The Rolling Stones have been honoured with the British Phonographic Industry’s (BPI) BRIT Billion Award for reaching the landmark of one billion career UK streams.
The rock veterans are the latest recipients of the award by the BPI, the representative voice for the UK’s world-leading record labels and music companies, which means they join acts including ABBA, Coldplay and Queen in the award list.
BPI’s BRIT Billion Award was officially launched in May. It was founded to reflect that streaming is now the dominant mode of music consumption (more than 85 per cent of the UK’s recorded music is streamed).
Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, AJ Tracey, Ellie Goulding, Lewis Capaldi, Headie One, RAYE, Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish have all been honoured with the BRIT Billion Award this year.
Ed Sheeran, meanwhile, recently became the first artist to receive a special Gold edition of the award for reaching a landmark 10billion UK streams.
The Rolling Stones have also become what the BPI called “the longest-active artist” in receipt of the award, noting that the band’s career spans seven decades.
Last week, the Stones celebrated their 14th UK Number One album with ‘Hackney Diamonds‘, their first album of new material in 18 years.
Dr. Jo Twist OBE, BPI Chief Executive, said: “Few artists have crossed generational divides in quite the way the Rolling Stones have. Their iconic songs and albums are era-defining, but the band remain as contemporary as ever.
“The BPI is thrilled to honour them with a BRIT Billion Award, which underscores both the timeless appeal of their music and the extent to which they are now also connecting with a new wave of fans thanks to streaming.”
In other news, guitarist Keith Richards has said that recording on the latest Stones album with Paul McCartney felt “like the old days”.
McCartney appears on the band’s new album track ‘Bite My Head Off’, playing bass.
Speaking to Matt Wilkinson on Apple Music 1 in a new interview about the collaboration, Richards said that it reminded him of the “old days”.
“I felt that it was bloody time…I’ve known Paul for 60 years, just about. Although him and John [Lennon] did do a few backup vocals with us in the ’60s. Great fun to play with.”