TOP SONGS

"Brown Sugar" was eventually released in May 1971 as the first single from the album, becoming a number-one hit in the U.S. and a number two hit in the UK and has since become a classic rock radio staple. While the US single featured only "Bitch" on the B-side, the UK single featured that track plus a live rendition of Chuck Berry's "Let It Rock", recorded at the University of Leeds during the 1971 tour of the UK.

The song was performed routinely during the Stones' 1970 European Tour, occupying a prominent spot near the end of the set list even though audiences were unfamiliar with it. It eventually opened the famed 1972 American Tour shows and has been a Stones concert stalwart since.

When the Rolling Stones perform "Brown Sugar" live, Jagger often changes the lyrics from, "Just like a young girl should," to, "Just like a young man should." The line, "Hear him whip the women just around midnight," is often changed to the less offensive, "You shoulda heard him just around midnight." This is evidenced in their live albums Love You Live, Flashpoint, Live Licks and Shine a Light. This change even occurs on the version recorded at Richards' birthday party.

The song is also notable for being the first single released on Rolling Stones Records, and is one of the two Rolling Stones songs (along with "Wild Horses") licensed to both the band and former manager Allen Klein (a result of various business disagreements) resulting in its inclusion on the compilation album Hot Rocks. "Brown Sugar" is also included on the most significant latter-day Stones compilations, Jump Back and Forty Licks.

The song was later used in a 1998 Pepsi commercial with a fly singing a cover version of "Brown Sugar" after sipping on some spilled Pepsi. The commercial was used as part of Pepsi's aggressive ad campaign of switching to a blue background on its cans & bottles after decades of using a white background.

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