"Brown Sugar" is a song by English rock band The Rolling Stones. It is the opening track and lead single from the band's 1971 album Sticky Fingers. Rolling Stonemagazine ranked it #490 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Though credited, like most Rolling Stones compositions, to singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards, the song were primarily the work of Jagger, who wrote it sometime during the filming of Ned Kellyin 1969. Originally recorded over a three day period at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama during 2–4 December 1969, the song was not released until over a year later due to legal wranglings with the band's former label though at the request of guitarist Mick Taylor, they debuted the number live during the infamous concert at Altamont on 6 December. In the film Gimme Shelter, an alternate mix of the song is played back to the band while they relax in a hotel in Alabama. This version differs from that on record by the inclusion of a rhythmic variation on the familiar staccato introduction for two out of every four bars for that part and it includes a guitar solo by Mick Taylor rather than Bobby Keyes' sax solo.

The song, with its prominent blues-rock riffs, dual horn/guitar instrumental break, and danceable rock rhythms, is representative of the Stones' definitive mid-period and the tough, bluesy hard-rock most often associated with the group. In the liner notes to the 1993 compilation album Jump Back, Jagger says, "The lyric was all to do with the dual combination of drugs and girls. This song was a very instant thing, a definite high point." In the Rolling Stoneinterview (December 14, 1995, RS 723) with Mick Jagger, Jagger spoke at length about the song, including claiming credit writing the lyrics for the entire song, the inspiration and success of the song. He attributed the success of the song to a “good groove”. After noting that the lyrics meant so many lewd subjects, he again noted that the combination of those subjects, and the lyrics ambiguousness was partially why the song was considered successful. He noted, “That makes it...the whole mess thrown in. God knows what I’m on about on that song. It’s such a mishmash. All the nasty subjects in one go….I never would write that song now.” When Jann Wenner asked him why, Jagger replied, “I would probably censor myself. I’d think, 'Oh God, I can’t. I’ve got to stop. I can’t just write raw like that.'” , The lyrical subject matter has often been a point of interest and controversy. Described by rock critic Robert Christgau as "a rocker so compelling that it discourages exegesis", "Brown Sugar"'s popularity indeed often overshadowed its scandalous lyrics, which were essentially a pastiche of a number of taboo subjects, including interracial sex, cunnilingus, slave rape, and less distinctly, sadomasochism, lost virginity, and heroin.

An alternate version was recorded on 18 December 1970, at Olympic Studios in London, after (or during) a birthday party for Richards. It features appearances by Al Kooper on piano, and Eric Clapton on slide guitar. The alternate version is widely available on bootleg recordings. Richards considered releasing this version on Sticky Fingers, mostly for its more spontaneous atmosphere, but decided on the original.

"Brown Sugar" was eventually released in May 1971 as the first single from the album, becoming a number-one hit in the United States and a number two hit in the United Kingdom and has since become a classic rock radio staple. While the American single featured only "Bitch" on the B-side, the British single featured that track plus a live rendition of Chuck Berry's "Let It Rock", recorded at the University of Leeds during the 1971 tour of the UK.

The song was performed routinely during the Rolling Stones' 1970 European Tour, occupying a prominent spot near the end of the set list even though audiences were unfamiliar with it. It eventually opened the famed 1972 American Tour shows and has been a Stones concert stalwart since.

When the Rolling Stones perform "Brown Sugar" live, Jagger often changes the lyrics from, "Just like a young girl should," to, "Just like a young man should." The line, "Hear him whip the women just around midnight," is often changed to the less offensive, "You shoulda heard him just around midnight." This is evidenced in their live albums Love You Live, Flashpoint, Live Licksand Shine a Light. This change even occurs on the version recorded at Richards' birthday party.

The song is also notable for being the first single released on Rolling Stones Records (catalogue number RS-19100) and is one of the two Rolling Stones songs (along with "Wild Horses") licensed to both the band and former manager Allen Klein (a result of various business disagreements) resulting in its inclusion on the compilation album Hot Rocks 1964–1971. "Brown Sugar" is also included on the most significant latter-day Rolling Stones compilations, Jump Backand Forty Licks.

The song was later used in a 1998 Pepsi commercial with a fly singing a cover version of "Brown Sugar" after sipping on some spilled Pepsi. The commercial was used as part of Pepsi's aggressive ad campaign of switching to a blue background on its cans & bottles after decades of using a white background.

1963: "Come On" / "I Want to Be Loved"  ·"Poison Ivy" / "Fortune Teller"  ·"I Wanna Be Your Man" / "Stoned", 1964: "Not Fade Away" / "Little by Little" (UK)  ·"Not Fade Away" / "I Wanna Be Your Man" (US)  ·"It's All Over Now" / "Good Times, Bad Times"  ·"Tell Me" / "I Just Want to Make Love to You"  ·"Time Is on My Side" / "Congratulations"  ·"Little Red Rooster" / "Off the Hook"  ·"Heart of Stone" / "What a Shame", 1965: "What a Shame" / "Heart of Stone"  ·"The Last Time" / "Play with Fire"  ·"Play with Fire" / "The Last Time"  ·"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" / "The Under-Assistant West Coast Promotion Man" (US)  ·"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" / "The Spider and the Fly" (UK)  ·"Get Off of My Cloud" / "I'm Free" (US)  ·"Get Off of My Cloud" / "The Singer Not the Song" (UK)  ·"As Tears Go By" / "Gotta Get Away", 1966: "19th Nervous Breakdown" / "As Tears Go By" (UK)  ·"19th Nervous Breakdown" / "Sad Day" (US)  ·"Paint It, Black" / "Stupid Girl" (US)  ·"Paint It, Black" / "Long Long While" (UK)  ·"Mother's Little Helper" / "Lady Jane"  ·"Lady Jane" / "Mother's Little Helper"  ·"Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow?" / "Who's Driving Your Plane", 1967: "Let's Spend the Night Together" / "Ruby Tuesday"  ·"Ruby Tuesday" / "Let's Spend the Night Together"  ·"We Love You" / "Dandelion"  ·"Dandelion" / "We Love You"  ·"In Another Land" / "The Lantern"  ·"She's a Rainbow" / "2000 Light Years from Home", 1968: "Jumpin' Jack Flash" / "Child of the Moon"  ·"Street Fighting Man" / "No Expectations"  ·, 1969: "Honky Tonk Women" / "You Can't Always Get What You Want"

1971: " Brown Sugar " / "Bitch" / "Let It Rock" (live) (UK)  ·" Brown Sugar " / "Bitch" (US)  ·"Wild Horses" / "Sway"  ·"Street Fighting Man" / "Surprise, Surprise", 1972: "Tumbling Dice" / "Sweet Black Angel"  ·"Happy" / "All Down the Line", 1973: "You Can't Always Get What You Want" / "Sad Day"  ·"Angie" / "Silver Train"  ·"Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)" / "Dancing with Mr. D", 1974: "It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)" / "Through the Lonely Nights"  ·"Ain't Too Proud to Beg" / "Dance Little Sister", 1975: "I Don't Know Why" / "Try a Little Harder"  ·"Out of Time" / "Jiving Sister Fanny", 1976: "Fool to Cry" / "Crazy Mama"  ·"Hot Stuff" / "Fool to Cry"

1978: "Miss You" / "Far Away Eyes"  ·"Beast of Burden" / "When the Whip Comes Down"  ·"Respectable" / "When the Whip Comes Down"  ·"Shattered" / "Everything Is Turning to Gold", 1980: "Emotional Rescue" / "Down in the Hole"  ·"She's So Cold" / "Send It to Me", 1981: "If I Was a Dancer (Dance Pt. 2)" / "If I Was a Dancer (Dance Pt. 2)"  ·"Start Me Up" / "No Use In Crying"  ·"Waiting on a Friend" / "Little T&A"  ·"Little T&A" / "Waiting on a Friend", 1982: "Hang Fire" / "Neighbours"  ·"Going to a Go-Go" (live) / "Beast of Burden" (live)  ·"Time Is on My Side" (live) / "Twenty Flight Rock" (live), 1983: "Undercover of the Night" / "All the Way Down", 1984: "She Was Hot" / "Think I'm Going Mad"  ·"Think I'm Going Mad" / "She Was Hot"  ·"Too Tough" / "Miss You"  ·" Brown Sugar " / "Bitch"  ·"Too Much Blood" / "Too Much Blood", 1986: "Harlem Shuffle" / "Had It With You"  ·"Winning Ugly" / "Winning Ugly"  ·"One Hit (To the Body)" / "Fight", 1989: "Mixed Emotions" / "Fancy Man Blues"  ·"Sad Sad Sad" / "Sad Sad Sad"  ·"Rock and a Hard Place" / "Cook Cook Blues", 1990: "Almost Hear You Sigh" / "Break the Spell" (US)  ·"Almost Hear You Sigh" / "Wish I'd Never Met You" (UK)  ·"Paint It, Black" / "Long Long While"  ·"Terrifying" / "Wish I'd Never Met You", 1991: "Highwire" / "2000 Light Years from Home" (live)  ·"Ruby Tuesday" (live) / "Play with Fire" (live)  ·"Sex Drive" / "Sex Drive"

1994: "Love Is Strong" / "The Storm"  ·"Love Is Strong" / "So Young"  ·"You Got Me Rocking" / "Jump On Top of Me"  ·"Out of Tears" / "I'm Gonna Drive" / "So Young"  ·"Out of Tears" / "I'm Gonna Drive" / "Sparks Will Fly", 1995: "Sparks Will Fly" / "Sparks Will Fly"  ·"I Go Wild" / (remixes)  ·"Like a Rolling Stone" (live) / "Black Limousine" / "All Down the Line", 1996: "Wild Horses" (live) / "Live with Me" (live) / "Tumbling Dice" (live), 1997: "Anybody Seen My Baby?" / (remixes)  ·"Flip the Switch" / "Flip the Switch", 1998: "Saint of Me" / "Gimme Shelter" / "Anyway You Look At It"  ·"Out of Control" / (remixes)  ·"Gimme Shelter" (live) / "Gimme Shelter" (live), 2002: "Don't Stop" / "Miss You" (remix), 2003: "Sympathy for the Devil" (remix) / (remixes), 2005: "Streets of Love" / "Rough Justice"  ·"Oh No Not You Again" / "Oh No Not You Again"  ·"Rain Fall Down" / (remixes), 2006: "Biggest Mistake" / "Dance Pt. 1" (live) / "Before They Make Me Run", 2007: "Paint It, Black" / "Paint It, Black"