It’s Only Rock ’n Roll (1974)
Artist: The Rolling Stones
Type: Studio album (12th UK / 14th US)
Released: October 18, 1974
Label: Rolling Stones Records
Genre: Rock • Blues rock • Glam rock influences
Length: 48:26
Producers: The Glimmer Twins (Mick Jagger & Keith Richards)
It’s Only Rock ’n Roll marked a transitional moment for The Rolling Stones. It was the final studio album to feature guitarist Mick Taylor, and it also signaled the band taking full production control under the pseudonym The Glimmer Twins for the first time.
The album blends hard rock swagger with soulful ballads and became another major commercial success.
📦 Cover Art & Design
🎨 Classical Painting Inspiration
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🖌️ Cover artwork painted by Belgian artist Guy Peellaert.
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🎭 Depicts the band descending a grand staircase like glamorous rock royalty.
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👗 Surrounded by adoring women in flowing dresses, evoking a classical Renaissance-style composition.
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🎨 Rich gold and warm tones give the cover a regal, almost mythological feel.
The design contrasts the band’s gritty image with a tongue-in-cheek portrayal of them as untouchable icons.
🎵 Tracklist
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If You Can’t Rock Me
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Ain’t Too Proud to Beg
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It’s Only Rock ’n Roll (But I Like It)
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Till the Next Goodbye
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Time Waits for No One
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Luxury
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Dance Little Sister
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If You Really Want to Be My Friend
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Short and Curlies
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Fingerprint File
👥 Band Lineup
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Mick Jagger – Lead vocals
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Keith Richards – Guitar, backing vocals
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Mick Taylor – Lead guitar
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Bill Wyman – Bass
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Charlie Watts – Drums
Additional Musicians:
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Billy Preston – Keyboards
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Nicky Hopkins – Piano
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Ian Stewart – Piano
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Blue Magic – Backing vocals
🎶 Top Tracks
⭐ It’s Only Rock ’n Roll (But I Like It)
The album’s title track and signature single; became a concert staple.
⭐ Time Waits for No One
Features one of Mick Taylor’s most celebrated guitar solos.
⭐ Ain’t Too Proud to Beg
A rock reinterpretation of the Temptations’ Motown classic.
⭐ Fingerprint File
Funky, groove-heavy closer with politically charged lyrics.
📈 Commercial Performance & Sales
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🥇 UK Albums Chart: #2
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🥇 US Billboard 200: #1
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💿 Platinum certification (US)
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🌍 Multi-million global sales
The album continued the Stones’ streak of chart-topping releases in the 1970s.
🏆 Awards & Recognition
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The title track remains one of the band’s most recognizable songs.
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Frequently ranked among the stronger mid-’70s Stones albums.
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“Time Waits for No One” is often cited as a fan favorite deep cut.
🎤 Fun Facts & Trivia
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🎥 The music video for “It’s Only Rock ’n Roll” features the band playing in a tent filling with foam.
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🎸 Mick Taylor left the band shortly after the album’s release in December 1974.
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🎹 The album blends glam-style swagger with funk and soul influences.
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🏷️ First album fully produced under the name “The Glimmer Twins.”
🤯 Did You Know?
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The title track was originally recorded in Ronnie Wood’s home studio with David Bowie participating in early sessions.
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“Time Waits for No One” became one of Mick Taylor’s defining performances before his departure.
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The album title became a defining phrase for rock culture itself.