The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones formed in London in 1962, positioning themselves as the dangerous alternative to The Beatles' polished charm. Keith Richards and Mick Jagger built their sound on American blues, channeling Muddy Waters and Chuck Berry through distorted amplifiers and swaggering attitude. Richards' open-G tuning and his interlocking guitar work with Brian Jones, later Mick Taylor and Ronnie Wood, created some of rock's most iconic riffs. Albums like Exile on Main St., Let It Bleed, and Sticky Fingers defined the raw, loose aesthetic that countless rock bands would emulate. Their longevity is unmatched — six decades of touring and recording that proved rock and roll was not a passing phase but a permanent cultural force. The Stones remain the definitive live rock act, their reputation built on relentless performance energy.