Tattoo You
Updated: 12/20/2025, 12:39:54 PM Wikipedia source
Tattoo You is the sixteenth UK and eighteenth US studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released on 24 August 1981 by Rolling Stones Records. The album is mostly composed of studio outtakes recorded during the 1970s, and contains one of the band's most well-known songs, "Start Me Up", which hit number two on the US Billboard singles charts. A combination of touring obligations and personal feuding between band members made it difficult to arrange dedicated recording sessions for the band's follow-up to 1980's Emotional Rescue. As a result, the band's production team combed through unused recordings from prior sessions, some dating back almost a decade. While a few of the songs were used essentially as-is in their original form, most of these earlier recordings were not complete, consisting of song fragments requiring much work. Studio time was booked throughout 1980 and 1981 and band members came in when available to finish off the tracks. The credited members of the Rolling Stones for the album were vocalist Mick Jagger, guitarists Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood, bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts while older tracks feature former Stones guitarist Mick Taylor ("Tops"), keyboardists Nicky Hopkins and Billy Preston, Black and Blue session guitarist Wayne Perkins ("Worried About You") and founding member Ian Stewart. The album proved to be both a critical and commercial success upon release, reaching the top of the US Billboard 200. To date, it is the final Rolling Stones album to reach the top position of the US charts, concluding the band's string of eight consecutive number-one albums there, dating back to 1971's Sticky Fingers. In 1989, it was ranked No. 34 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 greatest albums of the 1980s. In 2003, the album was ranked number 211 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, then re-ranked number 213 in the 2012 revised list. Peter Corriston, who was responsible for the album cover's concept origination, art direction and design, won a Grammy Award in the category of Best Album Package. A remastered 40th-anniversary edition of the album was released on 22 October 2021. It features nine previously unreleased tracks and a 1982 concert at Wembley Stadium.
Infobox
Released
24 August 1981 (1981-08-24)
Recorded
November and December 1972 January – March 1975 January – March 1978 January – October 1979 October 1980 – June 1981
Genre
Rock hard rock rock and roll
Length
44:23
Label
Rolling Stones
Producer
The Glimmer Twins
Tables
Professional ratings · Critical reception and legacy
Source
Source
Review scores
Source
Review scores
Rating
AllMusic
AllMusic
Review scores
AllMusic
Review scores
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
Review scores
The A.V. Club
Review scores
favourable
Blender
Blender
Review scores
Blender
Review scores
Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s
Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s
Review scores
Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s
Review scores
A−
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music
Review scores
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music
Review scores
Tom Hull
Tom Hull
Review scores
Tom Hull
Review scores
A−
Pitchfork
Pitchfork
Review scores
Pitchfork
Review scores
8.1/10
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Review scores
Rolling Stone
Review scores
The Rolling Stone Album Guide
The Rolling Stone Album Guide
Review scores
The Rolling Stone Album Guide
Review scores
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| The A.V. Club | favourable |
| Blender | |
| Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s | A− |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | |
| Tom Hull | A− |
| Pitchfork | 8.1/10 |
| Rolling Stone | |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | |
1980 weekly chart performance for Tattoo You · Charts › Weekly charts
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)
Chart (1981–1982)
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)
Peakposition
1
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)
Chart (1981–1982)
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)
Peakposition
2
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)
Chart (1981–1982)
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)
Peakposition
1
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)
Chart (1981–1982)
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)
Peakposition
1
Finland (The Official Finnish Charts)
Finland (The Official Finnish Charts)
Chart (1981–1982)
Finland (The Official Finnish Charts)
Peakposition
7
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)
Chart (1981–1982)
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)
Peakposition
3
Italian Albums (Musica e Dischi)
Italian Albums (Musica e Dischi)
Chart (1981–1982)
Italian Albums (Musica e Dischi)
Peakposition
3
Japanese Albums (Oricon)
Japanese Albums (Oricon)
Chart (1981–1982)
Japanese Albums (Oricon)
Peakposition
8
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)
Chart (1981–1982)
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)
Peakposition
1
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)
Chart (1981–1982)
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)
Peakposition
3
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)
Chart (1981–1982)
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)
Peakposition
2
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)
Chart (1981–1982)
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)
Peakposition
3
UK Albums (OCC)
UK Albums (OCC)
Chart (1981–1982)
UK Albums (OCC)
Peakposition
2
US Billboard 200
US Billboard 200
Chart (1981–1982)
US Billboard 200
Peakposition
1
| Chart (1981–1982) | Peakposition |
| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) | 1 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) | 2 |
| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM) | 1 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) | 1 |
| Finland (The Official Finnish Charts) | 7 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) | 3 |
| Italian Albums (Musica e Dischi) | 3 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon) | 8 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) | 1 |
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) | 3 |
| Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) | 2 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) | 3 |
| UK Albums (OCC) | 2 |
| US Billboard 200 | 1 |
2021 weekly chart performance · Charts › Weekly charts
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)
Chart (2021)
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)
Position
10
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)
Chart (2021)
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)
Position
15
Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI)
Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI)
Chart (2021)
Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI)
Position
87
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)
Chart (2021)
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)
Position
24
Portuguese Albums (AFP)
Portuguese Albums (AFP)
Chart (2021)
Portuguese Albums (AFP)
Position
23
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)
Chart (2021)
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)
Position
8
| Chart (2021) | Position |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) | 10 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) | 15 |
| Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI) | 87 |
| Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) | 24 |
| Portuguese Albums (AFP) | 23 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) | 8 |
1981 year-end chart performance · Charts › Year-end charts
Australian Albums Chart
Australian Albums Chart
Chart (1981)
Australian Albums Chart
Position
12
Canadian Albums Chart
Canadian Albums Chart
Chart (1981)
Canadian Albums Chart
Position
5
Dutch Albums Chart
Dutch Albums Chart
Chart (1981)
Dutch Albums Chart
Position
22
French Albums Chart
French Albums Chart
Chart (1981)
French Albums Chart
Position
40
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)
Chart (1981)
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)
Position
16
UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
Chart (1981)
UK Albums Chart
Position
35
US Billboard 200
US Billboard 200
Chart (1981)
US Billboard 200
Position
22
| Chart (1981) | Position |
| Australian Albums Chart | 12 |
| Canadian Albums Chart | 5 |
| Dutch Albums Chart | 22 |
| French Albums Chart | 40 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) | 16 |
| UK Albums Chart | 35 |
| US Billboard 200 | 22 |
1982 year-end chart performance · Charts › Year-end charts
Australian Albums Chart
Australian Albums Chart
Chart (1982)
Australian Albums Chart
Position
20
Canadian Albums Chart
Canadian Albums Chart
Chart (1982)
Canadian Albums Chart
Position
51
Dutch Albums Chart
Dutch Albums Chart
Chart (1982)
Dutch Albums Chart
Position
72
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)
Chart (1982)
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)
Position
18
US Billboard 200
US Billboard 200
Chart (1982)
US Billboard 200
Position
11
| Chart (1982) | Position |
| Australian Albums Chart | 20 |
| Canadian Albums Chart | 51 |
| Dutch Albums Chart | 72 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) | 18 |
| US Billboard 200 | 11 |
Certifications and sales for Tattoo You · Certifications and sales
Australia (ARIA)
Australia (ARIA)
Region
Australia (ARIA)
Certification
2× Platinum
Certified units/sales
225,000
Canada (Music Canada)
Canada (Music Canada)
Region
Canada (Music Canada)
Certification
4× Platinum
Certified units/sales
400,000^
France (SNEP)
France (SNEP)
Region
France (SNEP)
Certification
Gold
Certified units/sales
100,000*
Japan (RIAJ)
Japan (RIAJ)
Region
Japan (RIAJ)
Certification
Gold
Certified units/sales
100,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)
Netherlands (NVPI)
Region
Netherlands (NVPI)
Certification
Gold
Certified units/sales
50,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)
New Zealand (RMNZ)
Region
New Zealand (RMNZ)
Certification
Platinum
Certified units/sales
15,000^
Spain (PROMUSICAE)
Spain (PROMUSICAE)
Region
Spain (PROMUSICAE)
Certification
Gold
Certified units/sales
50,000^
Sweden (GLF)
Sweden (GLF)
Region
Sweden (GLF)
Certification
Gold
Certified units/sales
50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)
United Kingdom (BPI)
Region
United Kingdom (BPI)
Certification
Gold
Certified units/sales
100,000^
United States (RIAA)
United States (RIAA)
Region
United States (RIAA)
Certification
4× Platinum
Certified units/sales
4,000,000^
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Region
Yugoslavia
Certification
—
Certified units/sales
50,000
Sales figures based on certification alone.^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Sales figures based on certification alone.^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Region
Sales figures based on certification alone.^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
| Australia (ARIA) | 2× Platinum | 225,000 |
| Canada (Music Canada) | 4× Platinum | 400,000^ |
| France (SNEP) | Gold | 100,000* |
| Japan (RIAJ) | Gold | 100,000^ |
| Netherlands (NVPI) | Gold | 50,000^ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ) | Platinum | 15,000^ |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE) | Gold | 50,000^ |
| Sweden (GLF) | Gold | 50,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI) | Gold | 100,000^ |
| United States (RIAA) | 4× Platinum | 4,000,000^ |
| Yugoslavia | — | 50,000 |
| Sales figures based on certification alone.^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
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