50 Years of The Rolling Stones Tour Posters: A Visual Evolution

The Rolling Stones are a band that really need no introduction, they've have been stages around the world for over 60 years. Throughout their lengthy career, they've given us not just some of the most iconic music, but also a rich visual history through their tour posters. These posters have become a significant part of their identity, offering a glimpse into the band's artistic evolution and cultural influence over the decades. Let's take a look at 50 years of Stones posters, the design minds behind them, and how these visuals reflect the band’s changing style and ethos.

The Rolling Stones have been the best of all possible worlds: they have the lack of pretension and sentimentality associated with the blues, the rawness and toughness of hard rock, and the depth which always makes you feel that they are in the midst of saying something. – Jon Landau

The Early Days: Simple and to the Point

When The Rolling Stones started touring in the early 1960s, posters were not yet the grand productions they would later become. Early designs were typically simple, with a black-and-white or two-tone colour scheme. These posters often featured a clean photograph of the band, names of the venues, and some basic typography. It was all about letting the music speak for itself, with the visuals serving as mere placeholders.

In those early days, the posters were often designed by the venues themselves or smaller printing firms like J. T. Lissimore & Sons, a company responsible for many of the UK tour posters of that era. There was little room for artistic flair, with most designs following a basic template: band name, date, venue, done.

When I think of Mick Jagger still singing that he can’t get any satisfaction in over forty years of being in the Rolling Stones, I have to conclude that he’s either lying or not all that bright – Henry Rollins

The Late 60s and Early 70s: The Psychedelic Revolution

By the late 1960s, things began to change. As the world entered the psychedelic era, so did The Rolling Stones' visuals. With album covers like Their Satanic Majesties Request (1967) setting a trippy, colourful precedent, the tour posters soon followed suit. A pivotal figure in this evolution was David Byrd, an American graphic artist famous for his psychedelic designs for bands like The Who and Jimi Hendrix.

For the Stones' 1969 U.S. tour, Byrd created a swirling, vibrant poster featuring bold colours and hypnotic shapes, perfectly capturing the mood of the time. This was no longer just about advertising a gig; the posters were becoming pieces of art in their own right. Byrd’s design was so well-received that it inspired a new generation of concert poster artists to approach their work with a sense of bold, experimental creativity.

"The Rolling Stones are real groovy, man. They don’t try to be anything they’re not. They’re the essence of rock ‘n’ roll." - Jimi Hendrix

The 1970s: Iconography and The Rise of the Tongue

Perhaps the most famous Rolling Stones visual came not from a poster, but from an album. In 1971, their album Sticky Fingers introduced the world to the now-legendary “tongue and lips” logo. Designed by John Pasche, a then-student at the Royal College of Art in London, this symbol would become synonymous with the band.

Pasche, who was commissioned by Mick Jagger to create something “anti-authority” and rebellious, based the design loosely on Jagger's own lips and tongue. The tongue-and-lips logo quickly became central to the Stones’ brand, appearing on posters, album covers, and merchandise. Tour posters of the 1970s began to feature this bold, provocative logo prominently, solidifying the Stones' image as the ultimate rock 'n' roll rebels.

The 1972 U.S. tour poster, which featured the tongue and lips over a striking black background, was a collaborative effort between Pasche and American artist Craig Braun, who had worked on the Sticky Fingers album packaging. This partnership marked the beginning of The Rolling Stones’ strong relationship with visual artists, ensuring that their tours were always accompanied by eye-catching designs.

The 1980s: Bright, Bold, and Full of Attitude

As the band entered the 1980s, their image shifted again. The posters from this decade are filled with vibrant colours, geometric shapes, and a more polished, pop-art aesthetic. The band was older, more established, and their tours were now massive international events.

The Stones worked with a number of different artists and agencies during this time, but one of the most notable was Peter Max, a German-American artist famous for his pop-art style. For their 1981 American tour, Max designed a poster that featured caricatured images of the band members, set against a bright yellow background. It was fun, bold, and perfectly encapsulated the energetic, larger-than-life personas of the band.

"When you talk about The Rolling Stones, you’re talking about the blueprint of rock and roll. They’ve set the standard for all of us." - Steven Tyler

The 1990s: Digital Age Meets Classic Rock

The 1990s brought about the rise of digital design, and the Stones' posters reflected this shift. Posters from the Voodoo Lounge tour (1994-95) and the Bridges to Babylon tour (1997-98) embraced digital techniques, blending photography with computer-generated graphics.

The Bridges to Babylon tour poster is particularly memorable, with its striking lion image, designed by Stefan Sagmeister, an Austrian graphic designer known for his innovative and unconventional approach. Sagmeister’s use of the lion symbol, combined with intricate digital textures, added a modern twist to the band's classic rock image, signalling their evolution into a new era.

2000s Onwards: Nostalgia and Modernism Collide

In the 2000s, the Stones leaned into a blend of nostalgia and modernism. While they embraced the sleekness of modern graphic design, there was always a nod to their iconic past. For instance, the tongue and lips logo remained a central feature, though often reimagined with modern twists.

For the A Bigger Bang tour (2005-07), the design team at Studio Number One—founded by artist Shepard Fairey—created a poster that blended the classic tongue-and-lips with bright, contemporary colours and abstract shapes. The aim was to keep the visuals fresh for new audiences while still maintaining that unmistakable Rolling Stones identity.

Today: The Art World and The Rolling Stones

In recent years, the Stones have collaborated with high-profile artists like Jeff Koons and Ronnie Wood (yes, their very own guitarist, who is also an accomplished visual artist) to create posters for their tours. Their 2019 No Filter tour poster, for example, features a sleek, modern take on their iconic tongue logo, designed by Koons.

The Stones' posters have always been a reflection of their journey as a band—constantly evolving, experimenting with styles, and working with some of the best creative minds in the business. Over the last 50 years, these visuals have become an essential part of their legacy, as recognisable as the music itself. And while the band continues to tour, you can be sure that the posters will keep evolving, too, blending timeless rock ‘n’ roll energy with the artistic trends of the day.

From the simplicity of their early days to the bold experimentation of the present, Rolling Stones tour posters remain a fascinating part of rock history. Whether you’re a die-hard fan or simply appreciate good design, there’s no denying the impact these visuals have had on the way we experience live music.