The Daily Mirror has released the first of a three-part series charting The Rolling Stones' rise to becoming one of the greatest bands on the planet. Part one focuses on the 1960s, examining each of the original band members, how they came together and how their combustible chemistry produced some of the most memorable songs of all time.
A legacy that defied expectations
The series looks at the band's development through the decade, their highs and lows as a band and as individuals, and takes a closer look at each major album they released in the 1960s, finishing with a look back at their 1960s legacy.
More than 50 years after Mick Jagger told People magazine in 1975, "I'd rather be dead than sing Satisfaction when I'm 45," he is still singing the song well into his 80s. The release of (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction in 1965 confirmed their ability to write memorable, incredibly catchy rock songs, while reiterating their bad boy, edgy reputation.
From scruffy outsiders to bad boys
On the face of it, the Stones were unlikely stars when they first emerged. Deeply immersed in American blues and R'n'B, they were scruffy and unruly, in contrast to the clean-cut image of The Beatles and other pop stars of the early 1960s. At first, they were put in suits and told to smarten up.
Then their manager, Andrew Loog Oldham, reimagined them as edgy bad boys, with long hair and mismatched clothing. The change is visible when comparing their early publicity shots from 1963-1964 to a couple of years later.
Writing their own mark
It wasn't just an image change that captured the record-buying public's imagination. They'd had some early success, but it was when they started writing their own songs instead of playing cover versions that they made their mark. Hit singles and albums followed, forming an incredible body of work in the 1960s which saw an evolution. In the space of a few years, they'd gone from covering Beatles songs to being their biggest rivals for the unofficial title of best band in the world.
The series is available to order online, delivered directly to your door.
