Mick Jagger (Vocals) Keith Richard (Guitar) Bill Wyman (Bass) Retired Charlie Watts (Drums) Brian Jones '62-'69 (Guitar) Mick Taylor '69-'74 (Guitar) Ron Wood '74-til it didn't matter (Guitar)

Honorable Mention:

Ian Stewart (Piano) Nicky Hopkins (Piano)

They took their name from a Blues song by Muddy Waters. They were called the "World's Greatest Rock n' Roll Band" before they actually achieved that status and long after they'd lost it.

For the record they were the greatest from the "Beggar's Banquet (1968)" LP to the double album "Exile On Main Street (1972)." Not bad run. Remember, The Who, the Doors and Led Zeppelin were also around. Talk about heavy competition.

Incidentally, this period is bordered by two of the worst Stones' albums… "Their Satanic Majesties Request ('67)" and "Goat's Head Soup ('73)." But between those LPs is a body of work from the Stones most productive period that also included the albums "Let It Bleed," "Get You Ya-Ya's Out (the front cover with Charlie Watts and the mule is priceless), and "Sticky Fingers." These albums are why people dedicate their lives to Rock. Here are the highlights:

Beggar's Banquet Sympathy For The Devil Stray Cat Blues Love In Vain Street Fightin' Man Let It Bleed Gimme Shelter Live With Me Let It Bleed You Can't Always Get What You Want

Get Your Ya-Ya's Out Jumpin' Jack Flash (Live) Midnight Rambler (Live)

Sticky Fingers Brown Sugar Moonlight Mile Wild Horses

Exile On Main Street Rock This Joint Happy Tumblin' Dice

They also came up with the singles: "Jumpin' Jack Flash" & "Honky Tonk Women."

By the time "Goat's Head Soup" rolled out the Stones were in decline. A lame "Heartbreaker" and the weak ballad "Angie" were the only saving graces. Though the Stones showed life with "It's Only Rock 'n' Roll," "Miss You," and "Steel Wheels" CDs, they were pretty much done. But in the world of Rock, four years on top means a lifetime of tours.

The Stones started as an R&B outfit in London. They were Blues fans. Jagger had a future (he was a student at the London School of Economics). Richards didn't. As for Jones, he was something else. He could play the Blues better than anybody and play just about any instrument. That came in handy later on. The man had talent flying out of his fingers. Then there was Watts on drums, one of Rock's all-time greats and the relatively quiet Wyman on bass. They originally had a piano player, Ian Stewart, but he became expendable becoming the group's road manager.

The Rolling Stones, though different in direction and purpose, fell under The Beatles shadow (like every other Brit group). While the bands had a healthy rivalry, the public took it further. Girls loved the Beatles and the guys liked the Rolling Stones. The Beatles were far more popular than the Stones. This caused Mick Jagger to drive hard to be as good as the Fab Four. It was a useless battle. The Stones on their best day could not match the talent, charm and confidence of The Beatles. For one, The Beatles had been together far longer than The Stones. Lennon & McCartney had started writing songs together almost from the start. Jagger and Richards, the Stones chief songwriting team, had only began writing together after manager Andrew Loog Oldham suggested they try.

Try they did. "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" was one of the two or three best songs of the decade. Jagger and Richards came up with several hits (Brian just couldn't write a song); "Let's Spend The Night Together," "19th Nervous Breakdown" and "Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby (Standing In The Shadows)." Had the Rolling Stones disbanded in the late '60s they probably would have been remembered as a singles band with an R&B leaning - much like the Animals. By '67, the Stones had played out their rebellion. Meanwhile, The Beatles released "Sgt. Pepper's." What to do, what to do? "Their Satanic Majesties Request" was the group's attempt to keep up. What a mistake. Charlie Watts' mum aptly described it as "two weeks ahead of its time." Taken in context you can understand why it sounds the way it does. Aside from being a pale Beatles imitation, there were other distractions. Mick, Keith and Brian had all been busted for drugs. Only Keith served jail time. There were stops and starts. If Keith could handle drugs, Brian could not. In the studio, the Stones were becoming a quartet.

Amid the confusion, Keith must have told Mick that he was a Rock guitarist and not some trippy-psychedelic sideman because the Stones came out Rockin' with "Beggar's Banquet." Their success created a big problem. Mick wanted to get the band back out on the road. Brian just couldn't do it so he was either kicked out or left depending on you who listened to. Probably a bit of both. His replacement was former John Mayall guitarist Mick Taylor, who was a good ten years younger than the rest of the band. Though he didn't write songs he did inject the band with some needed energy and kept the Stones Rockin'. A few days before the group was to debut with their new guitarist at a free concert in London's Hyde Park, Brian was found dead in his swimming pool. Passed off as an unfortunate accident, there was a strong feeling he was murdered - but by whom and why, remained a mystery.

Following the double set "Exile On Main Street" the Stones seemed exhausted. Mick Taylor left for a solo career and has been MIA since. Ron Wood, formerly of the Faces, who seemed to share many of Keith's drug problems, replaced him. The Stones continued to crank up their act every now and then. It was still a pretty formidable show with Mick doing wind sprints before each performance to loosen up his aging bones. But there once was a time when this band Rocked like nobody else and were "The Greatest Rock n' Roll Band In The World."