10 Albums Which Almost Destroyed Their Creators
2. Exile On Main Street - The Rolling Stones
Exile On Main Street, released as a double album in 1972, is another on this list whose genesis is surrounded in myth and legend. At the time of its recording, the Stones were living in tax exile from their native Great Britain, in a rented mansion in France. For recording, a makeshift studio was installed in the mansion's basement. With guitarist's Keith Richards and Mick Taylor at the centre, the place became something of a celebrity drug den.
The two Stones players were in the midst of major addictions, and the ensuing sessions were nothing if not chaotic, frequently going on into the early hours, with a rotating cast of musicians dropping in and out. Mick Jagger, newly married and losing interest, flew in sporadically, while other members of the band stayed close by, unwilling to dwell in the mansion itself.
It should have been a disaster but, somehow, Exile On Main Street turned out an unqualified commercial success. Although critics were divided at the time, the album's reputation continues to grow. Listening to it now, you can feel the shambling, knife-edged chaos in every track.