"Let It Bleed" is the eighth studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released on 28 November 1969 by London Records in the United States and on 5 December 1969 by Decca Records in the United Kingdom. Released during the band's 1969 American Tour, it is the follow-up to Beggars Banquet (1968), and like that album, it marks a return to the group's more blues-oriented approach, reminiscent of their pre-Aftermath (1966) period. The album also incorporates influences from gospel, country blues, and country rock.
The recording of Let It Bleed took place during a turbulent period for the band. Brian Jones, the band's founder and original leader, had become increasingly unreliable due to heavy drug use, often being absent from the studio or too incapacitated to contribute meaningfully. As a result, Jones was fired during the recording sessions, and Mick Taylor was brought in as his replacement. Jones died less than a month after being dismissed. He contributed to only two tracks on the album, playing backing instruments on those songs.
Although Mick Taylor joined the band after principal recording had been completed for many of the tracks, he appears on two songs, adding guitar overdubs. Keith Richards was the band's primary guitarist during the sessions and played nearly all of the rhythm and lead guitar parts. The rest of the band—vocalist Mick Jagger, bassist Bill Wyman, and drummer Charlie Watts—performed on nearly every track, with additional contributions from percussionist Jimmy Miller (who also produced the album), keyboardists Nicky Hopkins and Ian Stewart (a former band member), and guest musicians, including Ry Cooder.
Let It Bleed reached top-ten positions in several markets, including number one in the UK and number three in the US. While the album did not produce any major chart-topping singles, many of its tracks became staples of Rolling Stones live performances and remain popular on rock radio. Notable songs such as "Gimme Shelter" and "You Can't Always Get What You Want" are frequently featured on lists of the greatest songs of all time. The album was ranked number 40 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums (3rd edition, 2000), and it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2005. Let It Bleed is also included in various editions of Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
