Emotional Rescue (1980)
Artist: The Rolling Stones
Type: Studio album (15th UK / 17th US)
Released: June 20, 1980
Label: Rolling Stones Records
Genre: Rock • Disco • Funk • New wave
Length: 41:42
Producers: The Glimmer Twins
Emotional Rescue continued The Rolling Stones’ exploration of disco, funk, and dance rhythms following Some Girls (1978). While retaining their rock foundation, the album emphasizes groove-oriented tracks and highlights the band’s adaptability to late-1970s musical trends.
It includes the hit single “Emotional Rescue,” which topped the US charts, and represents the band’s continued commercial strength entering the 1980s.
📦 Cover Art & Design
🎨 Minimalist Surrealism
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🖌️ Designed by Peter Corriston, continuing his collaboration with the band from Some Girls.
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🎭 Features a surreal, abstract face blending photographic and painted elements.
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🌈 Strong use of bold colors and patterns reflecting the disco and dance-oriented sound of the album.
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🖼️ The cover has a slightly psychedelic quality, contrasting the more literal or pop-art covers of previous albums.
The design emphasizes emotion and groove over literal representation, complementing the album’s musical mood.
🎵 Tracklist
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Emotional Rescue
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Send It to Me
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Where the Boys Go
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Girls Got a One Track Mind
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Who’s That Woman?
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Days of Tears
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Dance (Pt. 1)
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Summer Romance
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Send It to Me (Reprise)
👥 Band Lineup
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Mick Jagger – Lead vocals
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Keith Richards – Guitar, backing vocals
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Ronnie Wood – Guitar
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Bill Wyman – Bass
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Charlie Watts – Drums
Additional Musicians:
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Ian McLagan – Keyboards
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Nicky Hopkins – Piano
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Sugar Blue – Harmonica
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Bobby Keys – Saxophone
🎶 Top Tracks
⭐ Emotional Rescue
Disco-funk hybrid; #1 hit in the US and a signature late-period Stones groove.
⭐ Send It to Me
Playful funk-rock track with a catchy rhythm section.
⭐ Dance (Pt. 1)
Instrumental groove-heavy track showing the band’s funk experimentation.
⭐ Girls Got a One Track Mind
Energetic, danceable rocker in the vein of Some Girls.
📈 Commercial Performance & Sales
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🥇 US Billboard 200: #1
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🥈 UK Albums Chart: #2
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💿 Platinum certification (US)
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🌍 Worldwide sales: 4–5 million copies
The album reaffirmed the Stones’ commercial dominance at the dawn of the 1980s.
🏆 Awards & Recognition
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Lead single “Emotional Rescue” reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
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Solidified the band’s position in the disco and dance-influenced rock era.
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Appreciated for musicianship and rhythmic experimentation despite mixed critical reception.
🎤 Fun Facts & Trivia
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🎸 Mick Jagger handled most of the synthesizer parts himself.
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💃 The album was influenced by the disco trends dominating late-70s clubs.
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🏙️ The band recorded portions in Paris, Munich, and New York.
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🎶 Keith Richards sings lead on “Send It to Me” and provides backing vocals throughout.
🤯 Did You Know?
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The album marked a transitional phase between the disco-influenced Some Girls and the rock-oriented Tattoo You (1981).
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Some critics initially dismissed it as too dance-oriented, but fans embraced its groove-heavy tracks.
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Tracks like “Dance (Pt. 1)” influenced later funk-rock and dance-rock bands.