Exile on Main St.
Tenth studio album by the Rolling Stones, released 1972.
Exile on Main St. is the tenth studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released on 12 May 1972 on their own label. It was the band's tenth album in the UK and twelfth in the US, and is seen as the peak of a run of highly praised records that started with *Beggars Banquet* (1968), *Let It Bleed* (1969), and *Sticky Fingers* (1971). The album covers a broad stylistic range, drawing heavily from Delta blues, gospel, and country rock.
Initially, critics gave it mixed reviews, but by the end of the 1970s it was being reassessed much more favorably. It has since become recognized as a landmark rock album, often called the Rolling Stones' finest work and one of the greatest albums ever made. Commercially, it was a success, reaching number one in six countries: the Netherlands, Norway, Canada, Sweden, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
Recording began in 1969 at Olympic Studios in London during the sessions for *Sticky Fingers*, with the main work starting in mid-1971 at Nellcôte, a rented villa in the South of France, after the band members became tax exiles. With no professional studio nearby, they used a mobile recording unit and recorded inside the house. The Nellcôte sessions were loose and disorganized, often running late into the night, with the lineup changing from day to day. Overdubs were finished at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles, with extra musicians including pianist Nicky Hopkins, saxophonist Bobby Keys, drummer and producer Jimmy Miller, and horn player Jim Price. The sessions produced enough material for the band's first double album.
The album continued the back-to-basics approach of *Sticky Fingers*, but showed an even wider range of influences—blues, rock and roll, swing, country, and gospel. The lyrics explore hedonism, sexuality, and nostalgia. It includes the singles "Happy" (with Keith Richards on lead vocals), the country ballad "Sweet Virginia", and the worldwide top-ten hit "Tumbling Dice". The cover art, a collage of different images, reflects the band's defiant pride. After the album came out, the Stones toured America, gaining notoriety for rowdy crowds and performances.
*Rolling Stone* magazine ranked it number 7 on its "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list in 2003 and 2012, then dropped it to number 14 in 2020, but it remained the highest-ranked Rolling Stones album on the list.
Quick Facts
- Artist
- the Rolling Stones
- Released
- 1972-05-12
- Studio
- Olympic (London) / Stargroves (East Woodhay) / Rolling Stones Mobile (Nellcôte) / Sunset Sound (Los Angeles)
- Label
- Rolling Stones
- Producer
- Jimmy Miller
- Prev Title
- Sticky Fingers
- Prev Year
- 1971
- Next Title
- Goats Head Soup
- Next Year
- 1973
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Recording began in 1969 at Olympic Studios in London during sessions for Sticky Fingers, with main sessions beginning in mid-1971 at Nellcôte, a rented villa in the South of France, after the band members became tax exiles. Due to the lack of a professional studio nearby, they worked with a mobile recording studio and recorded in-house. The loose and unorganised Nellcôte sessions went on for hours into the night, with personnel varying greatly from day to day. Recording was completed with overdub sessions at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles and included additional musicians such as the pianist Nicky Hopkins, saxophonist Bobby Keys, drummer and producer Jimmy Miller, and horn player Jim Price. The results produced enough songs for the Stones' first double album.
The album's lyrics explored themes related to hedonism, sexuality, and nostalgia. It included the singles 'Happy', which featured lead vocals from Keith Richards, the country ballad 'Sweet Virginia', and the worldwide top-ten hit 'Tumbling Dice'. The album's artwork, a collage of various images, reflected the Rolling Stones' prideful rebellion. After its release, the Stones embarked on an American tour, gaining infamy for riotous audiences and performances.
Reader's Guide
Exile on Main St. was originally met with mixed reviews before receiving strong reassessments by the end of the 1970s. It has since been recognized as a pivotal rock album, viewed by many critics as the Rolling Stones' best work and as one of the greatest albums of all time. Rolling Stone magazine ranked the album number 7 on its list of the '500 Greatest Albums of All Time' in 2003 and 2012, with it dropping to number 14 in the 2020 edition, consistently as the highest-ranked Rolling Stones album on the list. In 2012, the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, the band's fourth album to be inducted. A remastered and expanded version of the album was released in 2010 featuring a bonus disc with 10 new tracks; it charted highly, reaching number one in the UK and number two in the US. The album's legacy endures as a sprawling, weary double album encompassing rock and roll, blues, country, and gospel styles, reflecting the band's back-to-basics direction while exhibiting a wider range of influences.
Did You Know?
- The single 'Happy' featured lead vocals from Keith Richards and was recorded as an afternoon jam with only a baritone sax, guitar, and Jimmy Miller on drums.
- The album's artwork is a collage of various images reflecting the Rolling Stones' prideful rebellion.
- A remastered and expanded version released in 2010 reached number one in the UK and number two in the US.
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