How 'Aftermath' (1966) Changed Everything for the Rolling Stones

Aftermath was the moment the Rolling Stones stopped being a blues cover band and became a songwriting force. It’s their first album made up entirely of original Jagger/Richards compositions — no Chuck Berry, no Muddy Waters, no padding. That decision was a gamble, but it paid off: the album hit No. 1 in the UK and proved they could write hits like “Mother’s Little Helper” and “Under My Thumb” just as easily as they could rip through a twelve-bar.

The recording sessions at RCA Studios in Hollywood also marked a leap in production ambition. Andrew Loog Oldham pushed for non-rock instruments — sitar, marimbas, dulcimer — giving the album a druggy, baroque edge that matched the mid-60s psychedelic moment. It’s a transitional record that still sounds like the