The Rolling Stones Discography Tube Map Art Print

A gift for Rolling Stones fans who could not say from memory which guitarist played on which record, because this spans six decades of albums, with every credited musician on their own line. They own the records already. This is the handover drawn out in full.

Giclée on 230gsm premium fine art paper, textured matte, archival and acid-free. Produced unframed or framed. Deeply researched and designed by me in East Sussex.

I plot these in CAD software. Every credited musician becomes a transit line, every album becomes a station, and anyone who appears only once gets a branch line of their own.

The stations run chronologically from the 1964 debut, through Beggars Banquet, Let It Bleed and Exile on Main St., to Hackney Diamonds in 2023. Guest musicians branch off as short spurs.

Why this Rolling Stones discography tube map art makes a gift fans keep

Two lines run the whole length of this map, and everything else is a relay. The guitar chair passes from Brian Jones to Mick Taylor to Ronnie Wood, and each handover is visible as the point where one line ends and another begins.

Sixty years of that produces a print with an enormous amount going on. It rewards every closer look.

Contributing musicians on the map

Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are the only two credited on every album. Charlie Watts runs almost the entire length beside them, through to Hackney Diamonds.

The guitar succession is the map's spine. Brian Jones runs to Let It Bleed, Mick Taylor takes over from Let It Bleed to It's Only Rock 'n Roll, with a late reappearance on Tattoo You, and Ronnie Wood arrives at Black and Blue in 1976 and never leaves.

Bill Wyman's line does something unexpected. It stops at Steel Wheels in 1989, ahead of his departure, and then returns once, more than thirty years later, for Live by the Sword on Hackney Diamonds.

Ian Stewart, the sixth Stone, has one of the longest lines. His piano runs from the debut through to Dirty Work in 1986, and Nicky Hopkins covers most of the stretch between Their Satanic Majesties Request and the 1980s.

The debut already has guests worth finding: Gene Pitney on piano and Phil Spector on maracas, with Graham Nash and Allan Clarke of the Hollies singing backing vocals, all on the same track.

Let It Bleed is one of the busiest stations, with 21 credited musicians, including Merry Clayton's co-lead vocals on "Gimme Shelter," the London Bach Choir, Al Kooper, and Ry Cooder. Exile on Main St. matches it at 21.

Later oddities are easy to miss. David Bowie sings backing vocals on Black and Blue, and Tattoo You brings in Sonny Rollins on saxophone and Pete Townshend on backing vocals.

How do I make each print?

Each one is a Giclée on 230gsm premium fine art paper with a textured matte finish, archival and acid-free, so the colours hold for years. Choose A2 or A1, unframed or framed, ready to hang in a hallway, living room or studio.

FAQ

Who are the two constant members?
Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are credited on every studio album since 1964.

How does the guitar line change over the decades?
Brian Jones through to Let It Bleed, Mick Taylor from Let It Bleed to It's Only Rock 'n Roll with a later appearance on Tattoo You, then Ronnie Wood from Black and Blue in 1976 onward.

Does Bill Wyman appear after he left?
Yes. His line stops at Steel Wheels in 1989 and then returns once, on Live by the Sword from Hackney Diamonds in 2023.

Is David Bowie really on a Rolling Stones album?
Yes, on backing vocals on Black and Blue in 1976.

Who sang on Gimme Shelter?
Merry Clayton, credited as co-lead vocal on Let It Bleed, one of 21 musicians on that record.

What are the framing options?
Unframed, or supplied framed and ready to hang.

Related Music Maps

Browse the full range of gifts for music fans at the Gifts for Music Fans collection and the Music Icons collection at mikebellmaps.com.

For a closer look at one album in full track-by-track detail, the Rolling Stones Goats Head Soup Album Art Print is a natural companion piece, alongside the Kinks Discography Map Art Print.