Exile on Main St.

"Exile on Main St." is the tenth studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released on 12 May 1972 by Rolling Stones Records. It was the band's tenth album in the United Kingdom and twelfth in the United States. The album follows a string of critically successful releases, including "Beggars Banquet" (1968), "Let It Bleed" (1969), and "Sticky Fingers" (1971). "Exile on Main St." is noted for its wide stylistic range, drawing on Delta blues, gospel music, and country rock. Initially met with mixed reviews, it received strong critical reassessment by the late 1970s and is now widely regarded as a pivotal work in rock music, often cited as the band's best album and one of the greatest albums of all time. The album achieved commercial success, topping charts in six countries, including the Netherlands, Norway, Canada, Sweden, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Recording began in 1969 at Olympic Studios in London during sessions for "Sticky Fingers," with main sessions occurring in mid-1971 at Nellcôte, a rented villa in the south of France, after the band members became tax exiles. Without access to a professional studio, they used a mobile recording setup and recorded in the house. The Nellcôte sessions were loose and unstructured, with varying personnel day to day. Recording was completed with overdubs at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles and featured contributions from musicians including pianist Nicky Hopkins, saxophonist Bobby Keys, producer and drummer Jimmy Miller, and horn player Jim Price. The sessions produced sufficient material for the Rolling Stones' first double album. Musically, the album continues the back-to-basics approach of "Sticky Fingers" while incorporating blues, rock and roll, swing, country, and gospel influences. The lyrics explore themes of hedonism, sexuality, and nostalgia. Notable tracks include "Happy," featuring lead vocals by Keith Richards, the country ballad "Sweet Virginia," and the worldwide top-ten hit "Tumbling Dice." The album's cover art, a collage of various images, reflected the band's rebellious image. Following the release, the Rolling Stones undertook an American tour, gaining notoriety for riotous performances and audience behaviour. "Exile on Main St." has received enduring critical acclaim. Rolling Stone magazine ranked it number seven on its "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list in 2003 and 2012, dropping to number 14 in the 2020 edition, consistently making it the highest-ranked Rolling Stones album on the list. The album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2012, the band's fourth album to receive the honour. A remastered and expanded edition was released in 2010 with a bonus disc containing ten additional tracks, achieving high chart positions, including number one in the UK and number two in the US. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.