Rolling Stones (UK 2022)

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[press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]
Royal Mail to Honour Rock Legends, The Rolling Stones, with a Set of 12 Special Stamps

Issue Date: 20 January

  • Royal Mail reveals images of 12 stamps being issued as a tribute to one of the most enduring rock groups of all time – The Rolling Stones
  • Eight of the stamps will feature images of some of their legendary performances over the years:
    • Hyde Park, London, UK, July 1969
    • East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA, August 2019
    • Rotterdam, Netherlands, August 1995
    • Tokyo, Japan, March 1995
    • New York City, USA, July 1972
    • Oslo, Norway, May 2014
    • Knebworth, Hertfordshire, UK, August 1976
    • Düsseldorf, Germany, October 2017
  • A further four stamps, presented in a Miniature Sheet, feature two shots of the band together and two of their vintage worldwide tour posters
  • Royal Mail collaborated closely with the band members and their management team on the stamp issue
  • The Rolling Stones become only the fourth music group to feature in a dedicated stamp issue – following on from The Beatles in 2007, Pink Floyd in 2016 and Queen in 2020
  • The stamps and a range of collectible products are available for pre-order now at www.royalmail.com/rollingstones and by phone on +44 (0)3457 641 641
  • The stamps go on general sale from 20 January 2022

Royal Mail has revealed 12 new special stamps to honour 60 years of the legendary rock group, The Rolling Stones. The main set of eight stamps features images of the band performing at venues all around the world at various points during their illustrious career:

  • Hyde Park, London, UK, July 1969
  • East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA, August 2019
  • Rotterdam, Netherlands, August 1995
  • Tokyo, Japan, March 1995
  • New York City, USA, July 1972
  • Oslo, Norway, May 2014
  • Knebworth, Hertfordshire, UK, August 1976
  • Düsseldorf, Germany, October 2017

An additional four stamps, presented in a Miniature Sheet, feature two shots of the band together and of two of the many posters which have promoted their worldwide tours over the years.

Since the late 1960s, people have called The Rolling Stones “The Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World”. The phrase began as a hyped-up onstage introduction but stuck, despite the Stones’ occasional protestations to the contrary.

In 2005, the Rolling Stones were awarded the accolade of greatest touring band of all time at the World Music Awards. They have sold an estimated 250m records and in the UK have eight no.1 singles and 13 no.1 albums. Their countless awards include four Grammys, three MTV Music Awards and nine NME Awards. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.

Since they began as a group, their singles and albums have produced a string of evergreen rock classics, powered by some of the greatest guitar riffs ever written.

Celebrating their 60th anniversary in 2022, the Rolling Stones become only the fourth music group to have a dedicated Royal Mail stamp issue – following on from The Beatles in 2007, Pink Floyd in 2016 and Queen in 2020.

The gradual shift from young upstarts to elder statesmen of rock has done nothing to dent The Rolling Stones’ image as the definition of a certain kind of cool – and of rock and roll itself.

David Gold, Director of Public Affairs & Policy, Royal Mail, said: “Few bands in the history of rock have managed to carve out a career as rich and expansive as that of the Rolling Stones. They have created some of modern music’s most iconic and inspirational albums, with ground-breaking live performances to match.”

The collaboration was brought together and facilitated by Bravado, Universal Music Group’s leading brand management and lifestyle division.

The stamps are available to now at www.royalmail.com/rollingstones and by phone on +44 (0)3457 641 641.

The stamps go on general sale on 20 January.

Additional information from other sources:

According to the Reuters news service, “the Stones’ oeuvre, rooted in American blues and rhythm and blues, has yielded hits like “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” and “Sympathy for the Devil” from their peak 1960s and 70s era but also curios like the reggae-infused track “Send It To Me”, apparently about a lonely man looking for a mail-order bride.”

The site AllMusic says “the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, heavier-driven sound that came to define hard rock.”

The original personnel were Mick Jagger (vocals), Brian Jones (multiple instruments), Keith Richards (guitar), Bill Wyman (bass), and Charlie Watts (drums). Only Jagger and Richards are still with the band. Jones died in 1969, Wyman left as a regular in 1993, and Watts died in 2021.