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A Bigger Bang

by The Rolling Stones

Released: September 05, 2005

Hard Rock, Blues rock

musicOnOff editorial

Why This Album Matters

This album matters because its strongest editorial story is: Chart Success.

The Album

"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. Two additional singles also saw moderate success.

Inside the Recording

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 album marked a return to a more straightforward rock approach, contrasting with the eclectic and producer-heavy Bridges to Babylon (1997). The recording process was notably simpler, with basic tracks laid down by Jagger, Richards, and Watts, and overdubs added later.

Stories and details

Interesting Facts

The subsequent tour in support of A Bigger…

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.

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The Rolling Stones - A Bigger Bang

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Then

Reception

Although the lead single, "Streets of Love," did not chart in the US, it achieved moderate success globally. 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. 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.

Full background

The Complete Album Story

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.