Quo mark five decades in the charts

They are the oldest rockers in town but Status Quo - collective age 253 - scored their 22nd chart hit this weekend when their new single Jam Side Down went straight in at number 17.

Their reappearance in the UK charts means that the band have notched up a top 20 hit in each of the past five decades.

Singer and guitarist Rick Parfitt, 54 - who recently suffered a repetitive strain injury in his chord-twanging arm - said: "We set out in this business to achieve what we have achieved. To have hits in five decades is very special to us. We are a very powerful live band these days, and have got better over the years. If we leave people with a smile on their faces, we have done our job."

In 35 years the Quo have played more than 5,500 gigs to more than 24 million head-banging fans, and they show no sign of stopping. They have sold more than 112 million records across the globe and scored 56 UK hit singles, with 22 of those reaching the top 20.

Their first hit, Pictures Of Matchstick Men, reached number seven in 1968. Other memorable gems include Whatever You Want, Caroline, and Down Down.

Francis Rossi, 53 and Parfitt are the only members of the original line-up left. Keyboard player Andrew Brown, 56, joined in 1976, John "Rhino" Edwards, 49, bass guitarist, joined in 1986 and drummer Matt Letley, 41, arrived two years ago. However Rossi and Parfitt have always been the mainstay, writing many of the songs and always leading the band.

The exact amount of their fortune is unknown, but it is estimated Status Quo's profits run into hundreds of millions of pounds - not bad for two lads who first got together at Butlins in Minehead in 1965.

According to David Roberts, editor of the Guinness World Records British Hit Singles, the Quo formula is simple. He said: "They work very hard. In terms of live performing they have always been extremely dedicated. Perhaps there was a time when Status Quo seemed a bit of a laughing stock - but now people are starting to love them all over again."