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Featured Replies

The Rolling Stones have so many great songs, but my favorite has always been "Beast of Burden". 

Gimme Shelter is probably my favorite song period, from any band. 

 

I would say roughly in order my top 5 would be 

Gimme Shelter

Paint it Black

Sympathy for the Devil 

Beast of Burden 

Ruby Tuesday 

 

 

I will say I'm have a tab open always in my computer with Beast of Burden though that I play along with almost every night. Such a good groove.

Beast of Burden popped into my head first

 

Beast of Burden 

Ruby Tuesday

Can't Always Get What You Want

Gimme Shelter

Wild Horses

 

Satisfaction-only the best R&R song ever

Sympathy for the Devil-the song our parents were warning us about; also, see the Godard movie

Honky Tonk Women-Stones raunch at its best

Paint it Black was my "Andy Dufresne- they can't take it from your head" song in Marine Corps basic training, so it's in there for me.

Gimme Shelter is so unique though.  It is probably my number one.

You Can't Always Get What You Want's lyrics reminded a younger me not to get caught up on shit I didn't control.  I'll put it at 3.

They are a great band with which to play that game of what songs would you get rid of.  Furk.  Not many of them...

Stray Cat Blues - It's NSFW lyrics and the Stones pushing the envelope of "decency" for some reason is probably my number two, call it 1A honestly.  

Sympathy for the Devil - is my favorite lyrically

Gimme Shelter - I always love a slow intro to ready for the sound explosion.  Best old school song of theirs to get on the dance floor to.

Brown Sugar - Reminds me of my daughters hanging on the front row of the pit, on their video in '05 at Zilker. I can see clearly my curly headed ,half front tooth daughter, bobbing up grinning ear to ear singing the lyrics on the video. That elevates it much higher than it would be otherwise. Dad was cool that day...

 

Gimme shelter

brown sugar 

midnight rambler

been digging sister morphine recently

heartbreaker also a great tune…

Edited by Pato del Muerto

Dead heat between "Beast of Burden", "Wild Horses" and "Honky Tonk Women".

CGWYW

Angie

Sympathy

Start Me Up

Paint it Black

Emotional Rescue 

I swear we have had this thread before, and previously the most common answers were can’t you hear me knocking and monkey man. And those haven’t been mentioned once yet. 

I left off "Miss You".  Best disco song ever, and by a long shot.

Street Fighting Man is the coolest acoustic riff I've ever heard, and Charlie's drumming is incredible on that track. Great lyrics too. 

Some of my faves have already been mentioned (Gimme Shelter, Honky Tonk Women, Brown Sugar, Street Fighting Man, Start Me Up), but I will also throw in Time Waits For No One, I Am Waiting, Waiting On A Friend, and Tumbling Dice.

Gun to head, I'd probably pick Gimme Shelter. 

6 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

Dead heat between "Beast of Burden", "Wild Horses" and "Honky Tonk Women".

This, and throw in Moonlight Mile and Can't You Hear Me Knocking.

Edited by Art Vandelay

Impossible task because it can change depending upon the time of day, mood, environment, etc.

Moonlight Mile is one of the greatest final tracks on any album ever, and it might not make the top 5 tracks on Sticky Fingers. 

 

Honky Tonk Women

She had to heave me right across her shoulder
'Cause I just can't seem to drink you off my mind

Not a top five but five of my faves:

I Am Waiting 

She’s So Cold 

She Smiled Sweetly 

Let It Loose 

Too Tough 

 

15 minutes ago, Blutarski said:

Shattered 

My starter wife used to shout the lyric "Bite the big apple, don't mind the maggots".

It was her most redeeming quality.

18 hours ago, G650 said:

Gimme Shelter is probably my favorite song period, from any band. 

 

I would say roughly in order my top 5 would be 

Gimme Shelter

Paint it Black

Sympathy for the Devil 

Beast of Burden 

Ruby Tuesday 

 

 

I will say I'm have a tab open always in my computer with Beast of Burden though that I play along with almost every night. Such a good groove.

Swap Ruby Tuesday for Wild Horses and I'm good w that 5.

Sympathy for the Devil might be my #1, tho.

1 hour ago, jimmyjazz said:

It was her most redeeming quality.

Putting up with you was her most redeeming quality. 

Let it Loose needs more love here.

Unpopular opinion also, Salt of the Earth > You Can't Always Get What You Want.

On 9/20/2025 at 8:21 AM, Iceman said:

Paint it Black was my "Andy Dufresne- they can't take it from your head" song in Marine Corps basic training, so it's in there for me.

I like to think that it was in about 95% of TV shows and movies about Vietnam made between the 1970s - now.

I'd go with Sympathy, Angie, Ruby Tuesday as well.

Indeed, but it held a different meaning for me, a combination of loss and doubt- and "fuck you" to the doubters.

Most already mentioned:

Beast of Burden 

Midnight Rambler

Tumbling Dice (Just love Keith’s work here)

Brown Sugar/Honly Tonk Women 

A favorite of mine that doesn’t come near most lists of top Stones songs is “Don’t Stop” from their 2002 album.  Just a jam that hits me. 

 

 

Dead Flowers, Girl with the Far Away Eyes, Waiting on a Friend...

Can't keep track of the times I've heard and/or sang along to any of those songs (to name a few) and thought "fuck, this moment in time is perfect."

Edited by GhostOfTomJoad

3 hours ago, 956 Worldwide said:

Most already mentioned:

Beast of Burden 

Midnight Rambler

Tumbling Dice (Just love Keith’s work here)

Brown Sugar/Honly Tonk Women 

A favorite of mine that doesn’t come near most lists of top Stones songs is “Don’t Stop” from their 2002 album.  Just a jam that hits me. 

 

 

don't stop is so great

this is the only thread in the history of the internet where every post is correct.

I'll drop this here for your consideration:

 

  • Author
6 hours ago, atomheartbevo said:

I like to think that it was in about 95% of TV shows and movies about Vietnam made between the 1970s - now.

I'd go with Sympathy, Angie, Ruby Tuesday as well.

Yeah, I associate "Paint it Black" with the Vietnam War. I believe it was the opening song for "Tour of Duty" a series about Vietnam in the 80's and probably used in a number of movies about the Vietnam War. Still a great song, but it was definitely overused in that particular movie genre. 

  • Author

This was the 8 track I always insisted my older siblings would play when I was riding in their car. 

s-l1200.jpg

Tumbling Dice is definitely up there, as is Wild Horses

 

I have like a next 5 for the Stones, which is Tumbling Dice, Wild Horses, All Down the Line, Street Fighting Man and Mother's Little Helper.

Too tough.  Sorry going Top 10.  (In no particular order)

Rocks Off, When the Whip Comes Down, Moonlight Mile, Midnight Rambler (Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out - Live Version), 2000 Light Years from Home, Tumbling Dice, Monkey Man, Loving Cup, Hand of Fate, Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)

 

Best post Brian Jones rocker:  Can't You Hear Me Knockin'

Best Brian Jones era rocker:   Satisfaction

Best Brian Jones era ballad:  Time is on My Side

Best post Brian Jones era ballad:  Wild Horses

Best Disco:  Miss You (obvious)

Best Live song:  Love in Vain (hard pick for me, because to me Get Your Ya-Ya's Out is the perfect live rock record and every song on it would a winner)

Best Overall Album:  Beggar's Banquet...er, I mean Let It Bleed...no, Exile on Main Street....except, maybe Sticky Fingers.  Yeah, Sticky Fingers.  

Begins and end for me with Jumpin' Jack Flash. 

3 minutes and 42 seconds of greatness. 

19 hours ago, 956 Worldwide said:

Most already mentioned:

Beast of Burden 

Midnight Rambler

Tumbling Dice (Just love Keith’s work here)

Brown Sugar/Honly Tonk Women 

A favorite of mine that doesn’t come near most lists of top Stones songs is “Don’t Stop” from their 2002 album.  Just a jam that hits me. 

 

 

Don't Stop is such a banger.  One of their best post-Some Girls songs.

My favorites are Wild Horses and Dead Flowers.

Gimme Shelter is probably the best.

19 hours ago, GhostOfTomJoad said:

Dead Flowers, Girl with the Far Away Eyes, Waiting on a Friend...

Can't keep track of the times I've heard and/or sang along to any of those songs (to name a few) and thought "fuck, this moment in time is perfect."

As good as Far Away Eyes is the video is even better, complete with Charlie's eye roll at the end. 

 

Honky Tonk Women

Star Star (MJ could smoke an ex better than anyone)

Beast of Burden (love that beat)

Let it Bleed

Tumbling Dice.  Love the line Fever in the Funk house now.

Unpopular opinion, I fucking hate Angie, Wild Horses and Ruby Tuesday.  

Best Keef Song:  Happy

Best country aligned song:  Country Honk.   Unless it's Dead Flowers or maybe Far Away Eyes.

This is like the perfect unknowable rock question.  

7 minutes ago, Litig8r said:

Unpopular opinion, I fucking hate Angie, Wild Horses and Ruby Tuesday.  

 

right-to-jail-jail.gif

21 minutes ago, Litig8r said:

Honky Tonk Women

Star Star (MJ could smoke an ex better than anyone)

Beast of Burden (love that beat)

Let it Bleed

Tumbling Dice.  Love the line Fever in the Funk house now.

Unpopular opinion, I fucking hate Angie, Wild Horses and Ruby Tuesday.  

Let It Bleed is a strong contender for most underrated Stones song.

I think the Rolling Stones are the biggest and best rock and roll band of all time, and I don't think it's particularly close.

The Beatles were more influential, but I listen to the Stones 10x more often. 

Everyone's gonna list the monsters here - Paint it Black, Satisfaction, Sympathy for the Devil, Gimme Shelter, etc. There are no wrong answers. But for me, those tracks are ubiquitous. I hear them often enough that I don't need to seek them out, and their impact has been blunted by overexposure. Those songs are just so popular they no longer resonate in the way they used to.

My favorite Stones tracks right now are:

Rocks Off (the most underrated song in their catalogue. Starting Exile with this song, and then going into Rip This Joint told you right off the bat they're not fucking around. Shit, we could have a whole thread talking about Exile only) 

She's a Rainbow

Shine a Light

Factory Girl

Angie

Dead Flowers

 

 

As is the case most of the time, my favorite songs are ballads written by rockers. It's probably why I love the Replacements so much...

3 minutes ago, irishtexan said:

As is the case most of the time, my favorite songs are ballads written by rockers. It's probably why I love the Replacements so much...

Funny, I thought the same thing.  (About me, not you.)  When great songwriters who ply their craft in giant hooks break it down for a ballad it's often transcendent.

I've always thought 'Slipping Away' from Steel Wheels has been criminally overlooked. Keef brought that song to the recording sessions essentially finished (it might've been an outtake from Talk is Cheap) and Mick had 'Mixed Emotions' and a couple rockers in the bag. That's when they knew it was worth another go.

Shit, I'd argue that 'Thru and Thru' off Voodoo Lounge is worth a regular rotation on anyone's playlist. When Charlie comes in half way through and Keith finds that deep, down below the earth riff...that's the good stuff.

 

Semi-obscure, but…

I Got The Blues

Far Away Eyes

The Spider And The Fly

100 Years Ago

Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby

Dear Doctor

Waiting On A Friend

Edited by Ignatius

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