Mick Jagger

Mick Jagger, fronting the Rolling Stones, essentially originated the archetype of the rock-and-roll bandleader. Drawing inspiration from soul vocalists, blues performers, and Elvis Presley, he developed a magnetic, sensual stage identity that continued to captivate audiences long after numerous later singers copied and extended the approach. Though legions of followers surrounded him, Jagger remained the focal point, continuing to tour with the Stones well into his seventies. In contrast to his lifelong partner Keith Richards, he consistently pursued paths apart from the group, issuing the solo single “Memo from Turner” in 1970 and commencing a full solo career in 1985—two decades after the band’s first record. The appearance of She’s the Boss suggested the Stones might be nearing their conclusion, yet Jagger’s individual work simply ran alongside the band’s activities. Across subsequent years he issued several solo albums and assembled the supergroup SuperHeavy alongside David A. Stewart, projects that, while never matching the Rolling Stones’ impact, revealed an adventurous artist drawn to pop, dance, and global sounds.

Jagger first encountered Keith Richards as schoolchildren at Dartford Maypole County Primary School. They crossed paths again as teenagers in 1960 and discovered a shared passion for American blues, rock and roll, and R&B. At that moment Jagger was enrolled at the London School of Economics and performing with the London group Little Boy Blue and the Blue Boys. Within two years the pair had established the Rolling Stones. Throughout the 1960s the Stones stood as the sole rock-and-roll outfit able to challenge the Beatles’ dominance, simultaneously projecting the image of rock’s most perilous ensemble—an image reinforced both by the members’ wild, hedonistic conduct and by Jagger’s lyrical fascination with sex and violence.

By the early 1970s Jagger had begun distancing himself from the collective. He had emerged as the Stones’ most prominent member, thanks partly to his role as lead vocalist and partly to his embrace of jet-set circles that placed him among New York art scenes and Hollywood circles. He ventured into acting toward the close of the 1960s, appearing first in the Australian film Ned Kelly and then in Performance, which featured his most acclaimed screen work. After this short cinematic excursion he refocused on singing with the Stones and maintaining celebrity status, surfacing in mainstream gossip columns as often as in music outlets.

During the early 1980s Jagger and Richards clashed over the band’s musical path, with Jagger advocating a shift toward pop and dance while Richards sought to preserve the Stones’ rock-and-roll and blues foundation. In 1984 Jagger started work on a solo album that followed a more commercial, dance-tinged pop direction. The finished record, She’s the Boss, arrived in 1985. He shot several cutting-edge videos that received extensive MTV rotation, boosting the lead single “Just Another Night” to number 12 and earning the album platinum certification. The follow-up single “Lucky in Love” fared less well, barely entering the Top 40. In summer 1985 Jagger and David Bowie cut a version of Martha & the Vandellas’ “Dancing in the Street” for Live Aid; the track reached number seven on the U.S. pop chart, with all proceeds directed to the charity.

Coinciding with the Rolling Stones’ 1986 album Dirty Work, Jagger released the theme from the film Ruthless People as a single that climbed to number 51 and informed Richards that the Stones would skip touring behind Dirty Work. For several years the two men scarcely communicated and traded barbs in the press. Jagger meanwhile strove to elevate his solo profile to the level of the Stones’ success, channeling his efforts into the 1987 album Primitive Cool. Although it garnered better notices than She’s the Boss, only the single “Let’s Work” reached the lower rungs of the Top 40, and the album failed to achieve gold status.

After Primitive Cool underperformed commercially, Jagger rejoined the Rolling Stones in 1989 to record, release, and tour behind Steel Wheels. That project proved enormously successful, yet once the tour ended the band entered a lull during which each member explored outside endeavors. Jagger recorded his next solo album with Rick Rubin, previously known for work with the Beastie Boys and Red Hot Chili Peppers. The resulting Wandering Spirit appeared in 1993 and earned the strongest reviews of any Jagger solo release; it debuted at number 11 on the U.S. charts and attained gold certification the same year. Twelve months after Wandering Spirit the Stones reconvened for Voodoo Lounge and supported it with another worldwide trek, repeating the pattern with 1997’s Bridges to Babylon before again entering a quieter phase.

Jagger opened the new century with his fourth solo album, 2001’s Goddess in the Doorway, which, despite praise from Rolling Stone, attracted limited notice. The Rolling Stones marked their 40th anniversary in 2002 via the compilation Forty Licks and its accompanying tour. Jagger then concentrated on writing songs with Dave Stewart for the 2004 remake of the 1966 Michael Caine film Alfie. He duetted with Joss Stone on the Alfie soundtrack, thereby planting the seeds for the supergroup SuperHeavy that also included A.R. Rahman and Damian Marley. SuperHeavy issued its sole album in 2011. Between that self-titled record and Alfie, Jagger stayed occupied through his film-production company and Stones-related projects, among them the 2005 album A Bigger Bang and multiple tours. After the Stones’ 2016 blues album Blue & Lonesome, Jagger turned once more to solo work for the first time in sixteen years.