Rechargeable energy storage systems become an indispensable element to drive the electrified modern society as attributed to the groundbreaking development of rocking chair lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). For the past thirty years, LIBs significantly advance in their building materials and architectures that continue to shape forthcoming electronic applications with high energy density and ultra-long service periods. As facing the limitation of performance metrics by traditional LIBs, varied forms of rechargeable batteries emerged and the relevant researches are a fast-paced field, which call for the fundamental understanding of battery concepts. This review covers the basic study on the rocking chair LIBs regarding the charge storage mechanism across the principal battery components of the anode, cathode, and electrolytes, including the redox reactions and mass transports at the interfaces. Chronological perspectives on the active host materials are explored along with their advantages, scientific hurdles, and preliminary solutions from their outset to the recent designs. Finally, we discuss the most feasible and practical forms of batteries toward which the rocking chair LIBs should proceed.