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The Rolling Stones in the press: “Stones fail to break through”
1973 wasn’t exactly a golden year for The Rolling Stones—at least when it came to singles. While the band had already cemented its status as a live powerhouse and album-selling machine, the singles charts told a different story. Songs like Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker) and Angie did okay, but they didn’t exactly light the charts on fire. In the UK especially, their performance was underwhelming. Angie hit No. 5 in the US but stalled at No. 41 in the UK—a surprising letdown for a band used to topping charts.
Meanwhile, other bands were dominating the singles game. Elton John was on fire, T. Rex had the glam scene buzzing, and David Bowie was becoming a household name. Even Slade and Sweet were pushing out massive hits that had teen audiences hooked. In comparison, the Stones seemed a bit… tired?
Changing Tastes and Shifting Scenes
Part of the problem was timing. The rock landscape in 1973 was shifting fast. Glam rock, prog rock, and singer-songwriter ballads were the trends of the moment. The Stones’ gritty blues-rock roots and rebellious image suddenly felt a bit out of step. Plus, the band was going through internal tensions and tax exile headaches—hardly the best backdrop for crafting chart-busting singles.
Still, it wasn’t all doom and gloom. Goats Head Soup, the album, topped the charts. But when it came to singles, it was clear The Rolling Stones weren’t connecting with the mainstream audience in quite the same way they once had. Fortunately, they had the staying power to weather a few bumps—something a lot of those 1973 chart-toppers can’t say today.
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Stones Data on Substack
