The Rolling Stones Music – Rock Legends

One of the legends of rock and roll are the Rolling Stones. The band was formed in April 1962 in England. Its founding members include Mick Jagger (vocals), Keith Richards (guitar), Ian Stewart (piano), and Brian Jones (guitar and harmonica). They started out by playing rhythm and blues music and just playing cover songs of other more famous bands. However, they later gained fame when they started to write their own songs, primarily because of the songwriting collaboration between Keith Richards and Mick Jagger. This launched the true Rolling Stones music that fans around the world would later learn to love.

The band’s early history.

Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were friends way back in the 1950s and they shared the same passion for rock music especially for Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters music. They soon met with Brian Jones, Ian Stewart, and Charlie Watts. The group then decided to play blues music together and would practice with the intention of starting their own rhythm and blues band.

A great influence to the band, not only with the Rolling Stones music, but more particularly with their name was Muddy Waters. Keith Richards once stated that it was Brian Jones who came up with the band’s name. Jones was then trying to get an advertisement about the band to be published on a local magazine. When he was asked what their name was, he saw a Muddy Waters LP that was lying on the floor beside him and immediately noticed the song “Rolling Stone”. He added “the” and the band finally got a name.

Two major forces contributed to the early success of the Rolling Stones. The first one is the stepping in of Andrew Loog Oldham as the band’s manager and producer in 1963. He was credited for giving the band its bad boy image as a complete reversal of the good boy image of The Beatles who were enjoying tremendous success in the 60s.

Oldham was also able to get Decca Records to sign the band with their first major record label. Decca executives at that time were feeling guilty for not signing the Beatles and so they gave the Rolling Stones more favorable terms in their contract such as more artistic freedom and better royalty fees. With the release of their first album, their popularity soared leading the way to even having Rolling Stones merch in major clothing stores to satisfy the wants of their fans.

It was the songwriting aspect of the band that was the second most important change that they did. Before they were just playing cover songs; they were playing songs by other bands. Oldham insisted they create their own songs knowing how lucrative it can get as a result of the Lennon and McCartney partnership. Keith Richards and Mick Jagger took up the challenge and established themselves as the main songwriters of the group.

There have been many changes in the line up of the band, but the most prominent was the departure of Brian Jones, considered by many as the true founder of the Rolling Stones. Jones died in 1969 due to drowning.

A lot more history of fame and great songs followed for the Rolling Stones, but just like with any other music legend, it is the early years that are often deemed the most important.

And you as a fan, you can show your support and dedication to these legends of the rock and roll era through their band merch that showcase their personalities and declare to the world how good the Rolling Stones really are.