Hot Rocks 1964–1971

Hot Rocks 1964–1971 is a compilation album by the Rolling Stones released by London Records in December 1971. It became the Rolling Stones' best-selling release of their career and an enduring and popular retrospective. The album includes a mixture of hit singles, such as "Jumping Jack Flash", B-sides such as "Play with Fire", and album tracks such as "Under My Thumb" and "Gimme Shelter", the last of which has become one of the Rolling Stones' most popular and highly regarded songs.^[1] The album artwork depicts five nested silhouettes of the band members' profiles taken by rock photographer Ron Raffaelli in 1969. A photograph of the band at Swarkestone Hall Pavilion, taken by Michael Joseph in 1968, was printed on the back cover of the vinyl release.

Hot Rocks 1964–1971
Greatest hits album by the Rolling Stones
Released	20 December 1971
Recorded	October 1964 – January 1971
Genre	Rock
Length	84:56
Label	London
Producer	Andrew Loog Oldham, Jimmy Miller, the Rolling Stones, and Glyn Johns
The Rolling Stones chronology
Gimme Shelter (1971) Hot Rocks 1964–1971 (1971) Milestones (1972)

The album is the best selling of the numerous Decca/ABKCO releases after the Rolling Stones lost control of their pre-1971 catalogue to their former manager Allen Klein. As with all of such releases, the Stones had no control over the collection or its release.

Release and reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Christgau's Record Guide	B−[3]
Rolling Stone	[4]
Select	[5]
Tom Hull	A[6]

Hot Rocks 1964–1971 peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 album chart and, as of July 2024, the album has spent 438 weeks on the chart.^[7] The album was certified 12× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. The album was not released in the UK until 21 May 1990, to coincide with the Urban Jungle Tour, reaching No. 3 and, as of August 2023, it has spent 361 weeks on the UK Top 200.

Robert Christgau rated the album a B−, writing "If you don't like the Stones, this might serve as a sampler... Look, here's how it works. Except for Satanic Majesties, which isn't represented here, all of their '60s studio albums are musts."

In August 2002, Hot Rocks 1964–1971 was reissued in a new remastered CD and SACD digipak by ABKCO Records.^[8]

Track listing

All songs by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, except where noted.

Side one

No.	Title	Original release(s)	Length
1.	"Time Is on My Side" (guitar intro version) (Norman Meade)	UK – The Rolling Stones No. 2 (1965) US – Original organ intro version on 12 X 5 (1964)	3:00
2.	"Heart of Stone"	UK – Out of Our Heads (1965) US – A-side (1964) / The Rolling Stones, Now! (1965)	2:49
3.	"Play with Fire" (Nanker Phelge)	UK – B-side of "The Last Time" (1965) US – B-side of "The Last Time" (1965) / Out of Our Heads (1965)	2:13
4.	"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (stereo version)	UK – A-side (1965) US – A-side (1965) / Out of Our Heads (1965)	3:43
5.	"As Tears Go By" (Mick Jagger/Keith Richards/Andrew Loog Oldham)	UK – B-side of "19th Nervous Breakdown" (1966) US – A-side (1965) / December's Children (And Everybody's) (1965)	2:44
6.	"Get Off of My Cloud"	UK – A-side (1965) US – A-side (1965) / December's Children (And Everybody's) (1965)	2:55

Side two

No.	Title	Original release(s)	Length
1.	"Mother's Little Helper"	UK – Aftermath (1966) US – A-side (1966)	2:44
2.	"19th Nervous Breakdown"	UK & US – A-side (1966)	3:56
3.	"Paint It Black"	UK – A-side (1966) US – A-side (1966) / Aftermath (1966)	3:22
4.	"Under My Thumb"	UK & US – Aftermath (1966)	3:42
5.	"Ruby Tuesday"	UK – A-side (1967) US – A-side (1967) / Between the Buttons (1967)	3:16
6.	"Let's Spend the Night Together"	UK – A-side (1967) US – A-side (1967) / Between the Buttons (1967)	3:37

Side three

No.	Title	Original release(s)	Length
1.	"Jumpin' Jack Flash"	UK & US – A-side (1968)	3:41
2.	"Street Fighting Man"	UK – Beggars Banquet (1968) US – A-side (1968) / Beggars Banquet (1968)	3:14
3.	"Sympathy for the Devil"	UK & US – Beggars Banquet (1968)	6:18
4.	"Honky Tonk Women"	UK & US – A-side (1969)	3:00
5.	"Gimme Shelter"	UK & US – Let It Bleed (1969)	4:31

Side four

No.	Title	Original release(s)	Length
1.	"Midnight Rambler" (Live at Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, US, 28 November 1969)	UK & US – Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out! The Rolling Stones in Concert (1970); original studio version on Let It Bleed (1969)	9:05
2.	"You Can't Always Get What You Want"	UK & US – B-side of "Honky Tonk Women" (1969) [edit version] / Let It Bleed (1969)	7:30
3.	"Brown Sugar"	UK & US – A-side (1971) / Sticky Fingers (1971)	3:48
4.	"Wild Horses"	UK – Sticky Fingers (1971) US – A-side (1971) / Sticky Fingers (1971)	5:42

Notes

• All tracks on sides one and two were produced by Andrew Loog Oldham. All tracks on sides three and four were produced by Jimmy Miller, except "Midnight Rambler", which was produced by the Rolling Stones and Glyn Johns.

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1971–1972) Peak position Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[9] 10 Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[10] 11 US Billboard 200[11] 4 Chart (1990) Peak position Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[12] 9 UK Albums (OCC)[13] 3 Chart (1993) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA)[14] 10 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[15] 2 UK Albums (OCC)[16] 66 Chart (2013) Peak position US Billboard 200[11] 18 Chart (2017) Peak position Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[17] 176 Chart (2020) Peak position US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[18] 7 Chart (2021) Peak position US Billboard 200[11] 31

Year-end charts Chart (1972) Peak position US Billboard 200[19] 5 Chart (1973) Peak position US Billboard 200[20] 48 Chart (2018) Peak position US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[21] 41 Chart (2019) Peak position US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[22] 29 Chart (2020) Peak position US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[23] 34 Chart (2021) Peak position US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[24] 38

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[25]	3× Platinum	210,000‡
France (SNEP)[26] Release titled Les Années Stones 1	Gold	100,000*
New Zealand (RMNZ)[27]	Platinum	15,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[28]	2× Platinum	600,000^
United States (RIAA)[29]	12× Platinum	6,000,000^
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

See also

• List of best-selling albums in the United States

References

1. "No. 3: Rolling Stones, 'Gimme Shelter' – Top 100 Classic Rock Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
2. Hot Rocks 1964–1971 at AllMusic
3. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: R". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
4. "Rolling Stone : The Rolling Stones: Hot Rocks 1964–1971 : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 9 November 2006. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
5. Cavanagh, David (August 1990). "The Rolling Stones: Hot Rocks 1964–71". Select. No. 2. p. 121.
6. Hull, Tom (n.d.). "Grade List: The Rolling Stones". Tomhull.com. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
7. "The Rolling Stones Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
8. Walsh, Christopher (24 August 2002). "Super audio CDs: The Rolling Stones Remastered". Billboard. p. 27.
9. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
10. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 7544". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
11. "The Rolling Stones Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
12. "Dutchcharts.nl – The Rolling Stones – Hot Rocks 1964–1971" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
13. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
14. "Australiancharts.com – The Rolling Stones – Hot Rocks 1964–1971". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
15. "Charts.nz – The Rolling Stones – Hot Rocks 1964–1971". Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
16. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
17. "Ultratop.be – The Rolling Stones – Hot Rocks 1964–1971" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
18. "The Rolling Stones Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
19. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1972". Billboard. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
20. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1973". Billboard. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
21. "Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2018". Billboard. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
22. "Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2019". Billboard. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
23. "Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2020". Billboard. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
24. "Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
25. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2023 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
26. "French album certifications – The Rolling Stones – Les Années Stones 1" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
27. "New Zealand album certifications – The Rolling Stones – Hot Rocks". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
28. "British album certifications – The Rolling Stones – Hot Rocks 1964–71". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
29. "American album certifications – The Rolling Stones – Hot Rocks". Recording Industry Association of America.