Recorded between June and October of 1979, "Emotional Rescue" is a disco-influenced number, somewhat similar to the band's 1978 hit "Miss You". The song is notable as one of the earliest songs by the group to show the growing rift between main songwriters Jagger and Richards. Although Richards playes guitar and added backing vocals towards the end of this track, he is noted to not have liked the direction in which Jagger was trying to take the band with disco-like compositions, although this may have been exaggerated by the press and Richards' hard-rock-oriented image. The song is based around a bass line played by Ronnie Wood. Also notable is Jagger's singing of the song in a falsetto, popular on many disco-era songs. Bassist Bill Wyman plays synthesizer on the record, while Jagger and Ian Stewart play electric piano.

Released as the album's lead on June 20, 1980, "Emotional Rescue" was well-received by some fans. Other fans of the Rolling Stones' work took note of the change in direction and were disappointed by it. Reaching number nine on the UK Singles Chart and number three in the U.S., "Emotional Rescue" became popular enough to feature on all of the band's later compilation albums.

Noted jam band Phish occasionally covered the song, usually stretching it to the 15 minute mark.

Preceded by "Sailing" by Christopher Cross	ARC Weekly Top 40 number one single August 30, 1980	Succeeded by "Fame" by Irene Cara

v • d • e The Rolling Stones singles

Decca/London singles	1963: Come On, I Wanna Be Your Man • 1964: Not Fade Away, It's All Over Now, Tell Me, Time Is on My Side, Little Red Rooster, Heart of Stone • 1965: The Last Time / Play with Fire, (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction, Get off of My Cloud, As Tears Go By • 1966: 19th Nervous Breakdown, Paint It, Black, Mother's Little Helper / Lady Jane, Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow? • 1967: Let's Spend the Night Together / Ruby Tuesday, We Love You / Dandelion, In Another Land, She's a Rainbow • 1968: Jumpin' Jack Flash, Street Fighting Man • 1969: Honky Tonk Women •

Rolling Stones/ Atlantic singles	1971: Brown Sugar, Wild Horses • 1972: Tumbling Dice, Happy • 1973: Angie, Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker) • 1974: It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It), Ain't Too Proud to Beg • 1976: Fool to Cry, Hot Stuff •

Rolling Stones/Virgin singles	1978: Miss You, Beast of Burden, Respectable, Shattered • 1980: Emotional Rescue, She's So Cold • 1981: Start Me Up, Waiting on a Friend • 1982: Hang Fire, Going to a Go-Go (live), Time Is on My Side (live) • 1983: Undercover of the Night • 1984: She Was Hot • 1986: Harlem Shuffle, One Hit (to the Body) • 1989: Mixed Emotions, Rock and a Hard Place • 1990: Almost Hear You Sigh, Terrifying • 1991: Highwire, Ruby Tuesday (live) •

Virgin singles	1994: Love Is Strong, You Got Me Rocking, Out of Tears • 1995: I Go Wild • 1997: Anybody Seen My Baby? • 1998: Saint of Me, Out of Control • 2002: Don't Stop, Sympathy for the Devil (remix) • 2005: Streets of Love / Rough Justice, Rain Fall Down • 2006: Biggest Mistake •