“Start me up.” Those three words were the title of a hit song and an awkward video for the Rolling Stones from their 1981 album “Tattoo You,” one of 25 studio albums from the band. The band currently consists of original members Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, along with late-joiner Ronnie Wood. Charlie Watts was a founding member and the drummer of the band through August 2021 when he passed away at age 80. The Rolling Stones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 and continue to write, tour and produce today. Needless to say, they are kind of popular.
Admittedly, I am not a huge Rolling Stones fan, but I certainly know of the band and their songs. The 20-somethings of today? Apparently, not so much.
First, a little background. Mick Jagger turned 79 on July 26. This was noted in the celebrity birthdays section of The Daily Umbrella. During our staff meeting, I asked one of our younger employees if she knows who Mick Jagger is. Silence. I then asked another of our younger employees the same question. Crickets. I tried one last time with yet another younger employee. Her answer? “I think there is a song about moves like Jagger.” Yes, there is, by Maroon 5 from 2011, but Mick Jagger is famous for some other stuff, too.
How soon we forget. Don Henley, Glenn Frey and J.D. Souther penned this well in 1976 with the song “New Kid In Town” from the Eagles’ “Hotel California” album. “They will never forget you till somebody new comes around.” How true. But to not know who Mick Jagger is? Come on.
My mother was born in 1935 and grew up with the music of the 1950s. Sometime in the 1980s, I came across a series of cassettes with music from that era. I listened to them in our home while Mom sang along and smiled. Bill Haley and the Comets. The Big Bopper. Little Richard. The Platters. Fats Domino. Buddy Holly. Jerry Lee Lewis. Chuck Berry. The Everly Brothers. The list goes on and on. I may not have known all the words, but I did know the song titles, the melodies and, yes, the artists. In fact, those cassettes might still be collecting dust in a box somewhere. If I had a cassette player, I could listen to them again.
Styles come and go. Trends come and go. Music comes and goes. I may not like it, but I get it. Meanwhile, some artists transcend generations. Mick Jagger, apparently, is no longer one of them.
Have a fantastic Friday, and thanks for reading.
Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
Times Vedette digital editions
shane@gctimesnews.com
641-332-2707