Mick Jagger says there's "nothing" good about getting older: "It’s not particularly pleasant"
21 July 2026, 13:00 | Updated: 21 July 2026, 15:59
The legendary Rolling Stones frontman has talked discussed ageing and revealed that he believes there are no upsides.
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Mick Jagger believes there's nothing good about ageing.
The Rolling Stones frontman has given a sprawling interview with The New York Times' David Marchese, where he discussed his life and career and the band's most recent studio album Foreign Tongues.
Quizzed if there was anything good or bad about getting older, the Paint It Black singer replied. “There’s nothing good about it. Nothing. You don’t get wisdom. You forget everything. Forgot all my wisdom.”
He went on: “I might have had a couple of pearls, but I’ve forgotten what they are. It’s not particularly pleasant and of course you can’t do things as quickly as you want to and physically you can’t do things that you would like to do. You can still do them, but you have to be more careful."
Mick Jagger Can’t Name One Good Thing About Getting Older | The Interview
The 82-year-old frontman also talked about fame and how he's managed to cope with it after over 60 years in the spotlight.
“Obviously, it’s not normal," he told The New York Times. "It is not like most people’s lives. It does affect you. You can become disassociated. From other people."
Jagger went onto explain how many performers end up living in an industry bubble because “a lot of people in show business only hang around with people in show business, because they’ve got something in common… and you get disassociated from what people might call ‘real life’.”
Asked what he personally does to stay grounded he replied: “You go out and walk on the street on your own and do normal things," before he quipped: "Go and buy The New York Times.”
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The frontman has also previously teased that the Stones will tour in 2027, though he recently added that the band won't play residencies because it's not fair on the fans.
The Gimme Shelter rocker also appeared on TODAY's Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist, where he was quizzed about the chances of the band heading out on their first live dates since their 2024 Hackney Diamonds North America Tour, he replied: "Well, I’d love to. I really want to. And, I’m ready to go."
He added: “I don’t think we’re gonna do shows this year, but hopefully we’ll do shows next year."
Watch his interview with Jagger below:
Mick Jagger Talks New Rolling Stones’ Album, Favorite Songs, More
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The band have yet to announce a string of live dates, but they did put on a surprise performance when they celebrated the launch of their Foreign Tongues album with a special event and a drone display in London earlier this month.
Watch the Rolling Stones unveil new album in spectacular drone display
The album sees the trio joined by regular collaborators Darryl Jones, Matt Clifford and Steve Jordan and includes a special appearance from their late drummer Charlie Watts, captured during one of his final recording sessions before his passing in 2021.
Additional contributions come from an impressive line-up of guest artists, including Steve Winwood, Beatles legend Paul McCartney, The Cure’s Robert Smith and Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Listen to Foreign Tongues in full below:
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