The Rolling Stones, The #4 Artist of the Rock Era, Part Nine

 

"Harlem Shuffle" was a popular dance in the '50's and '60's that originated in the ballrooms of Harlem.  Bobby Womack and Tom Waits are among the backing vocalists on this song, which danced to #2 in Canada and #5 in the U.S. in 1986.

Guitar legend Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin played lead on this song.  He was in London for the Live-Aid benefit that reunited Zeppelin members Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones.  Producer Steve Lillywhite's wife, Kirsty MacColl, sang backup on the #3 Mainstream Rock hit "One Hit (To The Body)".

Although the album reached #4 on both sides of the Atlantic and attained Platinum status, it was a disappointment.  Jagger refused to tour to promote the album, opting instead to go on a solo tour.  Richards released his solo album in 1988, and there was much animosity in the group.  The documentary 25x5:  The Continuing Adventures of the Rolling Stones was released to commemorate the group's 25th anniversary.

In 1989, the supergroup was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, though the award is highly diluted by the presence of dozens of undeserving artists in what should be an elite list that is extremely difficult to get into.  

Meanwhile, Jagger and Richards began to mend fences and the Stones released the album Steel Wheels, one of their best albums in years.  The band recorded on the island of Montserrat, and the lead single "Mixed Emotions rolled to #1 in Canada and Norway, #2 in the U.K. and Sweden and #5 in the U.S. (#1 on the Mainstream Rock chart).

"Mixed Emotions" was the last Top 10 hit for the Rolling Stones.  The album's chart position was more like the group in their heyday--#2 in the U.K. and #3 in the United States.  This track was originally titled "Steel Wheels" but the group decided to use that name for the album.  An underrated "Rock And A Hard Place" stalled at #23 ( but helped Steel Wheels sell over two million copies.

 

The Stones toured for the first time in seven years after releasing the album, which included "Almost Hear You Sigh", a #1 Mainstream Rock hit.

The band had not toured the world in seven years and it went off very well, with the concert album Flashpoint and the movie Live at the Max documented.  But Wyman was ready to hang it up, and he officially left the group in 1993.  Jagger, Richards, Watts, Wood and Wyman released solo albums in the next year.

 

The Stones released the compilation album Jump Back in 1993.  The group hired bassist Darryl Jones to replace Wyman for the 1994 album Voodoo Lounge.  It was a solid effort, with "Love Is Strong" climbing to #2 in Canada and Finland.

 

The album, which ruled charts in the U.K., Australia, Canada, Germany and the Netherlands and hit #2 in the U.S.,  has sold over two million copies and captured the Grammy for Best Rock Album.  "You (sic) Got Me Rocking" started out as a slow Blues number but Richards scooted away from the piano to pick up his guitar and it became a Rock song in the vein of previous Stones releases.

 

The band toured to support the album and grossed $320 million, #1 in the world that year.  Here is "Brand New Car".

In 1994, the Rolling Stones earned the Lifetime Achievement Award at the MTV Video Music Awards.  The group released the album Bridges to Babylon in 1997, a #3 effort in the U.S. and #6 in the United Kingdom. Waddy Wachtel, a desired session musician who has worked with Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, Jackson Browne, Don Henley and Stevie Nicks, among many others, played guitar on "Anybody Seen My Baby?".

 

In 2002, the Stones released the double compilation album Forty Licks, which as now sold over seven million copies worldwide.  The band toured with performances recorded for the double live album Live Licks, which has gone Gold.  The Rolling Stones released the album A Bigger Bang, #2 in the United Kingdom and #3 in the United States.

The group toured the Americas and East Asia and in 2006, performed at halftime of Super Bowl XL.  The Stones performed a free concert in Rio de Janeiro before an estimated one million people.  The movie Shine a Light, showcasing performances in New York City in 2006, was released in 2008.  

 

 

As part of their European tour in 2007, the Rolling Stones released the CD and four-disc DVD package The Biggest Bang.  By the end of their last show of the Bigger Bang tour, the group grossed a record $558 million.  We want to feature "Rain Fall Down" from the album.

The band signed with Universal Music Records in 2008.  They released the movie Ladies and Gentlemen:  The Rolling Stones in theaters in 2010 and later on DVD.   

In 2012, the group released the book The Rolling Stones:  50 to commemorate their 50th anniversary as a band.  The compilation GRRR! was released later in the year, selling over two million albums.  The Stones performed in Europe and the U.S. in 2012 and 2013 and Latin America in 2016.  

The Rolling Stones again turned to their roots with covers of Howlin' Wolf, Jimmy Reed and Little Walter, among others, on the 2016 album Blue & Lonesome, which went to #1 in the U.K. and #4 in the United States.

On August 24, 2021 Charlie Watts, part of one of the most amazing rhythm sections in music history, died at the age of 80.  Fans everywhere were devastated at the loss.  The Stones continue to play dates with drummer Steve Jordan.

In a band that has withstood everything, including the test of time, to enjoy the longest careers of the Rock Era, the Rolling Stones achieved 58 hits, with 23 of those reaching the Top 10 and 8 #1's.

The Rolling Stones have sold over 240 million albums.  They have won four Grammy Awards with 12 nominations.