
the name of one of the songs on the bands second album. The good came from the fans-they were buying records and attending con- certs. The bad, however, came from the critics and columnists who described them as "five, shaggy-as-Shetland-pony lads," "long and scruffy." One critic would go so far as to say "one of them looks as if he had a feather duster in his head." Although it didnt inspire a new hair fashion, fans apparently didnt mind the feather-duster look. Also in the bad column were the newspaper accounts of the mayhem the Stones created everywhere they went-riots, the tearing off of teenage girls clothing, enough booing to sometimes drive the Stones from the stage, and police barricades being attacked by thousands of teenagers. There were reports of fire hoses turned on fans at concerts, fines for "insulting behavior," and questions from the establishment about whether the Stones made music or noise. Though fraught with controversy, the Rolling Stones concert tours evoked strong emotions and created an experience no fan was likely to forget. There were giant lotus-flower-shaped stages, a giant, inflatable phallus ridden by Mick Jagger that sometimes would rise from the stage, and unofficial protection from a swarm of Hells Angels. Their stages became combinations of futuristic technology blended with ancient superstition and inflatable figures so large that the Federal Avi- ation Administration required installation of aircraft warning lights. Newspapers all over the world ran front-page stories about the chaos that occurred at Stones concerts. Some critics even wrote about disappointing vocals and poor sound quality, which did push the band to work harder on its product. Though the news was negative, it meant global exposure for the band. Parents were shocked. Teens were intrigued. Worship ensued. The band proved that an intense relation- ship with fans can outweigh the impact of critics and bad press on overall success. Product Strategy: One Good Song Deserves Another In the 1970s, the Boston Consulting Group published research show- ing that firms that expand capacity so fast that competitors fall behind often end up dominating an industry. The Rolling Stones masterful and aggressive approach to creating product follows this principle. Throughout the 1970s, the Stones released an album every year until 1979. Some years it was one album, often two, sometimes three, and occasionally four. Many went to number one on the U.S. or U.K. sales charts, and often on both. Acting on the idea that one good turn deserves another, the Stones put some of their best songs on multiple albums. The albums they