A musical partnership began shortly afterwards. Jagger met Richards again in 1960 on Dartford railway station, and the Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters records that Jagger was carrying revealed a common interest. In the mid-1950s, Jagger formed a garage band with his friend Dick Taylor the group mainly played material by Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Howlin' Wolf and Bo Diddley. Keith Richards and Mick Jagger became childhood friends and classmates in 1950 in Dartford, Kent, before the Jagger family moved to Wilmington, five miles (8.05 km) away, in 1954. In 2012, the band celebrated its 50th anniversary.
In 2008, the band ranked 10th on the Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists chart. Sticky Fingers (1971) was the first of eight consecutive No. Let It Bleed (1969) was their first of five consecutive No. They have released 30 studio albums, 18 live albums and numerous compilations. Rolling Stone magazine ranked them fourth on the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time" list and their estimated album sales are above 250 million. The Rolling Stones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004. By 2007, the band had four of the top five highest-grossing concert tours of all time: Voodoo Lounge Tour (1994–1995), Bridges to Babylon Tour (1997–1998), Licks Tour (2002–2003) and A Bigger Bang Tour (2005–2007). Despite this, the Rolling Stones have continued to be a huge attraction on the live circuit, with stadium tours in the 1990s and 2000s. Since the 1990s, new recorded material from the group has been less well-received and less frequent.
However, they managed to patch up their friendship after they separated temporarily to work on solo projects, and experienced a comeback with Steel Wheels (1989), which was followed by a large stadium and arena tour. From 1983 to 1987, tensions between Jagger and Richards almost caused the band to split. The band continued to release commercially successful albums, including Some Girls (1978) and Tattoo You (1981), which were their most popular albums worldwide. Musicologist Robert Palmer attributed the endurance of the Rolling Stones to their being "rooted in traditional verities, in rhythm-and-blues and soul music", while "more ephemeral pop fashions have come and gone". During this period, they were first introduced on stage as "The World's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". (1972) is generally considered to be the band's best work and is seen as their "Golden Age". Subsequently, the group returned to its "bluesy" roots with Beggars Banquet (1968) which along with its follow-ups Let It Bleed (1969), Sticky Fingers (1971) and Exile on Main St.
Rooted in blues and early rock and roll, the group began a short period of musical experimentation in the mid-1960s that peaked with the psychedelic album Their Satanic Majesties Request (1967). The Rolling Stones were at the forefront of the British Invasion of bands that became popular in the United States in 1964, and identified with the youthful and rebellious counterculture of the 1960s. The band was first led by Brian Jones, but after developing into the band's songwriters, Jagger and Richards assumed leadership while Jones dealt with legal and personal troubles. Touring keyboardists for the band have been Nicky Hopkins (1967–1982), Ian McLagan (1978–1981), Billy Preston (through the mid-1970s) and Chuck Leavell (1982–present). Following Wyman's departure in 1993, Darryl Jones joined as their touring bassist. After Taylor left the band, Ronnie Wood took his place in 1975 and has been on guitar in tandem with Richards ever since. Jones left the band less than a month prior to his death in 1969, having already been replaced by Mick Taylor, who remained until 1974. Stewart was removed from the official line-up in 1963 but continued as a touring member until his death in 1985. The first stable line-up consisted of Brian Jones (guitar, harmonica), Mick Jagger (lead vocals), Keith Richards (guitar, backing vocals), Bill Wyman (bass), Charlie Watts (drums), and Ian Stewart (piano). The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London, England in 1962.