More than 60 years ago, the Rolling Stones dropped a self-titled debut album and launched one of the most successful music careers of all time. The set, which arrived a little more than a month before the group reached American shores with a differently-titled project, became a No. 1 in the musicians’ home country.
In the six decades since then, the rockers have slowed down from time to time, but never completely stopped. The past few years have been especially prolific for the legendary outfit, and this Friday (July 10), the Rolling Stones delivered a twenty-fifth studio LP, Foreign Tongues. The superstars have been promoting the full-length for months, though the first tastes of Foreign Tongues – a double single titled “In the Stars” and “Rough and Twisted” – only arrived in May.
As one of the most popular bands in the world, one might expect a new release by the Rolling Stones to shoot straight to the top spot on iTunes the moment it becomes available – especially in the United Kingdom, where the group hails from – but so far, the Grammy winners have not yet conquered the list.
The Rolling Stones Debut Behind Madonna
As of the time of writing, Foreign Tongues sits in second place on the iTunes Top Albums chart. The ranking details the top-selling collections, albums and EPs of any genre in the U.K. A second version of Foreign Tongues also appears down at No. 13. It is common for major musical acts to drop multiple editions of the same album these days, as it helps increase sales and plays a role in future chart success.
Madonna Blocks Foreign Tongues From No. 1
Only Madonna keeps the Rolling Stones from rising to No. 1 on the U.K.’s iTunes Top Albums chart. It was only a matter of hours ago that the pop icon shared Confessions II: After Hours Edition, the updated version of her latest full-length, Confessions II. It includes remixes of tracks like “I Feel So Free,” “Bring Your Love” and “Love Sensation.”
Madonna Nearly Dominates the Entire Top Five
Foreign Tongues is stuck behind Madonna and sandwiched in between releases by the Queen of Pop. Three previously-released versions of Confessions II land just behind the latest by the Rolling Stones. Confessions II: Icon Edition, Confessions II: Grindr Edition and Confessions II: Instrumentals dip slightly to Nos. 3, 4 and 5, respectively. Madonna replaces herself in first place as Confessions II: After Hours Edition grabs the throne from Confessions II: Grindr Edition.
Madonna Charts Nine Albums in the U.K.
Looking at the full 200-space iTunes Top Albums list in the U.K., nine projects by Madonna appear – but only two from the Rolling Stones. Nearly half of them are versions of Confessions II, all of which settle inside the top five. The original Confessions on a Dance Floor slips to No. 32. Several other fan-favorite Madonna albums, including The Immaculate Collection, True Blue, Erotica and Ray of Light, appear at Nos. 61, 83, 174 and 200.
The Rolling Stones Chart Four Bestselling Songs
Foreign Tongues features 14 songs, and four of them are bestsellers apart from the album. The highest-rising smash by the rockers on the iTunes Top Songs ranking in the U.K. is the single “In the Stars,” which lands at No. 29 and stands out as the band’s sole top 40 seller at the moment. “Jealous Lover,” “Rough and Twisted” and “Divine Intervention” decline to Nos. 41, 50 and 55, respectively.