June 1965: The Rolling Stones Release "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"

LONDON, ENGLAND - CIRCA 1965: British Rock Group "The Rolling Stones" perform on a TV Show in London, England circa 1965. Left to right: : Bill Wyman, Brian Jones, Mick Jagger, Charlie Watts, Keith Richards. (Photo by Cyrus Andrews/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
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(Cyrus Andrews/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

“It had all the ingredients,” is how Mick Jagger characterized "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" in a 1995 interview with Jann Wenner of Rolling Stone magazine. “It has a very catchy title. It has a very catchy guitar riff and a great guitar sound, which was original at that time. And it encapsulated the feeling of the times, which was alienation. A sexual kind of alienation. Alienation’s not quite the right word, but it’s one word that will do.”

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It's the Rolling Stones' signature song, typically the very last encore at every concert the band has played for years. It's been covered and co-opted countless times, and is firmly entrenched as a touchstone in rock music, pop culture, and social consciousness. It's a pretty big deal. Let's burn through five fun facts about the Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction."

1. Keith Richards famously wrote the song's hook in his sleep
A young Keith Richards woke up one morning to find his cassette player in a state. Rewinding the tape, he heard himself playing the signature hook of the song, along with the line, "I can't get no satisfaction." He had no recollection of recording it.

2. Mick Jagger penned the lyrics after fans trashed a Florida show
The Stones were on their first US tour when a show in Clearwater, Florida had to be scrapped after just four songs due to out-of-control fans trashing the place. The group was sequestered at the Jack Tar Harrison Hotel, where an inspired Jagger penned his ode to frustration.

3. It's the Rolling Stones' first #1 song in America
The Stones were already a sensation in America, and had scored a top 10 hit with their version of "Time is On My Side," that peaked at #6. Released on June 6, 1965, "Satisfaction" hit #1 in America for the week of July 10, 1965. It would stay there for a month, finally toppled on August 7, 1965, by Herman's Hermits' "I'm Henry VIII, I Am."

4. The song was used in a Snickers candy bar commercial in the 1990s
The Stones had been railroaded by notorious manager, Allen Klein, who was able to snag the band's publishing right out from under them. That allowed him to make a mint from such popular compilation albums as Hot Rocks 1964-1971, as well as broker a deal in 1991 that allowed Snickers to use "Satisfaction" in an ad campaign. ”I did not need nor did I seek their approval,” Klein told Entertainment Weekly that year about the deal, worth $4 million. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards received $2.8 million of that money. The commercials are not great.

5. "Satisfaction" was selected as the second-greatest song of all-time by Rolling Stone magazine
First compiled in a special 2004 issue, magazine editors hammered out their picks for the 500 greatest songs ever. When the dust settled, "Satisfaction" placed behind only Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone."

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