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Tattoo You

by The Rolling Stones

Released: August 24, 1981

Rock, hard rock, rock and roll

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Why This Album Matters

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

The Album

"Tattoo You" is the sixteenth studio album by the Rolling Stones, released on August 24, 1981, by Rolling Stones Records. The album is notable for being largely composed of studio outtakes from the 1970s, with some tracks dating back nearly a decade. Notable contributions came from former Stones guitarist Mick Taylor on "Tops," as well as keyboardists Nicky Hopkins and Billy Preston, session guitarist Wayne Perkins on "Worried About You," and founding member Ian Stewart.

Inside the Recording

A 40th-anniversary edition of Tattoo You was released on October 22, 2021, featuring nine previously unreleased tracks and a 1982 concert recorded at Wembley Stadium. The recording process involved sifting through unused recordings from previous sessions, some of which were reworked or completed during studio time in 1980 and 1981. The decision to release Tattoo You came as a result of the band's busy touring schedule and internal conflicts, which made it challenging to arrange dedicated recording sessions for a new album.

Stories and details

Interesting Facts

In 1989, it was ranked No. 34 on…

In 1989, it was ranked No. 34 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 greatest albums of the 1980s, and it has appeared on various iterations of Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, reaching No. 211 in 2003 and No. 213 in 2012.

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The Rolling Stones - Tattoo You

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Then

Reception

The album features several well-known tracks, including "Start Me Up," which became a major hit, reaching number two on the US Billboard Hot 100. The album's cover, designed by Peter Corriston, won a Grammy Award for Best Album Package. Tattoo You was a commercial and critical success, topping the US Billboard 200 and marking the end of the Rolling Stones' streak of eight consecutive number-one albums in the US, which began with 1971's Sticky Fingers.

Full background

The Complete Album Story

"Tattoo You" is the sixteenth studio album by the Rolling Stones, released on August 24, 1981, by Rolling Stones Records. The album is notable for being largely composed of studio outtakes from the 1970s, with some tracks dating back nearly a decade. The decision to release Tattoo You came as a result of the band's busy touring schedule and internal conflicts, which made it challenging to arrange dedicated recording sessions for a new album.

The album features several well-known tracks, including "Start Me Up," which became a major hit, reaching number two on the US Billboard Hot 100. The recording process involved sifting through unused recordings from previous sessions, some of which were reworked or completed during studio time in 1980 and 1981. Notable contributions came from former Stones guitarist Mick Taylor on "Tops," as well as keyboardists Nicky Hopkins and Billy Preston, session guitarist Wayne Perkins on "Worried About You," and founding member Ian Stewart.

Tattoo You was a commercial and critical success, topping the US Billboard 200 and marking the end of the Rolling Stones' streak of eight consecutive number-one albums in the US, which began with 1971's Sticky Fingers. In 1989, it was ranked No. 34 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 greatest albums of the 1980s, and it has appeared on various iterations of Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, reaching No. 211 in 2003 and No. 213 in 2012.

The album's cover, designed by Peter Corriston, won a Grammy Award for Best Album Package. A 40th-anniversary edition of Tattoo You was released on October 22, 2021, featuring nine previously unreleased tracks and a 1982 concert recorded at Wembley Stadium.