Mick Jagger is ugly now. He used to be attractive. A long time ago. When he was young. Now he's old and leathery. And Jagger is a sell-out. He let corporate sponsors fund the Rolling Stone's rock-and-roll shows. But he kept the Stones together, and they're going on fifty years now.
Keith Richards spent the seventies addicted to heroin and incapacitated, so Jagger was the Stone's de-facto leader. He made the business deals. He organized the show-times. And he determined the musical direction of the albums (which explains why the albums became more pop-oriented).
Jagger led the Stones with an authoritarian method. He only gave songwriting credit to himself and Richards. He chose the musical styles of the music on his own. Drummer Charlie Watts is a jazz afficiando and did not support Jagger's pop-oriented views. And when Richards cleaned-up and wanted to help lead the Stones, Jagger did not want to share the power.
But Jagger also used a laissez-faire policy when dealing with individual band members. He supported their solo careers and did not pressure them against pursuing their own interests. And this made Jagger a solid leader. He kept the band about business instead of making it personal. He did not interfere with the personal affairs of the other members. He focused on what was best for the band to avoid conflict among the members.
And Jagger was also an assertive leader who stood by his decisions. He refused to organize a tour for the 1986 album Dirty Work. This caused conflict with Keith Richards, but Jagger stood firm. Even today he stands by his decision and believes a tour would've broke the band apart.
The band is still together though, even if Jagger is not pretty anymore. Jagger kept a firm, consistent approach on managing the band's affairs, and it worked.
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Your introductory lines made me crack up. Now THAT is an attention-getter. Great post. Really enjoyed your take on the topic and the overall confident, slightly-harsh tone of your post :)
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