With fifty years of experience, twenty nine studio albums and nine number one singles under their belt, The Rolling Stones are still going strong. Last month a scandal broke out after tickets for their fiftieth anniversary tour were released to the public, ranging from £106 - £406, with VIP hospitality packages setting you back a not so cool £1,140, fans were left fuming as one of Britain's most loved bands have let them down. As we take a look back over the band's history, it's not hard to see how they achieved icon status, or why fans are complaining.
The Rolling Stones, currently consisting of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood, played their first gig as a newly formed band in 1962. At a time when the British public were still recovering from war and the shock of the Cuban missile crisis, there was a huge gap in the market for bands to help them forget about what was really happening in society; music was the rawest form of escapism. The Beatles joined the likes of The Rolling Stones in helping the public to forget.
With songs seemingly ahead of their time, and varying themes in their music, the stones broke boundaries and made the unacceptable, acceptable. Rebelling against conformity was something this band did best. They just didn't care. The freedom was definitely there to experiment and write what they wanted. Throughout their time they tried out blues, rock and psychedelic to name a few, however they remained true to their roots and always included snippets of the classic sound that fans had grown accustomed to.
This was not all they did though, their difference in sound during the 60's added to their popularity. People were craving something different and the stones delivered this directly. To summarise: they changed the face of rock'n'roll, contributed a long lasting legacy and inspired generations.
Are you a Beatles or Stones fan? Were you angered over The Rolling Stones' ticket price scandal? Comment below to get your voice heard.
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