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The Rolling Stones in the press: “The Rolling Stones – Back to Britain’s Big Beat Boys…”
Back to Britain? The Rolling Stones’ first single, Come On, dropped in June 1963, and let’s be real, it wasn’t exactly a groundbreaking hit—but it was the start of something massive. This little tune, written by Chuck Berry (because of course), was a rock ‘n’ roll cover that gave the world a taste of what was to come from the Stones. The song itself is upbeat, with that classic Berry riff we’ve all heard a million times, but it’s definitely a bit more stripped-down compared to their later hits.
It didn’t even crack the Top 10 in the UK charts, landing at #21, which, yeah, isn’t exactly the kind of debut that screams “superstar band on the rise.” But Come On had something more important—it was the beginning of the iconic Stones sound. Even though this first single wasn’t some instant chart-topper, it laid the foundation for the band’s future evolution.
Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were still finding their groove here. The vocals were pretty straightforward and didn’t yet show the full range of Jagger’s charm and wild stage presence, and the band’s signature swagger wasn’t totally dialed in yet. But you could already feel it—the energy, the attitude. That undeniable rock ‘n’ roll vibe that would become their trademark over the next decades.
It might not have been a huge splash at the time, but it’s a significant part of the Stones’ journey. It’s like the humble first step before all the wild, untamed, and legendary moments that followed. So, even if Come On didn’t exactly rock the world in 1963, it sure set the stage for everything that was to come.
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Stones Data on Substack
