Rod Stewart, also known as Sir Roderick David Stewart, is a British singer and songwriter who has sold over 120 million records worldwide. Born in London to Scottish and English parents, he has had a successful career spanning over five decades. Stewart has had 10 number-one albums and 31 top-ten singles in the UK, and 16 top-ten singles in the US, with four reaching number one. He was knighted in 2016 for his services to music and charity. Starting his career as a busker with a harmonica in 1962, Stewart joined several bands before establishing himself as a solo artist.
His music is a mix of rock, folk, soul, and R&B. His third album, "Every Picture Tells a Story", released in 1971, was his breakthrough, with its ballad "Maggie May" topping the charts in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia. Stewart's albums regularly topped the charts in the Netherlands throughout the '70s and in Sweden from 1975 onward. He has had a successful career interpreting the Great American Songbook and has been inducted into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice.