Exile on Main St.

The Rolling Stones' 1972 double album, recorded in a rented villa in the South of France, is widely considered their crowning artistic achievement and a touchstone for rock authenticity. Critics rank it ahead of #7 Born to Run in raw, unpolished energy, and it has sold over 1 million copies since its reissue in 2010. Its blend of blues, country, and gospel, captured on 4-track tape, set a new standard for raw production that 30% of later rock records would emulate, cementing its legacy as a genre-defining blueprint.