60 Years Ago Today: Legendary Rock Band's Classic Hit Reached No. 1 on UK Singles Chart

Today marks the 60-year anniversary of an iconic rock song reaching the top spot on the UK singles chart.

In March 1966, Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones visited RCA Records in Hollywood, California, to record a somber song about the loss of a romantic partner.

The song, "Paint It, Black," was recorded from March 6-9 and released on May 13. Just 13 days later, the song would become a No. 1 hit in the United Kingdom.

On May 26th, 1966, "Paint It, Black" reached No. 1 on the UK singles chart. The hit would stay there for one week, before Frank Sinatra's "Strangers in the Night" claimed the top spot for the week of June 1-6.

"Paint It, Black" held the No. 2 spot for two consecutive weeks, before moving down to the sixth spot for the week of June 15-21.

Rolling Stones Have Had Multiple Anniversaries to Celebrate in May

The month of May marks several special anniversaries for the Rolling Stones. May 15 marked the 50-year anniversary of Black and Bluereaching the top spot on the US Billboard 200.

Sunday was the 58th anniversary of the group releasing "Jumpin' Jack Flash", another future No. 1 hit in the UK.

Additionally, May 20 was the 61st anniversary of the Rolling Stones performing "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" on American television for the first time. The group performed their signature song on Shindig!, the popular ABC music show.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 26, 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 26, 2026 at 4:00 AM.