The Rolling Stones Release 25th UK Studio Album Foreign Tongues, Debut No. 1 on Billboard Top Album Sales

The Rolling Stones dropped their 25th UK studio album, Foreign Tongues, on 10 July 2026. The 14‑track collection, released through Capitol and produced by Andrew Watt, entered the Billboard 200 at No. 7 with 53,000 equivalent units and became the band’s first number‑one on the Billboard Top Album Sales chart.

Foreign Tongues mixes ten fresh songs with four older tracks. The new material was assembled in a rapid session at Metropolis Studios in West London, a process Mick Jagger described in Apple Music notes as a “bulldozer approach” that kept the band from dissecting each song before it was finished.

The record opens with the hard‑hitting “Rough and Twisted,” follows with a disco‑influenced heartbreak track, and closes on a Chuck Berry cover, “Beautiful Delilah.” A rendition of Amy Winehouse’s “You Know I’m No Good” also appears, underscoring the Stones’ willingness to reinterpret contemporary songs.

The lead single, “In the Stars,” was issued on 5 May 2026, followed by the second single, “Jealous Lover,” in late June. Both tracks were promoted with album cuts and received regular streaming and radio play.

Guest musicians on the album read like a rock‑history crossword. Paul McCartney plays bass on “Covered in You,” marking his first instrumental contribution to a Stones record. Other collaborators include Steve Winwood, Robert Smith of The Cure, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, keyboardist Benmont Tench, and Bruno Mars, who is credited on cowbell.

Two Beatles‑related threads run through the album. McCartney’s participation is a friendly nod to the long‑standing mutual respect between the two bands, while Ronnie Wood recorded a guitar tribute to Brian Wilson on “Back in Your Life” on the day Wilson died, according to Wood’s comments on The Tonight Show.

The most poignant presence on Foreign Tongues is drummer Charlie Watts, who died in 2021. Watts appears on the fast punk‑style track “Hit Me in the Head,” recorded during Los Angeles sessions in the final years of his life. Steve Jordan handles the rest of the drum kit, a role that Watts himself had endorsed before his death. Keith Richards said that Watts “passed on the baton to him.”

Chart‑wise, the album is the Stones’ first UK No. 1 since Hackney Diamonds and ties them with the Beatles for the second‑most UK chart‑topper albums of all time. The record’s performance underscores the band’s continued commercial relevance and the effectiveness of their partnership with producer Andrew Watt.

Foreign Tongues therefore represents a blend of new material, historic collaborations, and a posthumous tribute to a long‑time bandmate. The album’s release and chart success confirm the Rolling Stones’ ongoing influence in the contemporary music market.