Tattoo You vs. Mirage: Outtakes vs. Cohesion

The Rolling Stones’ Tattoo You (1981) was basically a salvage operation—Jagger and Richards dug through leftover tapes from as far back as 1972 and stitched together an album that sounded surprisingly whole. In contrast, Fleetwood Mac’s Mirage (1982) was a deliberate retreat to the polished pop-rock of Rumours after the sprawling Tusk, with only a few songs carried over from earlier sessions. The irony is that Tattoo You, the patchwork, became one of the Stones’ biggest sellers, while Mirage, the intentional comeback, sold respectably but nowhere near its predecessor.

Commercial strategies reflected their different positions. The Stones toured Tattoo You with a massive, choreographed stadium show and released “Start Me Up” as a lead single—a leftover from the Some Girls sessions that became an instant anthem. Fleetwood Mac leaned on their proven formula: a cohesive album with strong singles (“Gypsy,” “Hold Me”), extensive