It’s easy to forget the power of the music we play on Classic Rock and Hits stations. When you live with these artists and songs day after day, year after year, it can start to feel like wallpaper. So, when something comes along that’s a stark reminder of how powerful other people think our music is, I try to note it in this column.
One example would be the promos FX is running for the final season of their hit show The Bear. Considering the demographic that watches the show, I was surprised when they chose The Who’s “Love, Reign o’er Me” as the focal point of those promos.
But the real standout example of Classic Rock’s enduring power is in the major partnership announcements that have popped up around the Rolling Stones’ new album Foreign Tongues, which drops on July 10. Here are three examples that caught my attention.
NASCAR
When I think about NASCAR, I can’t say a band of 80-year-olds like the Rolling Stones is exactly who comes to mind. But earlier this week, the two announced a “first-of-its-kind collaboration celebrating two cultural icons built on performance and life on the road.”
The centerpiece of the partnership is a NASCAR vehicle transformed into a listening lounge where fans will hear music from the album. The vehicle is said to “blend racing culture and the band’s legendary aesthetic.” Additionally, there’s a NASCAR x Rolling Stones merchandise collection, headlined by a signature racing jacket and two limited-edition NASCAR-themed vinyl editions of the new album.
The press release also mentions original content “highlighting the parallels between professional drivers and touring musicians.” That begins with a film featuring several drivers set to music from the album. It will reimagine the drivers as a touring rock band by blending racing imagery with “rock ‘n’ roll storytelling.” Furthermore, it’s the centerpiece of a campaign designed to “bring fans inside the worlds of both NASCAR and The Rolling Stones.”
Marvel Comics
Another unexpected partner — and one much closer to my personal wheelhouse — is Marvel Comics, which teamed with the Stones for a series of special collector’s edition vinyl variants. The series features some of Marvel’s best-known characters: The Hulk, Captain America, Spider-Man, Thor, and Wolverine.
Each hero has their own edition of the album with corresponding artwork. For example, Spider-Man is using his web to form the iconic Stones lips and tongue logo, Thor has the logo rendered in lightning around his hammer, and The Hulk is in the process of throwing an iconic British double-decker bus bearing the band’s logo on the side. The special pressings also come with a comic book, though it’s unclear whether the story is Rolling Stones-related.
FIFA
While I only have a mild case of World Cup fever, the Rolling Stones — not surprisingly, given their English roots — are fully on board. This partnership starts with three special vinyl editions for the World Cup host nations of the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with artwork focused on the colors and cultural themes of each country.
There is also a FIFA World Cup edition of the album featuring the lips and tongue logo with a soccer ball pattern. Additionally, the band is contributing a remix of “In the Stars,” one of the songs from the album that’s already been released, to the official FIFA World Cup 2026 album. And, literally as I was writing this, I came across the announcement of an extensive Rolling Stones/World Cup merchandise line.
What It All Means for Classic Rock
Here’s the moral to this week’s story. NASCAR, Marvel, and FIFA represent some of the biggest fan communities around, none of which exactly match who you might picture as a typical Rolling Stones lover. Yet all three were willing to lend their cachet to the band.
Meanwhile, at Classic Rock — where the band is still a top 10 artist — we reach the community that likely loves this band the most. Yet I wonder how many stations are going to create special programming around the release.
As you read this on July 6, there is still time to join the likes of NASCAR, Marvel, and FIFA in celebrating a new Rolling Stones album release. You don’t have to focus on playing the new music, but you should be finding ways to celebrate the fact that one of the format’s biggest acts is still relevant and still creating buzz.
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Mike Stern is a Classic Rock columnist and Features writer for Barrett Media. He has been with Jacobs Media consulting stations in the Classic Rock, Rock, Alternative and AAA world for more than a decade. Prior to that he programmed stations in Chicago, Detroit, Denver Las Vegas and other markets. He also worked as News/Talk Editor for Radio and Records, wrote about Top 40 Radio for Billboard Magazine and had his own radio talent coaching business called Talent Mechanic.