I agree on the Stones importance, the integrity is a debatable issue, since I can't really claim to know how much they had in the 60's,but I can say they're mightly lame now.
The main point is that no one (very few at most) go to see the Stones to see new material. Bands like Bad Religion (to use a long running punk band as an example) still generate a buzz (in their community) with each new album. Their last two albums have probably garnered more in sales and praise than many of the ones they did in years prior, something I doubt the Stones can claim (with the possible exception of compilations and "best of"s).
It's entirely possible to be a long running artist who makes new and interesting music for years but the Stones have been musically uninteresting since (at least) the 1980's.
I know a ton of people who haven't bought anything besides their old "best of"s but have seen them 3 and 4 times. Why? Because they don't care about any of the new stuff. They want "Satisfaction" and "Jumping Jack Flash". And that's what they get, because the Stones know that's what people want.
Perhaps they are better then the "Misfits" in many ways but in terms of being a band who was original, inventive and inspired, they hung that up years ago.
-Dante

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