Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood Reveal the ‘Secret’ to The Rolling Stones’ 60-Year Success

Sara BelcherSun, July 12, 2026 at 3:59 PM UTC

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Mick Jagger and Zane LoweCredit: Apple Music / The Zane Lowe Show -

The Rolling Stones credit their longevity to maintaining separate lives and reuniting with fresh energy for projects

Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood say Mick Jagger’s leadership drives the band’s creative process and collaboration

Jagger believes their success and lack of major failures have been crucial to the band’s 60-year run

It’s been more than 60 years since the Rolling Stones first formed as a band — and now they’re sharing how they’ve stayed together all these years.

To celebrate the release of the band’s newest album, Foreign Tongues, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood sat down with Zane Lowe for an episode of The Zane Lowe Show. When asked by Lowe what the “secret” was to keeping the band together for six decades, the three rock stars had their own interpretations of what made them one of the longest-lasting bands.

“We don’t over soak our hanging out. You know, we lead our own lives, and when we do get back together, it’s like no time had gone by,” Wood, 79, said. “So we’re back in the playground, as you’re like naughty school boys, we’re back in the studio. That’s what we do. We love to interact, as you know, you can tell from the music, off of each other.”

Ronnie WoodCredit: Apple Music / The Zane Lowe Show

“It is a marriage of a kind. Who’s wifey and who’s husband is another thing. But maybe that’s what keeps it going,” Richards, 82, added while acknowledging the up-and-down relationship he and Jagger, also 82, have had over the years. “But when you meet the guy that has the same taste in music and the same feel for it as you do, it’s more than double the pleasure. You can’t put your finger on it, but at the same time, it is a mystery, and I think maybe long may it be a mystery.”

Richards and Wood both agreed, though, that Jagger has been a “driving” force behind their continued collaboration, which helps to move projects along on the rare occasions they’re able to set aside studio time altogether.

Keith RichardsCredit: Apple Music / The Zane Lowe Show

“It’s challenging to get everyone in the same country. Never mind in a studio. But, once it is operational and functioning, we just kick off each other,” Wood said. “Mick being the main drive, if you can fire up his engines, you know, he just interacts so closely with the drums and the guitar and the bass, everything, the pianos and keyboards.”

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Jagger, however, attributes the band’s staying power largely to its continued success, noting it would be hard to put out 32 albums with one group over 60 years without the notoriety The Rolling Stones have had.

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“I think if The Rolling Stones had had a lot of failure, it wouldn’t have stayed together,” Jagger admitted. “We’ve been very lucky and been successful a lot, you know, even though not everything we’ve put out, recorded-wise, has been brilliant.”

The iconic rock band was formed in London in 1962. It originally consisted of Jagger, Richards and Brian Jones. Wood joined the band in 1975.

Foreign Tongueswas released on July 10.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”