The only thing Mick Jagger wants The Rolling Stones to be remembered for
The Rolling Stones wrote themselves into the history books a long time ago. After being one of the key acts spearheading the British Invasion, coming to dominate the 1960s and ‘70s, they then managed to extend that into a decade-spanning career that’s still going strong today. However, out of their long list of achievements, Mick Jagger wants them to be remembered for one thing and one thing only.
There are very few bands who can boast what the Stones have managed to do. On the simplest level, the band have sold over 250million albums worldwide, making them one of the best-selling groups in history as they fit records that few other artists have come close to. They’ve had eight number-one hits and nine number-one albums as they topped the charts again and again through different eras and decades of their artistry.
They’re still touring today, which is perhaps the biggest triumph. Now, having been a band for over 60 years, the fact that the group are still going, still performing and still releasing music is surely the most incredible achievement they have to their name as Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood are truly showing the rest of the rockstars how it’s done and are by-far outperforming their old peers, most of whom have either retire or the band long since split up.
For Jagger, that’s the ultimate comeback against anyone who used to doubt them. Even Paul McCartney took a while to be convinced about the Stones’ worth, once claiming they weren’t much more than a blues covers band. “Well, the Beatles were also really just a blues cover band when they started out. Every band is a cover band at the beginning because that’s how it goes,” Jagger said in The Times, defending their origin. But by now, any claim against their talent and power has long since been silent, and McCartney is a fan.
But that’s what Jagger always wanted to do, worldwide and repeatedly through each decade – he wanted people to see and appreciate the band’s power as a band, putting some respect on their legacy and music.
“The only thing I want the Stones to be remembered for is being a good rock band,” he said. It’s really that simple. Beyond any sales statistics or any count up of the number of shows or tours they did, Jagger merely wants to be remembered as a good band with good songs and a good stage presence.
It’s the thing they’ve always prided themselves on. Even from the early days of their career, they were deemed the greatest rock and roll band around. They’ve always had it all with their hooky songs and Jagger’s undeniable energy on stage, which still draws crowds in today. They’ve also remained unwaveringly dedicated to the act of being a rock band, constantly in the cycle of writing music, recording music, releasing music and touring music, over and over, as if they know that’s their duty and that’s how they secure the legacy they want.
