Like what you see? Help keep it going! This ad-free site runs on the support of readers like you. Your donation helps cover costs and keeps fresh content coming your way every day. Thank you!

Today in Rolling Stones history: May 26

*Click for DAILY ROLLING STONES CHRONOLOGY 1962-present

May 26 feels less like a random date in rock history and more like a backstage pass into the beautifully chaotic universe of The Rolling Stones. From sweaty club gigs in London to massive stadium takeovers, the band somehow turned exhaustion, controversy, and pure excess into an art form. The release of Exile On Main St. —delayed for 2 weeks, as originally planned, and powered by songs like Tumbling Dice and All Down the Line— perfectly captures that contradiction: sloppy yet brilliant, reckless yet timeless. Add emotional reunions, and endless touring madness, and suddenly May 26 looks like another ordinary day in the Stones’ never-normal history.

May 26, 1963: Two gigs, one wild night: The Rolling Stones tear through London’s Ken Colyer Jazz Club and the legendary Crawdaddy Club at the Station Hotel, in Richmond

May 26, 1964: Town Hall, Birmingham, England (2 shows)

May 26, 1966: The Stones (and partners, including Mick Jagger’s girlfriend Chrissie Shrimpton) filled the front rows at Royal Albert Hall to witness Bob Dylan’s electrifying and controversial world tour finale — a night where quiet folk gave way to loud, defiant rock with The Band.

May 26, 1972: Release of Exile On Main St., the Stones’ 10th studio album released in the UK, No. 12 in the USA (Rolling Stones Records COC 69100) Although the original release date was planned for May 12th, it was delayed by two weeks to ensure simultaneous release in international markets. Dodging British tax laws, the Stones began crafting Exile in the sweaty basement of Villa Nellcôte, Keith Richards’ French villa before finishing the chaos-fueled sessions in Los Angeles. Fueled by drugs, paranoia, late-night jams, and nonstop partying, the band transformed disorder into brilliance. Blending blues, gospel, country, and hard-edged rock, the album captures the sound of exhaustion, excess, and rebellion somehow colliding into one masterpiece.
SIDE ONE: 1. Rocks Off/ 2. Rip This Joint/ 3. Shake Your Hips/ 4. Casino Boogie/ 5. Tumbling Dice
SIDE TWO: 1. Sweet Virginia/ 2. Torn And Frayed/ 3. Sweet Black Angel/ 4. Loving Cup
SIDE THREE: 1. Happy/ 2. Turd On The Run/ 3. Ventilator Blues/ 4. I Just Wanna See His Face/ 5. Let It Loose
SIDE FOUR: 1. All Down The Line/ 2. Stop Breaking Down/ 3. Shine A Light/ 4. Soul Survivor

May 26, 1976: Earl’s Court, London, England (Tour of Europe ‘76)
Honky Tonk Women/If You Can’t Rock Me-Get Off Of My Cloud/Hand Of Fate/Hey Negrita/Ain’t Too Proud To Beg/Fool To Cry/ Hot Stuff/Star Star/You Gotta Move/You Can’t Always Get What You Want/Band introduction/ Happy/Tumbling Dice/Nothing From Nothing/Outa Space/Midnight Rambler/ It’s Only Rock’n Roll/Brown Sugar/Jumpin’ Jack Flash/Street Fighting Man

May 26, 1982: Capitol Theatre, Aberdeen, Scotland (first show of the European Tour 1982)
Under My Thumb/When The Whip Comes Down/Let’s Spend The Night Together/Shattered/Neighbours/Black Limousine/Just My Imagination/Twenty Flight Rock/Going To A Go Go/Chantilly Lace/Let Me Go/Time Is On My Side/Beast Of Burden/Let It Bleed/You Can’t Always Get What You Want/Band introduction/Tumbling Dice/She’s So Cold/Hang Fire/Miss You/Honky Tonk Women/Brown Sugar/Start Me Up/Jumpin’ Jack Flash/Satisfaction
Read: The Rolling Stones Hit Aberdeen, Scotland in 1982

May 26, 1990: Waldstadion, Frankfurt, West Germany (Urban Jungle Tour)
Start Me Up/Bitch/Sad Sad Sad/Tumbling Dice/Miss You/Almost Hear You Sigh/Ruby Tuesday/Factory Girl/Rock And A Hard Place/Mixed Emotions/ Honky Tonk Women/Midnight Rambler/You Can’t Always Get What You Want/Can’t Be Seen/Happy/Paint It Black/2000 Light Years From Home/ Sympathy For The Devil/Street Fighting Man/Gimme Shelter/Band introduction/ It’s Only Rock’n Roll/Brown Sugar/Satisfaction/Jumpin’ Jack Flash

May 26, 1995: Paradiso, Amsterdam, Holland (Voodoo Lounge Tour 94/95)
Not Fade Away/It’s All Over Now/Live With Me/Let It Bleed/The Spider And The Fly/Beast Of Burden/Angie/Wild Horses/Sweet Virginia/Dead Flowers/Shine A Light/Like A Rolling Stone/Connection/Band introduction/Slipping Away/The Worst/Gimme Shelter/All Down The Line/Respectable/Rip This Joint/Street Fighting Man
*With special guest Don Was (organ) on Shine A Light. Along with the second show on the following day, both were professionally recorded and filmed for the Stripped CD/video project.
Read: Rolling Stones Club Show at The Paradiso, Amsterdam 1995

May 26, 2000: Mick Jagger reunites with Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood in London for the funeral of his mother Eva Jagger, who had passed away eight days earlier at the age of 87. The service took place at St. Andrew’s Church, drawing family and close friends for a quiet, emotional farewell. During the ceremony, the Stones members joined voices on the traditional hymn Will the Circle Be Unbroken?, adding a deeply personal and moving moment to the service.
Read: Jagger bids farewell to mother (from BBC News)

May 26, 2007: First day of rehearsals for their 2007 European Tour in Vilvoorde, near Brussels, Belgium.
Read: The Rolling Stones Brussels rehearsals, May/June 2007 (from IORR)

May 26, 2014: Telenor Arena, Oslo, Norway (14 On Fire tour, European leg)
Jumpin’ Jack Flash/It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll/All Down The Line/Tumbling Dice/Worried About You/Doom And Gloom/Let’s Spend The Night Together/Emotional Rescue/Honky Tonk Women/Band introduction/You Got The Silver/Can’t Be Seen/Midnight Rambler/Miss You/Gimme Shelter/Start Me Up/Sympathy For The Devil/Brown Sugar/You Can’t Always Get What You Want/ Satisfaction
*With special guests The Edward Grieg Youth Choir on You Can’t Always Get What You Want

May 26, 2017: Release of the tour documentary Olé Olé Olé: A Trip Across Latin America on blu-ray/DVD, which follows The Rolling Stones through their explosive 2016 América Latina Olé tour, crossing 10 cities with roaring concerts and intimate backstage moments. Directed by Paul Dugdale, the documentary captures passionate fans, cultural clashes, and the unstoppable spirit of rock ’n’ roll on the road.

Like what you see? Help keep it going! This site runs on the support of readers like you. Your donation helps cover costs and keeps fresh Rolling Stones content coming your way every day. Thank you! 

COPYRIGHT © ROLLING STONES DATA
ALL INFORMATION ON THIS WEBSITE IS COPYRIGHT OF ROLLING STONES DATA. ALL CONTENT BY MARCELO SONAGLIONI.
ALL SETLISTS AND TICKET STUBS TAKEN FROM THE COMPLETE WORKS OF THE ROLLING STONES. 
WHEN USING INFORMATION FROM ROLLING STONES DATA (ONLINE OR PRINTED) PLEASE REFER TO ITS SOURCE DETAILING THE WEBSITE NAME. THANK YOU.