It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll

Formed in London in 1962, The Rolling Stones are considered by many to be one of the greatest rock bands of all time, and with good reason. With a career spanning seven decades, the iconic group has gone from strength to strength with a list of hits that includes eight UK number one singles and 13 UK number one albums, as well as countless hits internationally.

Incredibly, The Rolling Stones’ story began with a chance encounter on Platform 2 of Dartford Railway Station, when Keith Richards bumped into his old schoolmate Mick Jagger. Keith was carrying a guitar, whilst Mick was carrying a selection of records. The two bonded over their mutual love of music and the rest, as they say, is history!

Soon enough, the pair became close friends and along with another school friend, Dick Taylor, set about forming a band. The trio promptly acquired the services of the multitalented musician Brian Jones, who would give the band their moniker as well as helping them develop their trademark blues sound.

By the close of 1962, after trialling a revolving door of musicians, the classic line-up of The Rolling Stones was assembled – Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones, Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts – and with that, the band was ready to take the world by storm.

The following year, The Rolling Stones released their first single ‘Come On’, which peaked at number 21 in the UK singles chart on 31 July 1963. Less than a year later, the band released their eponymously titled first album, which promptly awarded them their first UK number one album. The band subsequently achieved their first UK number one with ‘It’s All Over Now’ on 8 July 1964.

The Rolling Stones continued their momentum throughout the remainder of the 1960s with a further 11 UK top ten hits, seven of which topped the singles charts, notably including classic tracks ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’, ‘Paint It Black’ and ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash’. By the end of the decade, the band were bona fide global superstars. However, such highs weren’t without their lows, none more devastating than the loss of Brian Jones, who passed away on 3 July 1969.

Following Jones’ death, the new decade presented a new start for the band who, with the aid of Jones’ replacement Mick Taylor, embarked on another incredible run of success that would rival the heights they had achieved the decade before. Taylor’s run proved relatively short and Ronnie Wood replaced him in 1974. Seven top ten singles and four number one albums in the United Kingdom cemented their status as ‘The Greatest Rock ‘n’ Roll Band in the World’, a nickname they had grown into comfortably over the course of the decade.

Whilst the 1980s presented its own challenges for the band in terms of changes in musical trends with the rise of MTV, internal struggles also began to rear their head – a negative side effect of the band’s 20-year longevity. As a result, the 1980s saw the band on the brink of break-up, prompting a timely and necessary detour for solo projects. Of these, Mick Jagger’s collaboration with David Bowie is arguably the most notable, with ‘Dancing in the Street’ reaching number one in 1985. Keith Richards’ Talk Is Cheap album from 1988 also received critical acclaim, whilst Ronnie Wood collaborated with the likes of Aretha Franklin, Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan.

Despite their ongoing differences at the time, the band were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in January of 1989, reigniting interest in the band as a unit. With the solo itch well and truly scratched, The Rolling Stones were ready to roll once more by the tail end of the decade, with 1989’s Steel Wheels album representing a reunion of sorts and a return to form for the veteran rockers, peaking at number two.

Long-serving bassist Bill Wyman departed the band in 1993, leaving the band without a bass player for the first time. The remaining band members decided not to replace Wyman and instead continued as a four-piece, with Darryl Jones filling in on bass duties for the forthcoming Voodoo Lounge album in 1994. The album debuted at number one, marking the band’s first chart-topping album since 1980. Capitalising on this renewed popularity, The Rolling Stones returned a year later with Stripped, an acoustic album featuring studio rerecordings and intimate live tracks, which was equally well-received, followed by a return to the studio for 1997’s Bridges to Babylon.

Whilst The Rolling Stones would only release two studio albums over the course of the next two decades, their reputation remained strong as a dependably great live act and one of the most enduring bands of all time, a reputation that continues to this day. Fittingly, the band made chart history in 2020 by becoming the first band to score number one albums in six different decades, a feat that no other band in history has achieved before.

Sadly, the band lost their long-standing drummer Charlie Watts in 2021, leaving The Rolling Stones to continue as a three-piece, with Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood remaining as the only official members of the band. Nevertheless, they remain a force to reckon with in the music industry, boasting a cross-generational appeal unlike any other. The Rolling Stones have been a mainstay of the UK music charts since 1963 and look set to continue that trend for as long as time will allow. With 60 years behind them, we proudly celebrate The Rolling Stones’ incredible legacy with a UK coin dedicated to these true music legends.