55 Years Ago: The Rolling Stones' Underrated Album Hits No. 1 on Billboard 200

55 years ago today, one of the greatest rock bands of all time saw its underrated album reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

May 22 is the anniversary of many iconic moments in the music industry. 61 years ago, The Beatles saw "Ticket to Ride" reach the top of the US Hot 100. 46 years ago today, Diana Ross released what would become her best-selling album, Diana.

For Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones, today also holds a special place in the legendary rock band's history. On May 22, 1971, the Rolling Stones' ninth album would reach the top spot on the Billboard 200.

The Rolling Stones released Sticky Fingers on April 23, 1971. Four weeks later, the album reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The album featured three of their biggest hits, "Wild Horses," "Brown Sugar," and "Can't You Hear Me Knocking."

Sticky Fingers would occupy the top spot on the Billboard 200 for four straight weeks. Carole King's Tapestry would take over the top spot for the week of June 19. Still, Sticky Fingers held the No. 2 spot for two weeks.

‘Rolling Stone' Ranked ‘Sticky Fingers' as the 104th Greatest Album of All Time

In their rankings of the 500 greatest music albums ever, Rolling Stone placed Sticky Fingers in the No. 104 spot. The iconic rock band had six albums featured on the list, with Let It Bleed (41st) and Exile on Main St. (14th) reaching the top 50.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 22, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published May 22, 2026 at 4:53 PM.