Remembering When The Rolling Stones Put Songwriting at the Forefront of a Surprising Album in 1966
The Rolling Stones' 1966 album Aftermath was their first to feature exclusively original songs written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. This transformation marked a crucial moment in the band's development, establishing them as serious songwriting talents and setting them apart from their British Invasion peers, particularly The Beatles.
The album featured 14 tracks on the UK release, plus "Paint It Black" on the American version, all recorded in Hollywood across November 1965 and March 1966. Brian Jones contributed distinctive instrumental colours, including sitar on the hit "Paint It Black" and vibraphone on "Under My Thumb", whilst Jagger and Richards explored themes of romance with sometimes controversial portrayals of women. The album's success inadvertently pushed the Stones toward baroque and psychedelic directions before they found their harder-rocking identity.
- Rolling Stones' 1966 album Aftermath featured entirely Jagger-Richards songwriting for the first time.
- Brian Jones added distinctive instruments including sitar and vibraphone to the tracks.
- The album established the duo as confident composers and influenced the band's future direction.
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In 1966, The Rolling Stones released an album called Aftermath that marked a major turning point for the band: every song was an original written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, rather than covers of American blues and rock songs as the band had done before. This shift established the Stones as serious songwriters, not just performers of other people's material. At the time, this was a significant move in rock and roll, where many British bands still relied on covering American songs.
The album was recorded in Hollywood in late 1965 and early 1966, with guitarist Brian Jones contributing distinctive instrumental colours, including the sitar on the well-known track "Paint It Black". The Stones' success with original material helped position them alongside The Beatles as leading creative forces in British rock, with both bands now recognised for their songwriting abilities. The album explored themes of romance through a rock and roll lens, and its musical style—featuring baroque and psychedelic influences—helped shape the band's artistic direction.