On This Day, June 17, 1972: The Rolling Stones hit #1 with ‘Exile on Main St.’

On This Day, June 17, 1972 …

The Rolling Stones hit #1 with their double album Exile on Main St., which went on to spend four weeks on top of the chart. 

Recorded mostly in a villa in the South of France, where the band had moved to escape paying U.K. taxes, the album featured such classics as “Happy” featuring Keith Richards on vocals, “Tumbling Dice,” “Rocks Off,” “Rip This Joint” and “All Down the Line.” 

The album was one of nine #1 albums The Stones have had over the course of their career. Others include 1965’s Out of Our Heads, 1971’s Sticky Fingers, 1973’s Goats Head Soup, 1974’s It’s Only Rock and Roll, 1976’s Black and Blue, 1978’s Some Girls, 1980’s Emotional Rescue and 1981’s Tattoo You.

In October, The Stones released Hackney Diamonds, their first album of new material in 18 years. It debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 Album chart.