Thanks, Charlie

The Rolling Stones have seen their share of ups and downs. Brian Jones, one of their original members, was ousted from the band in 1969 and died a month later, succumbing to his battle with substance abuse. And now, Charlie Watts, the band's original drummer, has passed on. The thing that stood out about Watts was his persona. In a group where members pushed rock stardom to its limits, Charlie was seemingly unaffected by the mayhem surrounding him. He stuck to his unflappable drumming, the backbone in an otherwise raucous band.

When in a group, the natural tendency is to try and fit in. In bands like Motley Crue, it seemed as if the members were trying to outdo one another when it came to debauchery.

Self-assuredness works both ways. If Rolling Stones wanted a crazier drummer (like the late Keith Moon), Charlie Watts wouldn't have been in the band for 50 years. In spite of all the debauchery and ego battles rock stardom is synonymous with, Watts was allowed to be himself - a placating influence in a band with the likes of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Now think of all the instances where you were forced to fit in or opt-out and times when you were allowed to be yourself.

Thanks, Charlie Watts; for your drumming and showing us that it's possible to be in the world's biggest rock band and still holding your ground.

PS: It's hard to pick from the Rolling Stones catalogue but I listened to these songs after I heard of Charlie Watts passing: