The Rolling Stones’ Legendary Career Commemorated On New U.K. Stamps

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Rolling Stones, and Britain’s Royal Mail is celebrating the iconic rock group’s special milestone with a set of postage stamps.

Due for release on January 20, the 12 stamps depict the ‘World’s Greatest Rock and Roll Band’ over the decades. Eight stamps feature the Stones in performance—from their appearance at London’s Hyde Park in 1969 to a concert at New Jersey’s East Rutherford in 2019.

A separate miniature sheet features two stamps of the band members—Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ron Wood and the late Charlie Watts—and two other stamps that display vintage posters from the band’s previous tours.

Formed in 1962, the Stones recorded such memorable songs such as “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” “Ruby Tuesday,” “Under My Thumb,” “Sympathy for the Devil” and “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” under the classic lineup of Jagger, Richards, Watts, Brian Jones and Bill Wyman. Then with Mick Taylor and later Wood, the band continued to have more hits from the 1970s onwards with “Tumbling Dice,” “It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll (But I Like It),” “Miss You,” “Start Me Up” and “Mixed Emotions.” Their albums, including Beggars Banquet, Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers, Some Girls and Tattoo You, have often appeared on best-of-all-time rankings.

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

The Rolling Stones stamps are the latest from Royal Mail celebrating music icons. Previous stamp issues by the British postal agency have depicted such rock acts as the Beatles, Elton John, Pink Floyd, David Bowie and Queen. Last year, Royal Mail paid tribute to former Beatle Paul McCartney in the form of commemorative postage.

“In 2005, the Rolling Stones were awarded the accolade of greatest touring band of all time at the World Music Awards,” according to a news release announcing the stamps. “They have sold an estimated 250M records and in the U.K. 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,” the announcement continued, “their singles and albums have produced a string of evergreen rock classics, powered by some of the greatest guitar riffs ever written.”

Last year, the Stones resumed their No Filter tour in the U.S., which marked the first time they have performed without founding drummer Watts, who died in August at the age of 80. Veteran drummer Steve Jordan filled Watts’ place during those dates.

Not does 2022 commemorates the Stones’ 60 years in music, but it will also mark the 50th anniversary of their classic double album, 1972’s Exile on Main St., this coming May.