GRRR! and 'Doom and Gloom': The Rolling Stones' 2012 Digital Age Reinvention

For a band that started in 1962, the Rolling Stones’ 2012 compilation GRRR! wasn’t just another greatest-hits cash-in. It was a conscious pivot into the streaming era, arriving alongside their first digital single, “Doom and Gloom.” Instead of fighting the new landscape, they played it smart: the album’s 50-track vinyl box set and digital Super Deluxe edition catered to both collectors and casual streamers, and the new song was written specifically as a lure for younger listeners who might skip the oldies.

“Doom and Gloom” itself sounds like a band having fun with the apocalypse—lyrics about oil spills, bankers, and texting while driving (“I’ll be sticking my thumb out / I’ll be thumbing for a ride”). Recorded in Paris with producer Don Was, it’s classic Stones chaos with a 2010s lens. The song debuted via a lyric video on YouTube and a free download for anyone who signed up to their mailing list, a classic modern band move. It peaked at No. 61 on the Hot 100, modest by their standards, but the real win was the strategy: GRRR! went platinum in the UK and proved the band could still sell records without relying on radio alone.