The Rolling Stones' 'Forty Licks' Album: A Chart-Topping Compilation Success Story
Many music charts worldwide have incorporated streaming data into their rankings to reflect the changing landscape of music consumption. Streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music have transformed how fans listen to music, leading to the resurgence of compilations by popular artists on album charts. The Rolling Stones, among other acts, have benefited from this shift, with their compilation albums maintaining chart presence for extended periods.
The Rolling Stones recently achieved a significant milestone on the UK's Official Albums chart with their compilation album "Forty Licks." The album reentered the chart at No. 92, driven by a combination of sales and streams. "Forty Licks" has now spent 150 weeks on the chart, making it the band's longest-charting album and the only one to reach triple-digit weeks on the list.
While "Forty Licks" has enjoyed sustained success on the Official Albums chart, the Rolling Stones' other albums have struggled to match its longevity. Their self-titled debut album spent 51 weeks on the chart, with 12 weeks at No. 1. Other compilations like "Rolled Gold – The Very Best Of The Rolling Stones," "Big Hits (High Tide And Green Grass)," and "Jump Back – The Best Of – 1971–1993" came close to a year on the chart but fell short.
Despite its impressive chart run, "Forty Licks" never reached the No. 1 spot on the Official Albums chart, peaking at second place. The album shares this distinction with other popular Rolling Stones records like "Out Of Our Heads," "Through The Past, Darkly (Big Hits, Volume 2)," "It’s Only Rock ’n Roll," and more, all of which narrowly missed the top spot.