In 1968, the Rolling Stones topped the charts with a hit that would go on to become so inspirational, it would be covered by hundreds of other artists.
“Jumpin’ Jack Flash” was released as a standalone single and has featured in several of the band’s greatest hit compilation records such as 1989’s Singles Collection: The London Years and 2002’s Forty Licks.
The unique title was inspired by guitarist and secondary vocalistKeith Richards‘ gardener, Jack Dyer. While Richards and lead singerMick Jaggerwere writing at Richards’ country home, they heard a noise coming from outside.
“Oh, that’s Jack… that’s jumpin’ Jack,” Richards said when Jagger asked him what the noise was.
“I started to work around the phrase on the guitar, which was in open tuning, singing the phrase ‘Jumping Jack,’” Richards explained of the song’s origin, per Far Out. “Mick said, ‘Flash,’ and suddenly we had this phrase with a great rhythm and ring to it.”
A commercial hit upon its initial release, the song soared to No. 1 on the U.K. Singles Chart. In the U.S., the track hit the top spot on the Cash Box chart and peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.
“Jumpin’ Jack Flash” has been covered many times — by almost 480 artists, according to Setlist.FM. One of the most notable covers was by the “Queen of Soul,” Aretha Franklin, who covered the track in 1986. In the same year, the song received even more recognition after it inspired the comedy film of the same name, starring Whoopi Goldberg and Jonathan Price. The movie features both the original track and Franklin’s cover, and the track is creatively integrated into the plot. Grossing an estimated $29.8 million at the box office against a budget of around $17 million, the movie received a 33% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Related: Legendary ’70s Rock Band Performs Classic Song for First Time in 47 Years
