The iconically swift and smooth Mick Jagger is and will always be one of the most pinnacle figures in not just rock music, but in all of music. The Rolling Stones frontman’s career has spanned more than six decades and scored him more accolades than one would rather care to count.
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The international superstar is liked by older and younger generations alike and has remained in the spotlight for an abundant amount of reasons. Now 80, the artist still performs three-hour shows on a regular basis, and if you are familiar with how Jagger carries himself on stage, you know it’s not an easy feat.
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That being said, the artist continues to defy the laws of age and sets out to continue doing so. In light of what could be considered Jagger’s 50th birthday rather than 80th, here are eight live moments of the artist’s ornate career that convey his oxymoronic youthfulness.
Rock ‘n’ Roll Circus
One of the most iconic Stones moments and one of the moments that familiarized younger generations with the staple rock band is their 1968 performance at Rock ‘n’ Roll Circus. Despite the fact that the event’s main purpose was to film the performances and release footage, there was still a spellbound audience present. The most notable song the band played and the one that has transcended generations is their chart-topping classic “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” The rendition of the song is arguably the most infamous recording of the single and has been etched into the minds of Jagger and Stones fans as one of the group’s most foundational moments. Watch the Mick Jagger spectacle HERE.
Live Aid
It’s arguably the most energetic and exuberant Jagger performance, and it’s not even with a song written by nor performed with the Stones. That being Jagger’s 1985 performance of “State of Shock” at the Live Aid in JFK Stadium alongside the late-great Tina Tuner. Originally written by Jagger and The Jackson 5, Jagger and Turner’s duet of the song was one that no one at the time knew they needed. Though, after seeing both masterful vocalists go to work, everyone who watched it live or via television knew the song would never be the same again. Watch the power duo HERE.
The Ed Sullivan Show
Before the Rolling Stones’ iconic 1967 performance on The Ed Sullivan Show, the super-group had performed four other times. This performance shows the evolution of the band’s persona to full-fledged rockstars. This arch is most noticeable due to Jagger’s comically passive-aggressive attitude during the song “Let’s Spend The Night Together.” Which, for the show, was changed to “Let’s Spend Some Time Together,” at the request of Ed Sullivan. During the song, Jagger shows off his mobility, though he also gives a brief eye roll to the camera, thus inferring to the audience that this was far from his idea. Watch the performance HERE.
Glastonbury
It’s hard to believe that in Glastonbury’s 53-year existence, the Stones have only played the show a mere one time, and it’s even harder to believe that it took the festival 43 years to book the Rolling Stones as a major act. Though in 2013, Jagger in the Stones took the stage at the festival and put on one of the most iconic shows the U.K. festival had ever seen. Even though Jagger was 70 at the time, he again proved that he is not defined by age and gave the audience the whole package, as he perfumed a 20-song set that seamlessly spanned over a whopping two and a half hours. Watch a portion of the concert HERE.
Copacabana Beach
Another performance that resides in the later years of Jagger and the Stones’ six-decade career is their 2006 concert at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro. The concert marked the first and, as of now, the last time the band has ever performed in Brazil. The Stones played 22 songs and the show lasted around two hours. Though the most astounding fact about the concert isn’t the band’s stamina or their inaugural Brazil performance It’s the fact that there were an estimated 1.6 million people in attendance, which is one of the biggest concerts recorded to date. Watch Jagger and The Stones in the sea of fans HERE.
Checkerboard Lounge
The Checkerboard Lounge performance is one that fans of both Jagger and the Stones rarely talk about due to the intimacy and humbleness etched into the set. These are not adjectives typically used when one describes the band’s stage presence. Though in 1981, at the Checkerboard Lounge in the Southside of Chicago, Jagger and the Stones performed alongside Muddy Waters. The late singer influenced the band’s name. Despite the fact that it doesn’t coincide with the band’s typical performance traits, it’s still intriguing given that Jagger is evidently not the main act of this show. Thus, it shows Jagger in a totally different light than what everyone is used to: reserved and just a little bit more still than usual. Watch the historical duet HERE.
Super Bowl Halftime Show
At Super Bowl XL at Detroit’s Ford Field in 2006, Jagger and The Stones performed the game’s halftime show and gave one of the best Super Bowl halftime shows ever performed. Even though the band only played “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction,” “Start Me Up,” and “Rough Justice,” the concert is still viewed as a staple performance in Super Bowl history. Watch a behind-the-scenes mini-doc about the performance HERE.
Hyde Park
In the summer of 1969, at Hyde Park in London, Jagger and The Stones returned to the stage after a two-year performance hiatus. The performance was a foundational moment for the band, given that just two days before the show Brian Jones (an original Rolling Stones member) had died. Given this tragedy, it was also Mick Taylor’s first performance with the group. Much like the performance at the Checkerboard Lounge, this set shows Jagger and the Stones in a much more sentimental manner. To watch the performance click HERE.
(Photo by David Wolff-Patrick/Redferns)
