You know that feeling when a drum beat kicks in and you immediately feel like you could run through a brick wall? That’s the Start Me Up song. It is, quite possibly, the most recognizable opening in rock history. But honestly, it’s a miracle we ever heard it at all.
Most people think the Rolling Stones just sat down in a studio, Keith Richards hit a chord, and magic happened. Nope. It was actually a discarded reggae track that gathered dust for years before becoming the anthem for every stadium, wedding, and Microsoft launch since the eighties.
The Reggae Roots of a Rock Legend
Let’s go back to 1978. The Stones were in Paris at Pathé Marconi Studios, working on the Some Girls sessions. At the time, they were obsessed with reggae. Keith Richards had this riff—the one we all know—but he was playing it with a jerky, off-beat Caribbean swing. They did dozens of takes. It didn't work. It felt thin.
They buried the tapes.
It wasn't until 1981, when the band needed more material for the Tattoo You album, that associate producer Chris Kimsey went digging through the vaults. He found two takes where the band had ditched the reggae vibe and gone straight rock and roll. It took them about five years to realize they had a hit sitting in a box.
Keith Richards later famously said that "Start Me Up" was the kind of song that was "buried in the back of the cupboard." Imagine being so talented that you accidentally forget you wrote one of the greatest guitar hooks of the 20th century. It happens.
The Secret Sauce of that Snare Sound
If you listen closely to the Start Me Up song, the first thing you notice isn't actually the guitar. It’s the air. There is this massive, explosive space around Charlie Watts’ drums.
Engineers achieved this by using a "bathroom reverb." They literally put a speaker in the studio bathroom, played the drum track through it, and recorded the sound bouncing off the tiles with another microphone. It created this slap-back effect that makes the song sound like it’s being played in a giant canyon.
It’s raw.
And then there’s Keith’s guitar. He uses a five-string Open G tuning (GDGBD), with the low E string removed entirely. This is his signature move. It allows him to get that "clucky" percussive sound where the chords ring out with a specific kind of clarity that a standard tuning just can't replicate. It’s messy, but it’s perfect.
Why Bill Gates Paid Millions for It
In 1995, the world changed. Microsoft was launching Windows 95. They needed a way to tell people that the "Start" button was the future of computing.
The story goes that Bill Gates asked the Stones if he could use "Start Me Up" for the commercial. Rumor has it the band asked for an astronomical sum—some say $10 million, though later reports suggested it was closer to $3 million—expecting a "no."
Gates said yes.
It was a massive cultural moment. It was the first time the Stones had licensed a song for a major corporate ad campaign. Fans were annoyed. Critics called them sell-outs. But honestly? It worked. To this day, people of a certain age can't hear that riff without thinking about a grey taskbar and a spinning hourglass. It turned a rock song into a piece of global infrastructure.
Lyrical Chaos and the Jagger Swagger
Mick Jagger’s lyrics for the Start Me Up song are... well, they’re classic Mick. They are vaguely suggestive, high-energy, and mostly nonsensical if you look at them too closely. "You make a grown man cry." "My grease is used up." It’s all about momentum.
📖 Related: The Truman Show Movie Poster: Why That Mosaic Face Is Still Genius
Jagger’s performance on this track is a masterclass in vocal rhythmic timing. He isn't just singing; he's acting as a third percussion instrument. He grunts, he yelps, and he pushes the beat.
Interestingly, the song was originally titled "Never Stop." You can still find bootlegs of those early sessions where Mick is singing different lyrics over the reggae beat. It feels sluggish. It lacks the "punch" that makes the final version a staple of sports arenas.
The Legacy of a "Saved" Track
Tattoo You is often considered one of the Stones' best "later" albums, which is funny because it's mostly made up of outtakes from the 70s. "Start Me Up" was the lead single, and it stayed at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 for weeks.
It never actually hit number one in the US. Isn't that wild?
It was held off the top spot by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie’s "Endless Love." A power ballad beat the greatest riff of the decade. But look at which song has more staying power today. You don't hear "Endless Love" blasting when a NFL team takes the field. You hear Keith.
Technical Breakdown of the Opening Riff
For the musicians reading this, the magic is in the "push." The drums don't come in on the one.
👉 See also: John Tesh Roundball Rock: Why the 90s NBA Anthem Still Hits Hard
- Keith starts the riff solo.
- Charlie Watts misses the first beat on purpose (or by accident, depending on who you ask).
- The whole band "falls" into the groove together.
This creates a sense of tension. For a split second, the listener isn't sure where the beat is. When the snare finally cracks, it’s a physical relief. That’s why the song feels like it’s "starting up" every time it plays. It builds the engine before it drives.
Actionable Takeaways for Music Fans
If you want to truly appreciate the Start Me Up song, don't just listen to the radio edit. Do these things to hear what the experts hear:
- Listen for the "Ghost" Notes: Use high-quality headphones. Listen to the way Charlie Watts hits the snare. There are tiny, quiet hits between the big ones that give the song its "swing."
- Watch the 1981 Live Version: Search for the band performing this at Hampton Coliseum in 1981. You’ll see the sheer energy it took to transition from their disco-influenced era back into pure rock.
- Try the Open G Tuning: If you play guitar, tune to GDGBD and take your thumb off the neck. Play a barre chord. You’ll instantly recognize the "Stones sound."
- Compare the Eras: Listen to "Start Me Up" followed by "Brown Sugar." Notice how the production evolved from the grit of the early 70s to the polished, "big room" sound of the 80s.
The song serves as a reminder that great art often requires a second look. If the Stones had stuck to their guns and insisted on the reggae version, we’d be missing one of the most vital pulses in music history. Sometimes, the best thing you can do with a project is put it in a drawer, wait three years, and try it with a different beat.
Next time you hear that riff, remember: it’s not just a song. It’s a five-year-old mistake that became a masterpiece.