Multiple New Rolling Stones Songs Debut On The Charts Together

After teasing that a new album was in the works for months, the Rolling Stones made it official earlier this spring by announcing a full-length that is expected this summer. Foreign Tongues, the band’s twenty-fifth album, is off to a great start, as not one but two songs set to be featured on its track list become bestsellers in the group’s home country of the U.K. this week. One is certainly the focus, while the other has experienced an odd journey to becoming a winner on the downloads chart.

The Rolling Stones Debut Multiple Songs on the Same Chart

The Rolling Stones launch a pair of tracks on the Official Singles Downloads chart this week. “In the Stars” opens at No. 62, while “Rough and Twisted” barely makes it to the 100-space tally, where it launches at No. 98.

The Rolling Stones Pass 10 Bestsellers

Since first landing on the Official Singles Downloads chart, the U.K. list of the bestselling tunes via digital download storefronts like iTunes, the Rolling Stones have racked up a total of 11 wins. The group last launched on the roster in 2023 as the band began promoting its most recent full-length, Hackney Diamonds. That fall, three singles – “Angry,” “Sweet Sounds of Heaven,” a collaboration with Lady Gaga, and “Mess It Up” – all managed short runs on the Official Singles Downloads ranking. Of that trio, “Angry” cracked the top 10, peaking at No. 6, while the Gaga team-up came close to that region, though it stalled at No. 15.

“Rough and Twisted” Had a Strange Start

The Rolling Stones officially chose “In the Stars” as the lead single from Foreign Tongues and released the track on May 5. Those who closely follow the band were already aware that new music had arrived weeks prior, although it was not easy to find. The group shared 1,000 copies of a seven-inch vinyl of the song “Rough and Twisted” back in April. The tune was not connected to the Rolling Stones, however, and instead was credited to a musical act called the Cockroaches. There was a band that first became popular in the ’80s in Australia known as the Cockroaches, and the group may have taken its moniker from an alias that Rolling Stones members had used in the past.

The Rolling Stones Reach a Chart Milestone

Of the two new Rolling Stones tracks that debut in the U.K. this week, only one manages to appear on multiple rankings. “In the Stars,” the focus when it comes to Foreign Tongues, also opens on the Official Singles Sales chart. That list is busier and more competitive than the downloads-only tally, as it also includes purchases on CD, cassette and vinyl in its methodology. “In the Stars” kicks off its time at No. 67, scoring the band its milestone tenth hit.

The Rolling Stones’s Forty Licks Remains on Multiple Lists

As is often the case, just one full-length by the Rolling Stones appears on any roster in the U.K. Forty Licks, which may be the group’s most successful compilation, dips one spot on the Official Albums chart, settling at No. 93. At the same time, it grows on the Official Albums Streaming tally, inching from No. 80 to No. 78.

While Forty Licks currently performs best on the streaming chart, it has only ever risen as high as No. 48 on that focused ranking. The compilation peaked at No. 2 on the general albums rundown, narrowly missing out on granting the group another leader.

ForbesThe Rolling Stones Reach A Chart Milestone With A Beloved CollectionBy Hugh McIntyre