Rolling Stones Songs Ranked

The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. The first stable line-up consisted of bandleader Brian Jones (guitar, harmonica, keyboards), Mick Jagger (lead vocals, harmonica), Keith Richards (guitar, vocals), Bill Wyman (bass), Charlie Watts (drums), and Ian Stewart (piano). Stewart was removed from the official line-up in 1963 but continued to work with the band as a contracted musician until his death in 1985. The band’s primary songwriters, Jagger and Richards, assumed leadership after Andrew Loog Oldham became the group’s manager. Jones left the band less than a month before his death in 1969, having already been replaced by Mick Taylor, who remained until 1974. After Taylor left the band, Ronnie Wood took his place in 1975 and continues on guitar in tandem with Richards.

The Rolling Stones were at the forefront of the British Invasion of bands that became popular in the United States in 1964 and were identified with the youthful and rebellious counterculture of the 1960s. Rooted in blues and early rock and roll, the band started out playing covers but found more success with their own material. Here are the Rolling Stones songs ranked from worst to best.

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20. Rocks Off (Exile on Main St., 1972)

“This is hands down my favorite Stones song. It’s soooo catchy, I love the way the saxophone plays off of the guitar. The perfect opening song to an album.”

19. She’s a Rainbow (The Rolling Stones in Mono, 2016)

“Make You imagine he singing and when the cymbal sounds rainbows appears behind Jagger Also remember You a happy and sanguinist girl that drives you mad.”

18. Honky Tonk Women (Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out! The Rolling Stones in Concert, 1970)

“Some many great songs to choose from but Honky Tonk Women delivers throughout from every angle.”

17. Get Off My Cloud (December’s Children (And Everybody’s), 1965)

“Great song surprised it’s so low on the list. Seen it performed live by a tribute band which was amazing, can only imagine how good it would be by the the stones.”

See more: Rolling Stones Albums Ranked

16. Can’t You Hear Me Knocking (Sticky Fingers, 1971)

“This is my favourite The Rolling Stones song…the saxophone solo is one of the best solos in the world…and then the guitar is also amazing…you just go into a daze listening to this song…”

15. Ruby Tuesday (The Rolling Stones in Mono, 2016)

“This song makes me want to pick up my guitar and strum my beating heart out of my chest. It’s not a hard rock song, but this really makes me feel a certain kind of special.”

14. Miss You (Some Girls, 1978)

“Even though not one of my favourite albums this is probably one of my favourite songs . Shows that stones really can do anything good.”

13. Beast of Burden (Some Girls, 1978)

“Maybe their only song where the lyrics actually matter (Gimme shelter is my number two and the few lyrics I know I feel really good I have wrong) and they are beautiful. Put simply, I’m done playing games, done dancing around the truth. I love you, if you feel the same way then that’s great but if not I’ll walk right out that door. Complex concept in the simplest of lyrics. Only WIllie Nelson can write lyrics that acomplish that as well as this song”

12. Wild Horses (Sticky Fingers, 1971)

“Wild Horses is one of the most beautiful ballads in the history of music, while Under My Thumb is sooooo boring and also has really rude lyrics.”

11. It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll (It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll, 1974)

“Seriously underrated song… This one should be much higher on the list! Great vocals and solo… Great Stones sing-along song that always finds stuck in your head for days on end.”

10. Under My Thumb (Aftermath, 1966)

“Definitely in my Top 10 songs of all time. A great example of how all of their songs are different and unique. Sympathy for the Devil, Angie, and Gimme Shelter are some of my other favorites”

9. Start Me Up (Tattoo You, 1981)

“Don’t make a grown man cry! “. This song is my favorite song of all time, VERY well produced, the lyrics tie together well. It’s not their only good song dude, The Rolling Stones have got many awesome songs, including this one!”

8. Angie (Goats Head Soup, 1973)

“Beautiful, beautiful song, sort of unlike the Stones, but with the violin and piano, and vocals… Amazing. Such a sweet, unusual, sad song. At least top five, I’d say first, but they have a lot of other great stuff too. I’m a 13 year old girl. A lot of us listen to Justin Bieber and One Direction, and loads of autotuned junk, but not me. I love rock, alt, things that aren’t constantly playing on top 40. Rock on.”

7. Brown Sugar (Sticky Fingers, 1971)

“Because of the energy flooding into you when listening to this rock’n’roll masterpiece! From the first riff you just get into it and want to sing it out loud in the metro instead of just keeping it for yourself through your headphones!”

See more: Traveling Wilburys Albums Ranked

6. Jumpin’ Jack Flash (The Rolling Stones in Mono, 2016)

“Almost PERFECT… Think about Mean Streets, about De Niro. The song fits his character the best. The riff is awesome and lyrics are great. I love the vocals. It deserves the 2nd place, after Gimme Shelter, obviously”

5. You Can’t Always Get What You Want (The Rolling Stones in Mono, 2016)

“Oh, man, every time I think of this song I think of the time I was driving in the car and then all of a sudden my dad said we’re going to McDonald’s and after we got the food I wanted it really bad as we were getting home and then this blasted on the radio… I was quiet till we got home 🙂 AH I LOVE THIS SONG”

4. Sympathy for the Devil (The Rolling Stones in Mono, 2016)

“This song is an absolute masterpiece. The drum beat and the piano chords are so catchy. I especially love the lyric: “every cop is a criminal, and all the sinners saints.”

3. (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction (Out of Our Heads, 1965)

“It is their most popular song and I also think it’s the best one. The guitar riff is really good and this is one of my favorite 60s songs and I’m not even a big Rolling Stones fan.”

2. Gimme Shelter (The Rolling Stones in Mono, 2016)

“There aren’t any songs like Gimme Shelter, one of the only apocalyptic rock songs. It’s atmosphere, intro and vocals are the most striking of pretty much any songs out there.”

1. Paint It Black (Aftermath, 1966)

“If you could only put yourself back in the day– segregation, assassinations, dictators, Nam, no birth control or abortion,before the flower children and Woodstock– this spoke from the heart, the urgency, and then a sitar (magical escapist thinking) of all things. A confused, passionate age, and this says it all; I could not foresee this thing happening to you. Yes.”