The Rolling Stonesare an Englishrockband formed in London in 1962.[1][2]The earliest settled line-up consisted ofBrian Jones(guitar, harmonica),Ian Stewart(piano),Mick Jagger(lead vocals, harmonica),Keith Richards(guitar, vocals),Bill Wyman(bass) andCharlie Watts(drums). Since Wyman's retirement in 1993, the band's full members have been Jagger, Richards, Watts and guitaristRonnie Wood.Darryl Jones(bassist) andChuck Leavell(keyboardist) are regular contributors but not full band members. TheRock and Roll Hall of Fameinducted the Rolling Stones, noting that "critical acclaim and popular consensus has accorded them the title of the Worlds Greatest Rock and Roll Band.[1]Rolling Stonemagazine ranked them 4th on their "100 Greatest Artists of All Time" list, and their album sales are estimated to have been more than 200 million worldwide.[3][4]The Rolling Stones were popular in Europe and then became successful in North America during the mid-1960sBritish Invasion. They have released twenty-two studio albums in the United Kingdom (24 in the United States), elevenlive albums(twelve in the US), and numerous compilations.[3]Their albumSticky Fingers(1971) began a string of eight consecutive studio albums reaching number one in the United States. Their most recent album of new material,A Bigger Bang, was released in 2005. In 2008,Billboardmagazine ranked the Rolling Stones at number ten on "The Billboard Top All-Time Artists", and as the second most successful group in theBillboard Hot 100chart.[5]The Rolling Stones emergence brought greater international recognition to the primitive urban blues typified byChess Records'artists such asMuddy Waters, writer of "Rollin' Stone", the song for which the band is named.[6]Critic andmusicologistRobert Palmersaid their endurance and relevance stems from being "rooted in traditional verities, in rhythm-and-blues and soul music" while "more ephemeral pop fashions have come and gone".[7]heSex Pistolswere an Englishpunk rockband that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating thepunk movementin the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk andalternative rockmusicians. Although their initial career lasted just two-and-a-half years and produced only four singles and one studio album,Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols, they are regarded as one of the most influential acts in the history ofpopular music.[1][2]The Sex Pistols originally comprised vocalistJohnny Rotten, guitaristSteve Jones, drummerPaul Cookand bassistGlen Matlock. Matlock was replaced bySid Viciousin early 1977. Under the management of impresarioMalcolm McLaren, the band provoked controversies that took Britain by storm. Their concerts repeatedly faced difficulties with organizers and authorities, and public appearances often ended in mayhem. Their 1977 single "God Save the Queen", attacking Britons' social conformity and deference to the Crown, precipitated the "last and greatest outbreak of pop-based moral pandemonium".[3]In January 1978, at the end of a turbulent tour of the United States, Rotten left the band and announced its break-up. Over the next several months, the three other band members recorded songs for McLaren's film version of the Sex Pistols' story,The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle. Vicious died of a heroin overdose in February 1979. In 1996, Rotten, Jones, Cook and Matlock reunited for theFilthy Lucre Tour; since 2002, they have staged further reunion shows and tours. On 24 February 2006, the Sex Pistolsthe four original members plus Viciouswere inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame, but they refused to attend the ceremony, calling the museum "a piss stain".[4]

The Beatleswere an Englishrockband formed inLiverpoolin 1960 who became the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed act in the history of popular music.[1]Their best-known lineup consisted ofJohn Lennon,Paul McCartney,George Harrison, andRingo Starr. Rooted inskiffleand 1950srock and roll, they later utilised severalgenres, ranging frompopballadstopsychedelic rock, often incorporatingclassicaland other elements in innovative ways. In the early 1960s, their enormous popularity first emerged as "Beatlemania", but as their songwriting grew in sophistication, they came to be perceived by many fans and cultural observers as an embodiment of the ideals shared by theera's sociocultural revolutions.The Beatles built their reputation playing clubs in Liverpool andHamburgover a three-year period from 1960. ManagerBrian Epsteinmoulded them into a professional act and producerGeorge Martinenhanced their musical potential. They gained popularity in the United Kingdom after their first single, "Love Me Do", became a modest hit in late 1962. They acquired the nickname the "Fab Four" as Beatlemania grew in Britain over the following year, and by early 1964 they had become international stars, leading the "British Invasion" into the United States pop market. From 1965 on, they produced what many critics consider their finest material, including the innovative and widely influential albumsRubber Soul(1965),Revolver(1966),Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band(1967),The Beatles(1968), andAbbey Road(1969). After theirbreak-upin 1970, the ex-Beatles each enjoyed successful musical careers. Lennon died in 1980 afterhaving been shotby a deranged fan, and Harrison died of lung cancer in 2001. McCartney and Starr remain active.The Beatles have had more number-one albums on the British charts and sold more singles in the UK than any other act. According to theRIAA, as of 2012 they have sold 177 million units in the US, more than any other artist. In 2008, they toppedBillboardmagazine's list of the all-time most successful "Hot 100" artists. As of 2012, they hold the record for most number-one hits on the Hot 100 chart with 20. They have received 7Grammy Awardsfrom the AmericanNational Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, anAcademy AwardforBest Original Song Scoreand 15Ivor Novello Awardsfrom theBritish Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors. Collectively included inTimemagazine's compilation ofthe 20th century's 100 most influential people, they are thebest-selling bandin history, withEMI Recordsestimating sales of over one billion units.[2]