The Rolling Stones have pulled level with The Beatles on a chart record that has defined British pop bragging rights for decades.
The band’s new album, Foreign Tongues, debuted at No. 1 on the Official Albums Chart on Friday, July 17, giving Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood their 15th UK chart-topping album.
That ties the Stones with The Beatles for second place on the all-time UK albums list. Robbie Williams remains out in front with 16 solo No. 1 albums, after moving past The Beatles earlier this year with BRITPOP.
The Stones first topped the UK album chart in 1964 with their self-titled debut. More than 62 years later, Foreign Tongues has put them back at the summit, following the same path as 2023’s Hackney Diamonds.
The new record also arrives with a guest list built for rock fans who enjoy a little mythology with their vinyl. Paul McCartney plays bass on Covered In You, while The Cure’s Robert Smith appears on Divine Intervention and Never Wanna Lose You. Steve Winwood and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith also feature.
There is also a posthumous appearance from Charlie Watts, taken from one of his final recording sessions before his death in 2021.
Jagger previously described working with McCartney as “very easy,” a small but loaded phrase given the decades of Stones-versus-Beatles arguments that fans have never really wanted to end.
Taylor Swift now follows the Stones and Beatles with 14 UK No. 1 albums. Elvis Presley and Madonna sit behind her with 13 each.
