Ten times they transcended their blues-rock traditions
No. They they aren't. But the basic point of this is true. Being the second greatest band in rock n roll history is still not bad!
"The truth is, the Stones could be every bit as musically adventurous as the Beatles. But their experiments remained just that—brief trial runs that never fundamentally altered their DNA. Anytime they’ve strayed from their base to explore more au courant sounds, they’ve always been sure to hedge their bets by counterbalancing their albums with songs that reassure us how much they still love rockin’. Even their most atypical genre exercises rarely break free from traditional verse/chorus/verse schematics. The Stones are essentially like those foodies who are eager to Instagram the most exotic dish at their neighborhood’s new poke bar, only to hit up the McDonald’s drive-thru on the way home."