Despite its beauty, Positano served as the backdrop to the writing of one of The Rolling Stones’ darkest songs, “Midnight Rambler.” In 1995, Mick Jagger told Rolling Stone the story behind the song:
That’s a song Keith (Richards) and I really wrote together. We were on a holiday in Italy. In this very beautiful hill town, Positano, for a few nights. Why we should write such a dark song in this beautiful, sunny place, I really don’t know. We wrote everything there — the tempo changes, everything. And I’m playing the harmonica in these little cafes, and there’s Keith with the guitar.