I’m astounded at the amount of bands that just keep on rocking. They just refuse to give up and throw in the guitar/mic/drum stick. The trend these days seem to be for old bands to reunite, or get back together again. Bands that we grew up with, are once again living the life and rocking hard! Bands such as The Moody Blues, Def Leppard, Motley Crue, Iron Maiden, White Snake and Judas Priest still perform Live Today!

The question is which band has been going at it the longest, with the original members? We decided to compile a list of the oldest Rock bands still performing Today. Guys that have survived the days of Sex Drugs and Rock & Roll. We had one criteria, the band must have to this day more than 80% of their original members still in the band. The oldest rock bands still playing today – updated 2018:

 

The Rolling Stones: 1962 – Present

Rockin’ non-stop for: 56 Years

They are the obvious answer, and the correct one.These guys have been rocking live concerts, for 56 years! They just finished their No Filter tour through Europe. After decades of rocking the world, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood have still got the moves. In total, the band made 30 studio albums, 23 live albums and 25 compilation albums, containing a total of 365 songs

Current members:

Name: Mick Jagger
Role: Lead and backing vocals
Original Member: Yes
Time: April 1962–present

Name: Keith Richards
Role: Guitars (electric, acoustic, slide and bass), keyboards, backing and lead vocals
Original Member: Yes
Time: April 1962–present

 

Name: Charlie Watts
Role: Drums, percussion
Original Member: Yes
Time: January 1963–present

Name: Ronnie Wood
Role: Guitars (electric, acoustic, lap steel, pedal steel, slide and bass), saxophone, drums, backing vocals
Original Member: No, Not technically considered an original member, but he’s been part of it all since 1975.
Time: March–present

Name: Mick Taylor
Role: Guitars (electric, acoustic, slide and bass), backing vocals
Original Member: No, but he was a full-time member from June 1969–December 1974
Time: 2012 – Present

 

The Moody Blues: 1966 – Present

Rockin’ non-stop for: 52Years

The Moody Blues have sold more than 70 million albums worldwide and have been awarded 18 platinum and gold discs. As of 2015 they remain active with one member from the original 1964 band (drummer Graeme Edge). But, the remaining two joined only two years later, in 1966. This gives them a total of 48 years of non stop rocking!  and

Name: Justin Hayward
Role: guitar, vocals
Original Member: No, but he was a full-time member from 1966
Time: 1966–present

Name: John Lodge
Role: bass, guitar, vocals
Original Member: No, but he was a full-time member from 1966
Time: 1966–present

Name: Graeme Edge
Role: drums, percussion, vocals
Original Member: Yes
Time: 1964–present

 

ZZ Top: 1969 – Present

Rockin’ non-stop for: 49 Years

 

ZZ Top holds the record for the only American rock band to have the same members for 30 or more years. La Futura is their fifteenth studio album that was released last year, and its first in nine years, following Mescalero. Unbelievable.

Current members:

Name: Billy Gibbons
Role: Vocals, Guitar
Original Member: Yes
Time: 1969 – Present

Name: Frank Beard
Role: Drums, Percussions
Original Member: Yes
Time: 1969 – Present

Name: Dusty Hill
Role: Bass, Vocals
Original Member: Yes
Time: 1969 – Present

Rush: 1968 – Present

Rockin’ non-stop for: 49 Years

Another band that just keep on keeping on. The band finished the second leg of the Time Machine Tour in July 2011 and released their latest studio album, Clockwork Angels in June 2012 with a supporting tour that began in September 2012.

Current members:

Name: Alex Lifeson
Role:  Acoustic and electric guitars, bass pedal synthesizer, backing vocals
Original Member: Yes
Time: 1968 – Present

Name: Geddy Lee 
Role: Bass, lead vocals, keyboards
Original Member: Yes
Time: 1968 – Present

Name: Neil Peart
Role: Drums, percussion
Original Member: No, joined 1974. Replaced John Rutsey in 1974.
Time: 1974 – Present

 

Golden Earring: 1961 – Present

Rockin’ non-stop for: 57 Years

Two words, Radar Love! This rock formation from The Hague, the Netherlands is probably one of the most famous Dutch bands and the oldest one on our list. The band that has the greatest road trip song ever, are still alive and kicking! Their latest album Tits ‘n Ass was released on 11 May 2012. They may well take the crown, their line-up has not changed in 4 decades!

Name: Marinus “Rinus” Gerritsen
Role:  Bass
Original Member: Yes
Time: 1961 – Present

Name: Barry Hay
Role:  Vocals
Original Member: Yes
Time: 1961 – Present

Name: George Kooymans
Role:  Guitars
Original Member: Yes
Time: 1961 – Present

Name: “Cesar” Zuiderwijk
Role:  Drums
Original Member: Yes
Time: 1961 – Present

The Who: 1964 

Rockin’ for: 54 Years with 2 original members left

‘My Generation’, ‘Baba O’Riley’, ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’, ‘Who Are You’, ‘Behind Blue Eyes’. The list of hit songs by The Who is endless. The band formed in London in 1964 and grew out to be one of the most famous rock bands in the world. In 1978, drummer Keith Moon died and in 2002 the band had to say goodbye to bass player John Entwistle. Singer Roger Daltrey and guitarist Pete Townshend continued to perform together, often referred to as ‘The Two’. Some would argue that Pete Townshend IS The Who which means they are 100% the same since 1964. But… we dropped them down the list seeing as onlt Pete and Roger remain.

Current members: 
Roger Daltrey – lead and backing vocals, rhythm guitar, harmonica, percussion (1964–present)
Pete Townshend – lead and rhythm guitar, backing and lead vocals, keyboards (1964–present)

Former members:
John Entwistle – bass guitar, horns, backing and lead vocals (1964–2002; his death)
Keith Moon – drums, backing and lead vocals (1964–1978; his death)
Kenney Jones – drums (1978–1988)

 

The Eagles: 1971 – 1980, 1994 – Present

Rockin’ for: 30 Years with a 14 year break.

The one song everybody know about is without a doubt “Hotel California”. The Eagles disbanded in July 1980 but reunited in 1994 for the album Hell Freezes Over, a mix of live and new studio tracks. In 2007, the Eagles released Long Road Out of Eden, their first full studio album in 28 years. The album would top the album charts, release five singles to the Adult Contemporary Charts, and win the band two Grammys. The next year they launched the Long Road Out of Eden Tour in support of the album. The band members have discussed the possibility of making another album. On April 1, 2013, during a concert at Casino Rama in Rama, Ontario, Don Henley announced a new reunion tour for the Eagles, potentially beginning as early as late 2013.

Current Members:

Name: Glenn Frey
Role:  Vocals, guitars, keyboards, harmonica
Original Member: Yes
Time: 1971–80, 1994–present

Name: Don Henley
Role:  Vocals, drums, percussion, guitar
Original Member: Yes
Time: 1971–80, 1994–present

Name: Joe Walsh
Role:  Lead guitar, vocals, keyboards
Original Member: Yes
Time: 1975–80, 1994–present

Name: Timothy B. Schmit
Role:  Bass, vocals, acoustic guitar
Original Member: Yes
Time: 1977–80, 1994–present

Aerosmith: 1971 – Present

Rockin’ non-stop for : 42 Years with a 4 year period where the line-up changed.

Name: Steven Tyler
Role:  Vocals
Original Member: Yes
Time: 1971–present

Name: Tom Hamilton
Role:  Bass
Original Member: Yes
Time: 1971–present

Name: Joey Kramer 
Role:  Drums
Original Member: Yes
Time: 1971–present

Name: Joe Perry
Role:  Guitar
Original Member: Yes
Time:  1970–1979, 1984–present

Name: Brad Whitford
Role:  Guitar
Original Member: Yes
Time:  1970–1979, 1984–present

 

U2: 1976 – Present

Rockin’ non-stop for: 37 Years

U2 needs no introduction. They’ve had an unchanged line-up since day one. Well-known for their sold-out concerts and setting the standard in live entertainment, they spare no expense in touring and performing. This what they do. They were the only band in the top 25 touring acts of the 2000’s to sell out every show they played. U2 resumed the 360° Tour in 2010 with legs in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. The tour concluded in July 2011 with a final gross of $736,137,344, and a total attendance of 7,268,430, both record-setting figures for a single concert tour. U2 are currently working on their thirteenth studio album, which they plan to release in 2013.

Current Members:

Name: Bono 
Role:  Vocals
Original Member: Yes
Time: 1976 – present

Name: The Edge
Role:  Lead guitar, backing vocals
Original Member: Yes
Time: 1976 – present

Name: Adam Clayton
Role:  Bass
Original Member: Yes
Time: 1976 – present

Name: Larry Mullen
Role:  Drums
Original Member: Yes
Time: 1976 – present

 

The Beach Boys: 1961 – 1998, 2012 – Present

Rockin’ for 38 years with a 14 year band-splitting-into-various-versions-of-The-Beach-Boys break.

The Beach boys, also known as “America’s Band” had quite a few changes, and band conflicts. Following Carl Wilson’s death in 1998, a number of versions of the band, each fronted by a surviving member of the original quintet (Dennis having died in 1983), continued to tour into the 2000s. In 2012, the surviving Beach Boys put aside their differences, recorded a new album, and embarked on a full-scale reunion tour. There is a lot of debate on who actual “Beach Boys” are, and who aren’t. the current line-up compared to the original differs drastically. They were initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. With only  Mike Love  on lead vocals (1961–present) and Bruce Johnston –on keyboards  (1965–1972, 1978–present) from the Original band.

Notable mentions:

Journey: 1973 – Present, most guys took a break from 1985-1995.

AC/DC: 1973 – Present

Scorpions: 1965 – Present

Bon Jovi: 1983 – Present

Def Leppard: 1977 – Present

Motley Crue: 1981 – Present

The Hollies: 1963 – Present, with plenty of Band line-up changes.

Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments below…