Rod Stewart's Success and Achievements in Timeline
A success timeline featuring the most significant achievements of Rod Stewart.
Sir Rod Stewart is a highly successful British singer and songwriter, recognized for his raspy voice and significant record sales exceeding 120 million worldwide. He began his music career in 1962 and gained experience with bands like the Dimensions, Long John Baldry and the All Stars, and the Jeff Beck Group. He achieved fame with Faces in 1969 while also starting a solo career. His early albums blended rock, folk, soul, and R&B. His breakthrough album, 'Every Picture Tells a Story' (1971), and the hit single 'Maggie May' topped charts internationally. The following album, 'Never a Dull Moment,' also achieved number one status in the UK and Australia.
1964: Compilation Set
In 1990, Stewart had a four-CD compilation set called Storyteller – The Complete Anthology: 1964–1990.
June 1968: Jeff Beck Group's U.S. Tour Debut
In June 1968, the Jeff Beck Group, including Rod Stewart, embarked on a six-week tour of the United States, starting at the Fillmore East in New York. Stewart experienced severe stage fright but the show was a success, garnering positive reviews.
1971: Success of Every Picture Tells a Story and Maggie May
In 1971, Rod Stewart's solo album Every Picture Tells a Story made him a household name, with the single 'Maggie May' achieving number one chart positions in multiple countries.
1976: US Billboard Hot 100 Topping
In 1976, Rod Stewart's ballad "Tonight's the Night" topped the US Billboard Hot 100 for eight weeks and the Australian ARIA chart. The song included a music video featuring actress Britt Ekland and was from the album A Night on the Town, which reached number two on the Billboard album charts and became Stewart's first platinum album. The album was explicitly divided into a "fast side" and a "slow side", continuing a trend Stewart started with Atlantic Crossing.
1977: UK Number One Hit
In 1977, Rod Stewart's cover of Cat Stevens' "The First Cut Is the Deepest" reached number one in the UK and also became a Top 30 hit in the US. Additionally, "The Killing of Georgie (Part 1 and 2)", a song about the murder of a gay man, was a Top 40 hit for Stewart during 1977.
1978: Release and Success of Blondes Have More Fun
In 1978, Rod Stewart's look had evolved to include a glam element, including make-up and spandex clothes. Stewart scored another UK and US number one single with "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?", a crossover hit that reached number five on the Billboard black charts due to its disco sound. This was the lead single from 1978's Blondes Have More Fun album, which reached number one on the Billboard album charts and sold three million albums.
1981: "Young Turks" Reached Top 5
In 1981, "Young Turks" reached the Top 5 with the album going platinum.
1982: "Young Turks" Success
In 1982, Rod Stewart's single "Young Turks", which had gained momentum from 1981, continued its success, reaching the US Top 10.
1983: "Baby Jane" Success
In 1983, Rod Stewart's single "Baby Jane" reached number 14 in the US, but went to number 1 in the UK, his final chart-topping single there to date.
1984: Top 10 Singles
In 1984, Rod Stewart had two US Top 10 singles: "Some Guys Have All the Luck" which reached number 10, and "Infatuation" which reached number 6.
1986: "Every Beat of My Heart" Success
In 1986, Rod Stewart's single "Every Beat of My Heart" reached number two in the UK.
1986: US Top 10 Single
In 1986, Rod Stewart's single "Love Touch", a Holly Knight/Mike Chapman collaboration, reached number 6 in the US.
September 1988: MTV Video Music Awards Performance
In September 1988, Rod Stewart performed "Forever Young" at the 1988 MTV Video Music Awards at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles.
1988: Chart Success
In 1988, Rod Stewart had four US Top 10 singles between 1982 and 1988; "Young Turks" (No. 5, carrying over from 1981 into 1982), "Some Guys Have All the Luck" (No. 10, 1984), "Infatuation" (No. 6, 1984) and "Love Touch" (No. 6, 1986, a Holly Knight/Mike Chapman collaboration).
1989: Grammy Nomination
In 1989, Rod Stewart received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for the song "Forever Young".
1990: "It Takes Two" Release
In 1990, Rod Stewart released "It Takes Two" with Tina Turner in advance of the full album's release, and reached number five on the UK charts, but did not chart in the US.
1990: "Downtown Train" Success
In 1990, Rod Stewart's version of the Tom Waits song "Downtown Train" reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100.
1991: Vagabond Heart Chart Performance
In 1991, Rod Stewart's album Vagabond Heart led to two songs reaching the Billboard Hot 100: "Rhythm of My Heart" peaking at No. 5 and "The Motown Song" peaking at No. 10.
1993: Brit Award and Faces Reunion
In 1993, Rod Stewart received the prize for Outstanding Contribution to Music at the Brit Awards in London. He also reunited the Faces on stage for an impromptu performance.
1993: "All For Love" Release
In 1993, Rod Stewart recorded "All For Love" with Sting and Bryan Adams for the soundtrack to the movie The Three Musketeers, which reached number one in the US and number two in the UK.
1993: MTV Unplugged Special
In 1993, Rod Stewart reunited with Ronnie Wood to record an MTV Unplugged special that included "Handbags and Gladrags", "Cut Across Shorty", and four selections from Every Picture Tells a Story. The show featured an acoustic version of Van Morrison's "Have I Told You Lately", which topped the Billboard adult contemporary chart and No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. The resulting Unplugged...and Seated album reached number two on the Billboard 200 album charts.
December 1994: Copacabana Beach Concert
On December 31, 1994, Rod Stewart played in front of 3.5 million people on Copacabana beach in Rio, earning a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for staging the largest free rock concert attendance in history.
1994: Inducted into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
As a solo artist, Rod Stewart was inducted into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.
2002: Over 100 Million Records Sold
By 2002, Rod Stewart had sold over 100 million records during his career. He concentrated on singing 1930s and 1940s pop standards from the Great American Songbook with great popular success, releasing these albums on Clive Davis's J Records label. His album sales were comparable to those of the 1970s.
2004: Stardust: The Great American Songbook 3 Release and Grammy Win
In late 2004, Rod Stewart released Stardust: the Great American Songbook 3, the third album in his songbook series. It was his first US number one album in 25 years and also debuted at number one in Canada and number three in the UK. He won his first Grammy Award for this album.
November 2006: Induction into the UK Music Hall of Fame
In November 2006, Rod Stewart was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame, recognizing his significant contributions to music.
2006: Inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame
In 2006, Rod Stewart was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame as a solo artist.
July 2007: CBE Investiture
In July 2007, Rod Stewart was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) and commented at his investiture at Buckingham Palace that Britain is the only country in the world to honour the common man.
2008: Ranked in Billboard Hot 100
In 2008, Billboard magazine ranked Rod Stewart as the 17th most successful artist on the "Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists".
2012: Second Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction
In 2012, Rod Stewart was inducted a second time into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Faces.
February 2013: Juno Award Nomination for 'Merry Christmas, Baby'
In February 2013, Rod Stewart was nominated for a Canadian Juno Award in the International Album of the Year category for his album 'Merry Christmas, Baby'.
May 2013: Release of 'Time'
In May 2013, Rod Stewart released 'Time', a rock album of his own original material, marking a return to songwriting after two decades. The album reached number 1 in the UK Albums Chart.
September 2013: Presentation of Brits Icon award to Elton John
In September 2013, Rod Stewart presented Elton John with the first Brits Icon award at the London Palladium, recognizing John's impact on UK culture.
2016: Knighted in Britain
In 2016, Rod Stewart was knighted in Britain's Birthday Honours for services to music and charity.
2016: Knighthood
In the 2016 Birthday Honours, Rod Stewart was knighted for "services to music and charity".
September 2019: Public Revelation of Prostate Cancer Diagnosis and Recovery
In September 2019, Rod Stewart revealed that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2017, and had been given the all-clear after treatment.
2021: Resolution of Battery Case
In 2021, the battery case against Rod Stewart and his son Sean was resolved with both pleading guilty to simple battery in a plea agreement that included no jail time, no probation, and no fine.
February 2023: MRI Scans Donation
In February 2023, Rod Stewart paid for a day's worth of MRI scans for patients at Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow to help reduce waiting lists.
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