Rolling Stones Timeline

(1962 - Present)

The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962, originally fronted by Mick Jagger and guitarist Brian Jones alongside Keith Richards, Bill Wyman, and Charlie Watts. Emerging during the British Invasion, they built a career on blues-influenced rock and became one of the most enduring and influential bands in music history. More Less

Go to: Timeline | Event List | Key Facts | Directory

Formation and Early Years

The Rolling Stones formed in London

Jul 12, 1962

Mick Jagger and Keith Richards reunited with Brian Jones at the Marquee Club in London, where the band performed its first show under the name 'The Rollin' Stones'. The lineup also included Ian Stewart, Dick Taylor, and Mick Avory briefly, laying the foundation for what would become one of rock's most enduring bands.

Image source: The Rolling Stones

Charlie Watts joins the band

Jan 1963

Drummer Charlie Watts, a jazz-trained musician who had played with Jagger and Richards in Blues Incorporated, officially joined the Rolling Stones, completing the classic rhythm section that would anchor the band for nearly six decades.

Image source: Charlie Watts

Andrew Loog Oldham becomes manager

Apr 1963

Nineteen-year-old Andrew Loog Oldham took over management of the band, shaping their rebellious 'anti-Beatles' image and securing a recording deal with Decca Records. He also pushed Jagger and Richards to write their own songs.

Image source: Andrew Loog Oldham

Albums and Recordings

Debut single 'Come On' released

Jun 7, 1963

The Rolling Stones released their debut single, a cover of Chuck Berry's 'Come On', on Decca Records. It reached number 21 on the UK singles chart and marked the beginning of their recording career.

'(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction' tops charts

May 1965

Built around Keith Richards' iconic fuzz-tone guitar riff, 'Satisfaction' became the band's first US number one hit, transforming them into international superstars and defining the sound of mid-1960s rock.

Image source: (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction

'(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction' tops charts

'Aftermath' album released

Apr 15, 1966

Aftermath was the first Rolling Stones album to consist entirely of Jagger-Richards originals, featuring Brian Jones experimenting with sitar, marimba, and dulcimer on tracks like 'Paint It Black' and 'Under My Thumb'.

Image source: Aftermath (Rolling Stones album)

'Between the Buttons' and 'Their Satanic Majesties Request' era

Feb 1967 - Dec 1967

During 1967 the band navigated drug arrests and psychedelic experimentation, releasing Between the Buttons and then Their Satanic Majesties Request, a colorful response to Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Image source: Their Satanic Majesties Request

'Beggars Banquet' marks return to roots

Dec 6, 1968

Widely regarded as one of their finest albums, Beggars Banquet saw the band return to bluesy rock with classics like 'Sympathy for the Devil' and 'Street Fighting Man', produced with Jimmy Miller.

Image source: Beggars Banquet

'Let It Bleed' album released

Dec 5, 1969

Let It Bleed featured 'Gimme Shelter', 'You Can't Always Get What You Want', and 'Midnight Rambler', cementing the band's late-1960s creative peak and becoming one of their most acclaimed records.

Image source: Let It Bleed

'Sticky Fingers' released with Warhol cover

Apr 23, 1971

Sticky Fingers, the band's first release on their own Rolling Stones Records label, featured Andy Warhol's famous zipper cover art and classics like 'Brown Sugar', 'Wild Horses', and 'Can't You Hear Me Knocking'.

Image source: Sticky Fingers

'Exile on Main St.' recorded in France

May 12, 1972

Recorded largely at Keith Richards' villa Nellcôte in southern France, Exile on Main St. is a sprawling double album blending rock, blues, gospel, and country, frequently ranked among the greatest albums of all time.

Image source: Exile on Main St.

'Some Girls' becomes massive hit

Jun 9, 1978

Blending disco, punk energy, and classic Stones swagger, Some Girls became their best-selling US album, driven by the hit single 'Miss You' and tracks like 'Beast of Burden' and 'Shattered'.

Image source: Some Girls

'Emotional Rescue' and 'Tattoo You' success

Aug 1981

Tattoo You, assembled largely from outtakes, gave the band another US number one album with hits like 'Start Me Up' and 'Waiting on a Friend', proving their continued commercial dominance into the 1980s.

Image source: Tattoo You

'Emotional Rescue' and 'Tattoo You' success

'Steel Wheels' reunion album and tour

Aug 29, 1989

Jagger and Richards reconciled for Steel Wheels, followed by the massively successful Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tour, which revitalized the band and set attendance records worldwide.

Image source: Steel Wheels

'Voodoo Lounge' wins Grammy Award

Jul 11, 1994

Voodoo Lounge, the band's first album without Wyman, debuted at number one in the UK and won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Album, accompanied by another record-breaking world tour.

Image source: Voodoo Lounge

'Forty Licks' greatest hits compilation

Sep 30, 2002

Released to mark forty years since the band's formation, Forty Licks compiled four decades of hits alongside new songs like 'Don't Stop', and was supported by the successful Licks Tour.

Image source: Forty Licks

'Blue & Lonesome' blues covers album

Dec 2, 2016

The band returned to their blues roots with Blue & Lonesome, an album of covers by Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter, and others, which won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album.

Image source: Blue & Lonesome (Rolling Stones album)

'Hackney Diamonds' released

Oct 20, 2023

Hackney Diamonds, the band's first album of original material in 18 years, debuted at number one in the UK and featured guest appearances from Paul McCartney, Elton John, and Lady Gaga, earning critical acclaim.

Image source: Hackney Diamonds

Tours and Live Performances

First US tour begins

Jun 1, 1964

The band made their first trip to America, touring radio stations and playing shows that initially drew modest crowds but introduced them to American audiences and blues influences that would shape their sound.

Image source: The Rolling Stones (album)

Hyde Park free concert tribute to Jones

Jul 5, 1969

Just two days after Jones's death, the band played a free concert in London's Hyde Park before an estimated 250,000 fans, with Mick Jagger reading Shelley's 'Adieu' and releasing butterflies in Jones's memory during Mick Taylor's first show.

Image source: The Stones in the Park

Altamont Free Concert tragedy

Dec 6, 1969

At a free concert at California's Altamont Speedway, security provided by Hells Angels led to violence, including the fatal stabbing of concertgoer Meredith Hunter near the stage, an event often cited as symbolically ending the 1960s.

Image source: Altamont Free Concert

'Black and Blue' tour launches Wood era

Apr 23, 1976

Following the Tour of the Americas '75 with its elaborate lotus-stage production, the band released Black and Blue in 1976, effectively auditioning guitarists including Ron Wood, who solidified his place in the lineup.

Bridges to Babylon tour

Sep 23, 1997 - Sep 19, 1998

Supporting the Bridges to Babylon album, this global stadium tour spanned over 100 shows across multiple continents, demonstrating the band's enduring draw as a live act into the late 1990s.

A Bigger Bang world tour

Aug 21, 2005 - Aug 26, 2007

Spanning two years and grossing over $550 million, A Bigger Bang was the highest-grossing tour of all time at its conclusion, supporting the well-received album of the same name.

Image source: A Bigger Bang Tour

No Filter tour spans Europe and North America

Sep 9, 2017 - Nov 2021

The long-running No Filter tour was delayed when Mick Jagger underwent heart surgery in 2019 and again by the COVID-19 pandemic, finally resuming in 2021 with Steve Jordan filling in for Charlie Watts.

Band Milestones and Later Career

Drug busts of Jagger and Richards

Feb 12, 1967

Police raided Keith Richards' Sussex home, arresting Richards and Mick Jagger on drug charges. The ensuing trial and Jagger's brief imprisonment sparked public outcry and became a landmark moment in British counterculture.

Image source: The Rolling Stones' Redlands bust

Brian Jones leaves the band

Jun 8, 1969

Founding member Brian Jones, struggling with drug problems and declining contributions, was asked to leave the band he had founded. Guitarist Mick Taylor was recruited as his replacement shortly afterward.

Image source: Brian Jones

Death of Brian Jones

Jul 3, 1969

Less than a month after leaving the band, Brian Jones was found dead at the bottom of his swimming pool at Cotchford Farm at age 27, becoming an early member of the so-called '27 Club'.

Image source: Brian Jones

Mick Taylor departs; Ron Wood joins

Dec 1974 - Feb 1975

Guitarist Mick Taylor left the band after the 1974 album It's Only Rock 'n Roll. In early 1975, former Faces guitarist Ronnie Wood joined, beginning a tenure that continues to this day.

Image source: Ronnie Wood

Jagger–Richards tensions and solo careers

1983 - 1988

Creative friction between Jagger and Richards peaked in the mid-1980s. Both pursued solo projects—Jagger with She's the Boss and Primitive Cool, Richards with Talk Is Cheap—and the band barely functioned between 1986 and 1988.

Image source: Mick Jagger

Bill Wyman leaves the band

Jan 1993

Bassist Bill Wyman announced his departure after three decades with the band. Darryl Jones subsequently took over bass duties in live performances, though never as an official full member.

Image source: Bill Wyman

'Exhibitionism' retrospective opens

Apr 2016

Exhibitionism, a major retrospective exhibition of the band's history featuring instruments, costumes, artwork, and memorabilia, opened at London's Saatchi Gallery before touring cities worldwide.

Image source: Exhibitionism

Death of Charlie Watts

Aug 24, 2021

Longtime drummer Charlie Watts died in London at age 80, ending his 58-year tenure with the band. His passing was mourned worldwide as the loss of one of rock's most respected musicians.

Key Facts

The Rolling Stones were formed in London in July 1962 by Brian Jones, with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards joining shortly after.
The band's name was taken from a Muddy Waters song, reflecting their deep roots in American blues music.
Their 1965 single '(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction' became their first international number-one hit and defined their rebellious image.
Founding member Brian Jones drowned in 1969 and was replaced by guitarist Mick Taylor; Ronnie Wood joined in 1975.
Despite over six decades of history, the Stones have continued recording and touring into the 21st century, releasing 'Hackney Diamonds' in 2023.

Source

This Rolling Stones timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

We work hard to keep these timelines accurate, but mistakes do get through. If you spot one, email us at [email protected] and we'll fix it for future visitors.

Want a timeline like this one?

Generate yours with AI or build it from scratch, for free.

Try It for Free