Happy Birthday Mick Jagger,
from everyone here at boom 99.7
Today (July 26th) Mick Jagger is turning 77, and to celebrate his birthday, we’re looking at some of the moments that cemented him as a rock legend over the years!
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones burst onto the music scene in the midst of the British Invasion during the 1960s. The emergence of several British bands becoming successful all during the same few years in the UK garnered them enough attention and traction that their fanbases then spread worldwide. Even here in Canada, way across the pond from Europe, The Rolling Stones had become a household name that left fans running to their nearest record shop to get The Stones’ songs on vinyl. The Rolling Stones, along with frontman Mick Jagger, knew that creating and performing songs wasn’t something they wanted to try out for a few years then call it quits – they wanted to do it for as long as they could, and they’ve proven that right. The band is still together 58 years later, and they’ve even discussed releasing a new album later in 2020! Mick and The Stones’ had won a whopping 4 Billboard Touring Awards, 4 Grammy Awards, 3 MTV Video Music Awards, 9 NME (New Musical Express) Awards, 6 Porin Awards, and have had 7 of their songs inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame … just to name a few of their accomplishments. Here you can see the band absolutely loving performing “Paint It Black” 40 years after they initially released it. Enjoy the beautiful sounds of their lead vocals, acoustic guitar, lead guitar, backing vocals, sitar, bass, Hammond organ, drums, percussion, and piano!
Counterculture King
Mick Jagger described himself as an anarchist, was openly anti-establishment, wrote and sang very provocative lyrics, had a sexually-charged stage presence, had his sex life frequently discussed in tabloids and questioned during interviews, and had drug related arrests. Needless to say, society at the time painted Jagger (and the rest of The Rolling Stones) as very counterculture and rebellious, in comparison to the suit-wearing Beatles. When The Beatles emerged in 1960 and Beatlemania grew in 1963, they were seen as counterculture because of their long hair past their ears, but when The Rolling Stones reached their height of fame a few years later from 1965-1967, they made The Beatles look tame in comparison. Although other bands in later years such as Black Sabbath with Ozzy Osbourne in the 1970s and Mötley Crüe with Tommy Lee in the 1980s were seen as WAY more controversial, The Rolling Stones and Mick Jagger will certainly be remembered as some of the original loveable bad boys.
Moves Like Jagger
In 1985, Mick Jagger teamed up with another music icon, David Bowie, to create a cover duet music video which no one will ever forget. Jagger and Bowie remade the already classic song “Dancing in the Street“, written by Marvin Gaye, William “Mickey” Stevenson and Ivy Jo Hunter and first performed by Martha and the Vandellas in 1964. Jagger and Bowie countered toxic masculinity by dancing with one another town the street, getting close to each other without a care in the world as to what anyone would think of it. Jagger was known for wearing makeup and having a larger than life stage presence which had shown audiences that his confidence levels were nearly unmatched, and everyone loved him for it. His dance moves certainly haven’t gone unnoticed over the years; huge pop success Maroon 5 actually sang a song directly referencing Jagger’s likability, accurately named “Moves Like Jagger” (2011). With lyrics like:
“Kiss me ’til you’re drunk and I’ll show you all the moves like Jagger
I’ve got the moves like Jagger
I’ve got the moves like Jagger
I don’t need to try to control you
Look into my eyes and I’ll own you with them moves like Jagger”
Adam Levine paid homage to Jagger for having dance moves that not only intoxicate you, but can seduce you without even speaking, simply by looking at him. Levine wishes he could dance and have the same appeal Jagger has had for decades, but it’s hard to say if they can even compare. Do you think Adam Levine’s dance moves could ever live up to Mick Jagger’s one day?
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