An article marking the anniversary of The Rolling Stones' "Street Fighting Man" notes that the song, released on 31 August 1968, was largely shunned by American radio stations due to its lyrics about violent revolution, which contributed to its modest chart performance despite the politically charged era in which it appeared. The piece frames this as an example of censorship shaping commercial outcomes, arguing that the track's poor radio exposure undermined its chart success even though critics praised it and it later became a fan favourite and helped cement the band's rebellious image.

The single reached only number 48 on the US Billboard Hot 100, a stark contrast to its predecessor "Jumpin' Jack Flash", which had been a Top 5 hit, though it performed better in the UK at number 21. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards reworked the song's original lyrics after Jagger attended a 1968 protest at the US embassy in London and drew inspiration from clashes between rioters and police on Paris's Left Bank, with Jagger later linking the song to the wider unrest of the Vietnam War era.