55 Years Ago Today: Legendary Rock Band's Polarizing Song Reached No. 1 On Billboard Hot 100

Friday marks 55 years since an iconic rock band saw arguably its most polarizing and contentious reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Last Friday was the 55-year anniversary of the Rolling Stones' legendary album, Sticky Fingers, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard 200. It was also on this day, 55 years ago, that one of the tracks from Sticky Fingers reached the Billboard Hot 100.

On May 29, 1971, "Brown Sugar" jumped into the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100. The song replaced "Joy to the World" by Three Dog Night, which had occupied the top spot for six straight weeks.

"Brown Sugar" stayed at No. 1 for two consecutive weeks before "Want Ads" by the Honey Cones jumped the Rolling Stones' big hit. However, "Brown Sugar" remained in the top five for two weeks.

In their 2004 rankings of the 500 greatest songs ever, Rolling Stone placed "Brown Sugar" at No. 494 on the list.

The Rolling Stones recorded the song from Dec. 2-4, 1969, at the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Sheffield, Alabama. This is the same studio where they recorded "Wild Horses", another hit from the Sticky Fingers album.

‘Sticky Fingers' Became One of Rolling Stones' Signature Albums

The Rolling Stones had long cemented themselves as one of the top rock bands before the '70s arrived. Still, Sticky Fingers turned out to be one of their best-selling albums, further cementing the band's legacy.

Sticky Fingers was released on Apr. 23, 1971. Other hit songs on the album included "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" and "You Gotta Move." According to Far Out Magazine, Sticky Fingers sold more than 22 million copies globally.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 29, 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 29, 2026 at 8:30 AM.