"A Bigger Bang" is the twenty-second studio album by the English rock band The Rolling Stones, released on September 5, 2005, through Virgin Records. This album is notable for being the last one recorded entirely with drummer Charlie Watts, who passed away in 2021.
The album marked a return to a more straightforward rock approach, contrasting with the eclectic and producer-heavy Bridges to Babylon (1997). Produced by Don Was alongside the band's core team of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, A Bigger Bang emphasized a back-to-basics hard rock sound reminiFscent of the band's 1960s and 1970s era. The recording process was notably simpler, with basic tracks laid down by Jagger, Richards, and Watts, and overdubs added later.
Commercially, the album was successful, reaching number three in the US and number two in the UK, with number one spots in eleven other countries. Although the lead single, "Streets of Love," did not chart in the US, it achieved moderate success globally. Two additional singles also saw moderate success. Critics generally viewed the album favorably, considering it one of the better offerings from the band's later years, though not matching their classic period's standards.
The subsequent tour in support of A Bigger Bang became the highest-grossing tour of all time and was documented in the Martin Scorsese-directed concert film Shine a Light.
