The Rolling Stones are notable in modern popular music for assimilating various musical genres into their recording and performance; ultimately making the styles their very own. The band's career is marked by a continual reference and reliance on musical styles like American blues, country, folk, reggae, dance; world music exemplified by the Master Musicians of Jajouka; as well as traditional English Read more...

Often the first instances of this come through the Stones' use of a blues-based R&B sound. Jagger and Richards' shared interest in the Americans Jimmy Reed, Muddy Waters, and Little Walter, were influential on the band's leader, Brian Jones, of whom Richards says, "He was more into T-Bone Walker and jazz-blues stuff. We'd turn him onto Chuck Berry and say, 'Look, it's all the same shit, man, Read more...

Despite the Stones' predilection for blues and R&B numbers on their early live setlists, the first original compositions by the band reflected a more wide-ranging interest. The first Jagger/Richards single, "Tell Me (You're Coming Back)," is called by critic Richie Unterberger a "pop/rock ballad... When [Jagger and Richards] began to write songs, they were usually not derived from the blues, Read more...