What year was the song "Start Me Up" released?

“Start Me Up” was released in 1981. The Rolling Stones issued it as the lead single from their sixteenth studio album, Tattoo You, on August 14, 1981.

The song has an unusual history. The band first recorded an early reggae-influenced version during sessions in the mid-1970s, and they revisited it during the 1978 sessions for Some Girls. Most of those recordings were set aside, but producer Chris Kimsey later found two stronger rock-oriented takes in the band’s archives.

In 1981, Mick Jagger added vocals and the group completed overdubs, turning the previously shelved track into a sharp, guitar-driven single. It became one of the Stones’ signature songs and is frequently associated with the opening of their concerts.

A common mix-up is confusing the recording date with the release date. Basic tracks were recorded years earlier, but the finished single and Tattoo You album both arrived in 1981. The song reached number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and number seven in the United Kingdom.