Studio Album · No. 21
Undercover Songwriting Credits by The Rolling Stones
Produced by The Glimmer Twins, Chris Kimsey · Engineered by Bob Clearmountain
Rolling Stones Records
Rock and RollHard RockNew Wave
100%
Authorship
Holds writing credit on 10 of 10 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 10 / 10 documented
Who wrote the songs?
Scored across the 10 tracks with documented writers, by whether The Rolling Stones carries a lyricist or composer credit.
10 trackswritten by The Rolling Stones
0 tracksoutside writers
The Rolling Stones's roles on this album
Share of the 10 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
Lyricist100%
Composer100%
Producer100%
Performer100%
By the Numbers
10
Tracks
3
Lyricists
3
Producers
1983
Released
Data Insight
Every song on Undercover is a Jagger/Richards composition, produced by the Glimmer Twins (Jagger and Richards) with Chris Kimsey. The title track and lead single, 'Undercover of the Night,' was largely a Mick Jagger composition; Keith Richards later said Jagger had it mapped out and he just played on it. Bob Clearmountain handled the mix, giving the record a sharper, more dance- and dub-inflected sound than earlier Stones albums.
Released November 7, 1983, Undercover reflected post-punk and new wave influences with a darker, more aggressive tone. Co-produced with Chris Kimsey, it includes 'Undercover of the Night' (accompanied by a controversial politically charged video) and 'She Was Hot.' 'Pretty Beat Up' includes Ronnie Wood as co-writer.
Track Listing & Credits 10 tracks
Written by the artist
Written by outside writers
Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 6 contributors
More from The Rolling Stones
1964
25%
The Rolling Stones
Decca Records
12 tracksProd. Andrew Loog Oldham
1964
25%
England's Newest Hit Makers
London Records
12 tracksProd. Andrew Loog Oldham
1964
42%
12 X 5
London Records
12 tracksProd. Andrew Loog Oldham
1965
25%
The Rolling Stones No. 2
Decca Records
12 tracksProd. Andrew Loog Oldham
1965
33%
The Rolling Stones, Now!
London Records
12 tracksProd. Andrew Loog Oldham
1965
33%
Out of Our Heads
Decca Records / London Records
12 tracksProd. Andrew Loog Oldham
1965
50%
December's Children (And Everybody's)
London Records
12 tracksProd. Andrew Loog Oldham
1966
100%
Aftermath
Decca Records / London Records
14 tracksProd. Andrew Loog Oldham
1967
100%
Between the Buttons
Decca Records / London Records
12 tracksProd. Andrew Loog Oldham
1967
100%
Their Satanic Majesties Request
Decca Records / London Records
10 tracksProd. The Rolling Stones
1968
90%
Beggars Banquet
Decca Records / London Records
10 tracksProd. Jimmy Miller
1969
89%
Let It Bleed
Decca Records / London Records
9 tracksProd. Jimmy Miller
1971
90%
Sticky Fingers
Rolling Stones Records
10 tracksProd. Jimmy Miller
1972
89%
Exile on Main St.
Rolling Stones Records
18 tracksProd. Jimmy Miller
1973
100%
Goats Head Soup
Rolling Stones Records
10 tracksProd. Jimmy Miller
1974
90%
It's Only Rock 'n Roll
Rolling Stones Records
10 tracksProd. The Glimmer Twins
1976
88%
Black and Blue
Rolling Stones Records
8 tracksProd. The Glimmer Twins
1978
90%
Some Girls
Rolling Stones Records
10 tracksProd. The Glimmer Twins
1980
100%
Emotional Rescue
Rolling Stones Records
10 tracksProd. The Glimmer Twins
1981
100%
Tattoo You
Rolling Stones Records
11 tracksProd. The Glimmer Twins
1986
80%
Dirty Work
Rolling Stones Records / CBS Records
10 tracksProd. The Glimmer Twins
1989
100%
Steel Wheels
Rolling Stones Records / CBS Records
12 tracksProd. The Glimmer Twins
1994
100%
Voodoo Lounge
Virgin Records
15 tracksProd. Don Was
1997
92%
Bridges to Babylon
Virgin Records
13 tracksProd. Don Was
2005
100%
A Bigger Bang
Virgin Records
16 tracksProd. Don Was
2016
0%
Blue & Lonesome
Polydor Records
12 tracksProd. Don Was
2023
92%
Hackney Diamonds
Polydor Records
12 tracksProd. Andrew Watt
2026
50%
Foreign Tongues
Polydor Records
14 tracksProd. Andrew Watt
Frequently Asked Questions Undercover
Who wrote the songs on Undercover by The Rolling Stones?
Every track on Undercover is credited to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, the Stones' core songwriting partnership. The album contains no outside covers. This was consistent with the band's practice of writing all their own material by the 1980s.
Who produced Undercover?
Undercover was produced by the Glimmer Twins, the studio pseudonym for Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, working alongside engineer-producer Chris Kimsey. Bob Clearmountain mixed the record. The combination pushed the album toward a more modern, dance-influenced production.
What was the lead single from Undercover?
The lead single was 'Undercover of the Night,' released in October 1983. It reached number 9 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and topped charts in Canada and Spain. The song was largely Mick Jagger's composition within the Jagger/Richards credit.
Did Undercover reach the top of the charts?
Undercover peaked at number 4 on the US Billboard 200 and number 3 on the UK Albums Chart. It was certified Platinum in the United States and Gold in the United Kingdom. It was the band's studio release between Tattoo You and Dirty Work.
Where was Undercover recorded?
Undercover was recorded at Pathe Marconi Studios in Paris, Compass Point Studios in Nassau, and the Hit Factory in New York City. Sessions ran through 1983. The geographic spread reflected the band members' international base of operations.
Is Undercover considered a political album?
The title track and several songs address political violence and repression, marking a more topical turn for the band. 'Undercover of the Night' references Latin American disappearances and unrest. The themes set the record apart from the band's more party-oriented early-1980s material.