no one will ever come close to the rolling stones.....

OOOOwww yeah that sure IS the truth but wasn't it Ronnie back around 75ish who said something like....

Keith, yeah he's the cleanest dirty man I know....



ROCKMAN

NO ONE !

The Stones are a PHENOMENON. They are not only a band, they are a lifetyle. Nobody will ever come close to them. That's a fact. Even if the Beatles had existed until today the Stoney would be the bigger live act. One day, when the Stones won't exist exist anymore we will eventually realize how incredible huge they were. The Stones set a milestone in music and touring history!

> But again, it's arbitrary. We think the Stones
> were the biggest, but Led Zep beat the Stones with
> ticket and record sales by miles.
>
> Mathijs


Record sales yes, but ticket sales no, that was a myth that zep sold more tickets in the 70's, Bill Graham stated the Stones were a bigger draw then zep in 75, they both sold out every show back then,

thank goodness.

ThatsWhatISay Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The Stones are a PHENOMENON. They are not only a
> band, they are a lifetyle. Nobody will ever come
> close to them. That's a fact. Even if the Beatles
> had existed until today the Stoney would be the
> bigger live act. One day, when the Stones won't
> exist exist anymore we will eventually realize how
> incredible huge they were. The Stones set a
> milestone in music and touring history!

Well YEAH...Andrew Oldham said it back in '63: "The Rolling Stones aren't a band- they're a way of life." Things haven't changed one iota in 44 years. Even The Beatles would be bowing down to them (gee...who sells more tickets these days? Stones or Macca? I rest my case...)

People talking about Zep or Floyd 'reforming' and stealing the Stones thunder...don't think so, sorry. Without their lasers and "Mr Screen", Pink Floyd, with or without Roger Waters, is NOTHING as a live band. Zeppelin? Zep's great, but their glory days were over in 1975, and arguably even before that...this "O2" 'reunion' gig will never live up to the hype, just like all the other Zeppelin 'reunions'. Even in their glory days, drugs and booze impaired Zeppelin's music -live and in the studio- worse than they ever impaired the Stones.

Nope...there's a bloody good reason why The Rolling Stones are called "The Greatest Rock And Roll Band In The World", because they ARE. And, no, nobody comes close.

After having seen 106 different acts, i i'm sure: Yes, noone comes close to the Stones.

Mathijs wrote:

"We think the Stones were the biggest, but Led Zep beat the Stones with ticket and record sales by miles."


Well, i think every artist’s reputation and image depends basically on the general impression about his quality and his contribution to the music. If everything had been judged from album sales, then Bob Dylan (just an example) wouldn’t be considered as one of the greatest artists in the music history.

But, if you want a “Stones Vs Led Zeppelin” game, based on sales, let’s talk about it. LZ were monster album sellers, no question about that. “LZ IV” has sold 30 million copies, “LZ II” 15 m, “Physical Grafiti” 15m. The best selling Stones studio album, “Some Girls”, has sold 9-10 m only. And their best selling album was a compilation, “Hot Rocks”, that sold 15 million copies. But the Stones continued acting as a band and now this fact is a part of their myth. IMO they continued making good or very good albums, but forget this talk, it’s a subjective view. The Stones are stable enough as album sellers and an incredibly successful live act. Noone knows what LZ would do during 80s, 90s and 00s, if they were continuing as a band. They didn’t. Years ago RIAA published the catalogue of the best selling artists. I mean, selling albums. The Stones were on #12 with 210 million copies and, if i’m right, the number doesn’t include the last (two or three?) Stones albums. LZ are on #13 with 200 m.

Ticket sales? Oh, at this “field” the Stones are not beaten… And if an act could beat them, this is the band named U2… We cannot compare the continuing success of a legendary band that is on the road almost every year, attracting so many people again and again, with the excitement created by another’s legendary band HISTORICAL, unique moment. FIRST LZ gig after decades and maybe the LAST one, oh, even my grandma would like to attend it! It’s a historical moment, indeed. But just a MOMENT.

not to add fuel to comparisons (which i'm not that into) but just out of curiosity:
how many original numbers have the Stones released? and these "other contenders"?
(i know there have been more prolific songwriters in history than the Stones - that's not what i'm asking -
just curious how their songwriting output compares with other bands mentioned in this thread.)

still: what counts is sustained drive

but there's also something to be said for "leaving 'em wanting more..." and in that sense the fact that Led Zep hasn't toured in 25 years becomes a point in their favor. of course, they can't really "reform" without their drummer. Pink Floyd definitely carried on long after they stopped being at all interesting. I suppose in the vague sense of the original post ("no one will ever come close") the stones do take the cake.

it's interesting that they seem to have absorbed all the criticism for aging rockers, to the benefit of those who come after. no one even breathes about how old U2 are.

Why does everyone have to compare how good or bad LZ are to the Stones,I have followed LZ right from 1970 and saw them in 75, they were Brilliant and so are Pink floyd, I saw them in 96, Fantastic. BUT so are the Stones, yes they are the greatest Rock and Roll band in the world but you can't compare them to Floyd, their music in not raw rock and roll, just , different.

As for LZ yes they are Rock and roll but they've been split for years so there's not really an argument who are the greatest, they only had about 11 years the Stones have never stopped. Lets just enjoy LZ for what they are without getting upset that they may be getting more lime light that the Stones for once. I love LZ but also love the Stones.