Maggie May - wikipedia Maggie May For other uses, see Maggie May ( disambiguation ). `` Maggie May '' German picture sleeve Single by Rod Stewart from the album Every Picture Tells a Story A-side `` Reason to Believe '' Released July 1971 Format 7 - inch 45 rpm Recorded 1971 Length 5 : 15 Label Mercury Songwriter ( s ) Rod Stewart Producer ( s ) Rod Stewart Rod Stewart singles chronology `` It 's All Over Now '' ( 1970 ) `` Reason to Believe '' / `` Maggie May '' ( 1971 ) `` ( I Know ) I 'm Losing You '' ( 1971 ) `` It 's All Over Now '' ( 1970 ) `` Reason to Believe '' / `` Maggie May '' ( 1971 ) `` ( I Know ) I 'm Losing You '' ( 1971 ) `` Maggie May '' is a song written and performed by singer Rod Stewart from his album Every Picture Tells a Story, released in 1971. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the song number 131 on their list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Contents 1 Background 2 Chart performance 2.1 Weekly charts 2.2 Year - end charts 3 Personnel 4 See also 5 References 6 External links Background `` Maggie May '' expresses the ambivalence and contradictory emotions of a boy involved in a relationship with an older woman, and was written from Stewart 's own experience. In the January 2007 issue of Q magazine, Stewart recalled : `` Maggie May was more or less a true story, about the first woman I had sex with, at the 1961 Beaulieu Jazz Festival. '' The woman 's name was not `` Maggie May '' ; Stewart has stated that the name was taken from ``... an old Liverpudlian song about a prostitute. '' The song was recorded in just two takes in one session. Drummer Micky Waller often arrived at recording sessions with the expectation that a drum kit would be provided and, for `` Maggie May '', it was -- except that no cymbals could be found. The cymbal crashes had to be overdubbed separately some days later. The song was released as the B - side of the single `` Reason to Believe '', but soon radio stations began playing the B - side and `` Maggie May '' became the more popular side. The song was Stewart 's first substantial hit as a solo performer and launched his solo career. It remains one of his best - known songs. A live performance of the song on Top of the Pops saw the Faces joined onstage by DJ John Peel, who pretended to play the mandolin ( the mandolin player on the recording was Ray Jackson of Lindisfarne ). The album version of `` Maggie May '' incorporates a 30 - second solo guitar intro, `` Henry '', composed by Martin Quittenton. The original recording has appeared on almost all his compilations, and even appeared on the Ronnie Wood retrospective, Ronnie Wood Anthology : The Essential Crossexion. A version by the Faces recorded for BBC Radio appeared on the four - disc box set Five Guys Walk into a Bar... A live version recorded in 1993 by Stewart joined by Wood for a session of MTV Unplugged is included on the album Unplugged... and Seated. Chart performance In October 1971, the song went to number one in the UK Singles Chart ( for five weeks ), and simultaneously topped the charts in the United States. Every Picture Tells a Story achieved the same status at the same time. Billboard ranked it as the No. 2 record for 1971. The song also topped the charts in Australia for four weeks at the same time. The song re-entered the UK chart in December 1976, but only reached number 31. `` At first, I did n't think much of `` Maggie May. '' I guess that 's because the record company did n't believe in the song. I did n't have much confidence then. I figured it was best to listen to the guys who knew better. What I learned is sometimes they do and sometimes they do n't. '' Weekly charts Chart ( 1971 ) Peak position Australia Go - Set National Top 40 Canada Germany 11 Ireland New Zealand Switzerland 5 UK US Billboard Hot 100 US Cash Box Top 100 Chart ( 1976 ) Peak position Ireland 13 UK 31 Year - end charts Chart ( 1971 ) Rank Canada 19 UK US Billboard Hot 100 US Cash Box Top 100 23 Personnel Rod Stewart -- lead vocals Ronnie Wood -- electric guitar, twelve - string guitar, bass guitar Martin Quittenton -- acoustic guitar Micky Waller -- drums, cymbals Ian McLagan -- Hammond organ Ray Jackson -- mandolin Pete Sears - celesta See also Maggie May ( folk song ) References Jump up ^ `` Maggie May by Rod Stewart Songfacts ''. Songfacts.com. Retrieved 27 March 2014. ^ Jump up to : Myers, Marc ( 23 October 2015 ). `` Maggie May -- A Song of Loss ''. The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company. p. D6. Jump up ^ Rod -- The Autobiography ISBN 9781780890524 ^ Jump up to : Roberts, David ( 2006 ). British Hit Singles & Albums ( 19th ed. ). London : Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 265 -- 66. ISBN 1 - 904994 - 10 - 5. Jump up ^ `` Allmusic : Every Picture Tell a Story : Charts & Awards : Billboard Albums ''. allmusic.com. Retrieved 1 May 2013. Jump up ^ `` Go - Set Magazine Charts ''. www.poparchives.com.au. Barry McKay. January 2007. Retrieved 25 February 2017. Jump up ^ `` Image : RPM Weekly ''. Retrieved 17 April 2016. Jump up ^ ( Joel Whitburn 's Top Pop Singles 1955 -- 2002 ) Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 19 January 2016. Retrieved 7 February 2016. Jump up ^ `` Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada ''. www.collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 23 June 2017. Jump up ^ Billboard Year - End Hot 100 singles of 1971 Jump up ^ `` Top Pop 100 Singles '' Billboard 25 December 1971 : TA - 36 Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 26 June 2015. Retrieved 30 May 2016. External links Maggie May at Discogs ( list of releases ) Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Preceded by `` Go Away Little Girl '' by Donny Osmond Billboard Hot 100 number - one single 2 October 1971 ( five weeks ) Succeeded by `` Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves '' by Cher Preceded by `` Hey Girl Do n't Bother Me '' by The Tams UK number - one single 9 October 1971 ( five weeks ) Succeeded by `` Coz I Luv You '' by Slade Preceded by `` Banks of the Ohio '' by Olivia Newton - John Australian Kent Music Report number - one single 29 November 1971 ( four weeks ) Succeeded by `` Imagine '' by John Lennon Rod Stewart singles 1970s `` It 's All Over Now '' ( 1970 ) `` Reason to Believe '' / `` Maggie May '' ( 1971 ) `` Every Picture Tells a Story '' / `` Reason to Believe '' ( 1971 ) Spain only `` ( I Know ) I 'm Losing You '' / `` Mandolin Wind '' ( 1971 ) `` Handbags and Gladrags '' ( 1972 ) `` You Wear It Well '' ( 1972 ) `` Angel '' ( 1972 ) `` What 's Made Milwaukee Famous ( Has Made a Loser Out of Me ) '' ( 1972 ) `` Twistin ' the Night Away '' ( 1973, 1987 ) `` Oh ! No Not My Baby '' ( 1973 ) `` Farewell '' / `` You Send Me '' ( 1973 ) `` Mine for Me '' ( 1974 ) `` You Can Make Me Dance, Sing or Anything '' ( 1974 ) Stewart / Faces `` Sailing '' ( 1975 ) `` This Old Heart of Mine '' ( 1975 ) `` Tonight 's the Night '' ( 1975 ) `` The Killing of Georgie '' ( 1976 ) `` Get Back '' ( 1976 ) `` The First Cut Is the Deepest '' ( 1977 ) `` I Do n't Want to Talk About It '' ( 1977, 1990 ) `` You 're in My Heart ( The Final Acclaim ) '' ( 1978 ) `` Hot Legs '' ( 1978 ) `` I Was Only Joking '' ( 1978 ) `` Da Ya Think I 'm Sexy ? '' ( 1978, 1997 ) `` Ai n't Love a Bitch '' ( 1979 ) `` Blondes ( Have More Fun ) '' ( 1979 ) 1980s `` ( If Loving You Is Wrong ) I Do n't Want to Be Right '' ( 1980 ) `` Passion '' ( 1980 ) `` Tonight, I 'm Yours ( Do n't Hurt Me ) '' ( 1981 ) `` Young Turks '' ( 1982 ) `` How Long ? '' ( 1982 ) `` Baby Jane '' ( 1983 ) `` That 's What Friends Are For '' ( 1983 ) `` Infatuation '' ( 1984 ) `` Some Guys Have All the Luck '' ( 1984 ) `` All Right Now '' ( 1984 ) `` People Get Ready '' ( 1985, 1991, 1993 ) Stewart / Beck `` Love Touch '' ( 1986 ) `` In My Life '' ( 1987 ) `` Forever Young '' ( 1988 ) `` My Heart Ca n't Tell You No '' ( 1988 ) `` This Old Heart of Mine ( Is Weak for You ) '' ( 1989 ) Stewart / Isley `` Downtown Train '' ( 1989 ) 1990s `` It Takes Two '' ( 1990 ) Stewart / Turner `` Rhythm of My Heart '' ( 1991 ) `` The Motown Song '' ( 1991 ) `` Your Song '' ( 1992 ) `` Ruby Tuesday '' ( 1993 ) `` Have I Told You Lately '' ( 1993 ) `` Reason to Believe '' ( unplugged, 1993 ) `` All for Love '' ( 1993 ) Stewart / Adams / Sting `` Leave Virginia Alone '' ( 1995 ) `` Lady Luck '' ( 1996 ) `` Ooh La La '' ( 1998 ) `` Rocks '' ( 1998 ) `` Cigarettes and Alcohol '' ( 1998 ) `` Faith of the Heart '' ( 1999 ) 2000s `` These Foolish Things '' ( 2002 ) `` They Ca n't Take That Away from Me '' ( 2003 ) `` Time After Time '' ( 2003 ) `` What a Wonderful World '' ( 2004 ) `` Blue Moon '' ( 2004 ) `` Baby, It 's Cold Outside '' ( 2005 ) `` I 've Got a Crush on You '' ( 2005 ) `` I 've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm '' ( 2006 ) `` Have You Ever Seen the Rain ? '' ( 2006 ) 2010s `` Everybody Hurts '' ( 2010 ) `` Let It Snow ! Let It Snow ! Let It Snow ! '' ( 2012 ) `` Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas '' ( 2012 ) `` She Makes Me Happy '' ( 2013 ) `` It 's Over '' ( 2013 ) `` Brighton Beach '' ( 2013 ) `` Everyday '' ( 2015 ) `` Love Is '' ( 2015 ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Maggie_May&oldid=800907988 '' Categories : 1971 singles Billboard Hot 100 number - one singles Number - one singles in Australia Rod Stewart songs Song recordings produced by Rod Stewart Songs about sexuality Songs written by Martin Quittenton Songs written by Rod Stewart The Pogues songs UK Singles Chart number - one singles 1971 songs Mercury Records singles Songs about women Hidden categories : Use dmy dates from June 2017 Use British English from August 2014 Articles with hAudio microformats Wikipedia articles needing clarification from August 2017 All articles with specifically marked weasel - worded phrases Articles with specifically marked weasel - worded phrases from August 2017 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Español Euskara Français Italiano 日本 語 Русский Svenska Edit links This page was last edited on 16 September 2017, at 13 : 06. 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Question: what year did the song maggie may come out
Answer: 1971