66” odds are that you were after “Satisfaction” came out.

The Stones don’t stop there. There is much more music from the band, more music later that year in fact. December’s Children (And Everybody’s) is the bands  6th album and is released in the end of 1965, making this the bands fourth album in this year. An insane amount of material from the band or any band for that matter. Songs from this album include the songs “Blue Turns to Grey”, “Get Off of My Cloud”, and “She Said Yeah”.

Aftermath rocked crowds and other fans the next year. Songs from Aftermath feature “Paint It, Black”, “Lady Jane”, “Think” and “It’s Not Easy”. “Paint It, Black” would also be featured in the Stanley Kubrick film Full Metal Jacket.

The Stones Greatest Hits album comes out next and is released in two versions. The US version, which is released first and the U.K. version shortly after. The tracks on these album differ because of the popularity of the Stones singles were different between the two countries. There are many Rolling Stones Greatest Hits albums however, this is the first.

Got Live if You Want It would be the bands 8th full-length album and was also released in ’66. Tracks from the album feature the songs “Not Fade Away”, “Under My Thumb” and “Fortune Teller”. This is the bands first Live album and is definitely worth checking out if your a hard-core fan of the group.

In 1967 the band continues with yet another album release. This time they would call it Between the Buttons. Songs appearing on this work include “All Sold Out”, “Complicated”, and “Miss Amanda Jones”. Also this year, while the band is performing in Vienna, a smoke bomb incites a riot at one of their venues and Brian goes to court due to the police allegedly finding narcotics in his home. 

The band finishes up the year with Their Satanic Majesties Request album. Songs contained on this album feature “2000 Man”, “The Lantern”, “Citadel”, and “On With the Show”.

1968 is a relaxing year for the band as they take some much earned time off to spend some of their fortunes and look into other creative aspects of their careers. Mick plays a role in the movie Performance and he and the rest of the band enjoy a much needed vacation. They also work on soundtracks for a few movies that year but nothing that is too big. Also this year they work on their new album which is released at the end of that year. The album is called Beggars Banquet and features a slew of new hits. This album is named after a newly purchased home by Jagger during his time away from the band. Some of these tracks include “Prodigal Son”, “Sympathy for the Devil” and “Salt of the Earth”.

The next year the band releases their 13th album titled Let it Bleed. Songs include “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”, “Love in Vain”, “Gimme Shelter” and “Midnight Rambler”. “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” is a classic Rolling Stones hit and gives the band new life with this phenomenal track.

Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out is the bands next album in 1970. Songs on this record include “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”, “Stray Cat Blues”, “Honky Tonk Women” and “Street Fighting Man”. Jumpin’ Jack Flash is also the name of a movie which stars actress Whoppi Goldberg in which she has to listen to the song of the same name to get clues about a mysterious computer hacker. In the movie the actress says “C’mon Mick, speak English” as she attempts to sound out the singers vocals. It’s kind of ironic if your a Stones fan.  

The next year the band releases Sticky Fingers. This is another great Rolling Stones album. Songs included on this album feature “Brown Sugar”, “Wild Horses” and “B*tch”. “Wild Horses” is a classic Stones great. Other songs on the album include “Dead Flowers”, “Moonlight Mile” and “Sway”.

In 1972 the band debuts Exile on Main St. This is one of The Rolling Stones longer albums and contains the hits “Happy”, “Shake Your Hips” and “Loving Cup”. All in all this is a pretty decent album from the band although it is not one of the bands most popular albums.

Goats Head Soup is the band’s following album released in 1973. Hit’s on this album include “Angie”, “100 Years Ago”, and “Silver Train”. Then a year later they release It’s Only Rock ‘N Roll which features such songs as “It’s Only Rock & Roll (But I Like It)”, “If You Can’t Rock Me”, and “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg”. Other songs on the album include “Time Waits for No One”, and “Fingerprint File”. “It’s Only Rock & Roll (But I Like It)” is a very catchy tune from the band. It’s one of those songs that just gets stuck in your head and stays in your heart.

In 1974 the band continues to release new material, this time they would call their album Black and Blue. Songs on this album include “Hot Stuff”, “Melody”, and “Hand of Fate”. Black and Blue would be the bands 19th album. I think it’s by this time the band has set a record or something in how much material they have actually released. Also, it’s at this point the band has been making music professionally for a full decade. At 19 full length releases, extensive touring on the road, a few compilation albums and a good amount of singles they have established themselves as the hardest working band in rock ‘n roll.

The Stones keep rocking on their next album Love You Live. On this live album the band showcases some of their best work. Hits from this record include “Brown Sugar”, “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”, and “Sympathy for the Devil”. They also include new songs on the album like “If You Can’t Rock Me/Get Off My Cloud”, “Mannish Boy” and “Tumbling Dice”.

Some Girls would close out the 70’s for the band. Tracks from this album feature “Shattered”, “Beast of Burden”, and “Imagination”. 

As the 80’s came rolling in, the Stones continued touring and release their next album Emotional Rescue. Songs from Emotional Rescue include “She’s So Cold”, “All About You”, and “Summer Romance”. Then, in 1981, they release Tattoo You which features “Start Me Up”, “Worried About You” and “Waiting on a Friend”.

Still Life is next up for the band and includes songs like “Take the “A” Train”, “Twenty Flight Rock”, and “Going to a Go-Go”. Then the follow this album up in ‘83 when they debut their album titled Undercover. Songs on this album feature the hits  “She Was Hot”, “Undercover of the Night” and “Wanna Hold You”.

Next up for the band is Dirty Work. This is the band’s 26th full length album. Songs on Dirty Work feature “Harlem Shuffle”, “One Hit (to the Body)”, and “Sleep Tonight”. The band brings the 80’s to a close with Steel Wheels in 1989. Songs on this album include “Almost Hear You Sigh”, “Rock and a Hard Place” and “Mixed Emotions”.

In the 90’s the band releases a handful of releases like Flashpoint, Voodoo Lounge, Stripped, Bridges to Babylon, and No Security. It’s at this point that the band had released over thirty albums and they are still rocking strong. The albums in the 90’s have various arraignments of the bands previous work as well as some new material from the band.

Voodoo Lounge is the 1st album in this decade that the Stones released totally new material. Songs on this album feature “Love is Strong”, “I Go Wild”, and “Out of Tears”. There is also a DVD released with this album showcasing the bands work for the album.

In 1997 the band debuts Bridges to Babylon. This album also features never before songs heard from the band. Tracks featured on this album include “Saint of Me”, “Anybody Seen My Baby?” and “Low Down”.

Their next album titled A Bigger Bang was released in 2005. This was the bands second album released in the new millennium, the first being Live Licks that was released a year earlier and featured recent Stone hits live. A Bigger Bang contained the songs “Rain Fall Down”, “Dangerous Beauty” and “Look What the Cat Dragged In” and other songs like “Sweet Neo Con”, “Oh No, Not You Again” and “Driving Too Fast”.

The bands latest album is titled Shine A Light and is available as a deluxe 2-disc set and is definitely worth checking out. This album is the soundtrack for the documentary of the same name. Tracks feature “Shine A Light”, “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”, “Paint It Black”, “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”, “Sympathy for the Devil” and an intro by Martin Scorsese. This album also features the Stones with other artists like Buddy Guy, Jack White III and Christina Aguilera, so pick it up if your a fan of the band.

The Stones are probably the hardest working band in music ever and have also been featured in various movies like Rock and Roll Circus and Let’s All Make Love in London. Mick Jagger has also enjoyed a solo career in many movies while not playing with the Stones or working on his solo music project. Some of these movies include Freejack, Ned Kelly, Performance, Bent, Enigma, The Man From Elysian Fields, Mayor of the Sunset Strip, Manufacturing Dissent and Martin Scorsese’s documentary Shine A Light. Mick is a pretty good actor and I enjoy his roles in those films.

Sure, you can listen to the Stone’s albums and watch their DVDs but the best way to be apart of the Stones experience is to see them live in concert. This is what they are best at, they are born performers after all.

The Rolling Stones have an ageless stage presence that is truly explosive. Mick does his patented Strut that continues to awe millions of adoring fans around the world. While they may have started out in England their culture as spread to just about everyone in the world who listens to Rock and Roll. They have spread their inspiration to musicians and fans alike all across the globe and will forever hold a spot in the hearts of loyal fans everywhere.

The band has been touring and making records since the beginning of Rock and Roll back in the 60’s and are still active in the music world today. Recently they appeared on an episode of the Simpsons playing themselves as mentors at Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp in that episode.

Jagger has also had some success as a solo artist away from the rest of the group. So far he has released 5 solo albums when not playing with the Stones. These works include She’s the Boss, Primitive Cool, Wandering Spirit, Goddess in the Doorway and The Very Best of Mick Jagger. Also, in 2003 Mick Jagger was knighted by the Prince of Wales to become Sir Michael Phillip Jagger.

Keith Richards has also ventured into the solo arena and has another band called the X-pensive Winos. During his solo career he has released 3 albums. These works include Talk is Cheap, Live at the Hollywood Palladium, December 15, 1988, and Main Offender.

The Stones have won two Grammy awards in their career, both of which were in 1994. One was for Best Rock Album and the other for Best Music Video. These Grammy awards were for Voodoo Lounge and “Love is Strong” respectively.

There is one event in the history of the band that will forever remain infamous. The Altamont Free Concert in 1969. For those that do not know, this concert ended with 4 deaths and 4 births. The death of Meredith Hunter remaining the most profound. In this unfortunate event, a member of the Hell’s Angels slew Hunter in self defense after Hunter brandished a fire arm in the crowd. The other deaths were purely accidental.

The band, while seeing both up and downs in their career, have released well over 35 albums. Probably the most of any band ever in the history of existence. They rock.