The Rolling Stones' 1968 album Beggars Banquet marked a turning point for the band, arriving after a difficult period that included drug charges against Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Brian Jones, and the commercial disappointment of their psychedelic detour Their Satanic Majesties Request. Bringing in producer Jimmy Miller, who took over after the band had produced themselves, proved crucial in steering them back towards the rootsy, bluesy rock sound that would define their most celebrated era, making the record an important stepping stone towards their later legendary status.

The sessions were complicated by the deteriorating state of founding member Brian Jones, whose drug problems and unreliability meant he rarely contributed meaningfully; he would be dismissed from the band shortly after the album's release. Despite this, the record was well received and is anchored by "Sympathy for the Devil", inspired by Mikhail Bulgakov's novel The Master and Margarita, which became one of the defining songs of the era.