The Rolling Stones Albums Ranked

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The Rolling Stones began calling themselves the "World's Greatest Rock & Roll Band" in the Sixties, and few argued with them — even then. More than 40 years later, the band's music continues to sound vital. With literally scores of genre-setting hits under the group's belt — and fronted by two of rock's biggest archetypes — the Rolling Stones have done more to define the look, attitude and sound of rock & roll than any other band in the genre's history.

In the 1964 British Invasion the Stones were promoted as bad boys, a gimmick that stuck as an indelible image (partly because it was true). Their music started as a gruffer, faster version of Chicago blues, but eventually the Stones pioneered British rock's tone of ironic detachment and wrote about offhand brutality, sex as power, and other taboos. Jagger was the most self-consciously assured appropriator of black performers' up-front sexuality; Keith Richards' Chuck Berry–derived riffing defined rock rhythm guitar (not to mention rock guitar rhythm); and the stalwart rhythm section of Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts held everything together, making sure teenagers could dance to whatever Mick and Keith dreamt up. After the Seventies, the Stones lost their dangerous aura, but it didn't hurt their popularity: They've become icons of an elegantly debauched, world-weary decadence, elder statesmen who filled arenas well into the 2000s.

Text by Rolling Stone.
'Dirty Work' review by Ultimate Classic Rock.
Other albums' review by The Rolling Stones official site.

We ranked all the Stones' 25 studio albums from worst to best. Check it out!

25. 'Dirty Work' (1986)

The engine that drives the Stones has long been the brotherly push-and-pull of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. But when that necessary tension boils over into deeply felt acrimony, no one benefits. It’s not a surprise that the nadir of Mick and Keef’s partnership coincided with the worst of their band’s recordings. The appropriately named Dirty Work matches the Stones’ weakest batch of tunes with the most cavernous, “big drums” ’80s production, emphasizing the lack of engaging material. The only stuff that leaves a mark was written by other people – lead single “Harlem Shuffle” and Richards’ dub reggae dabbling on “Too Rude.” It would have been a shame if it all ended this way. Thankfully, it didn’t.

Ranking the songs:

'Sleep Tonight'
'One Hit (To The Body)'
'Fight'
'Harlem Shuffle'
'Winning Ugly'
'Hold Back'
'Too Rude'
'Back To Zero'
'Dirty Work'
'I Had It With You'

Final rating: 3.6

24. 'A Bigger Bang' (2005)

Released eight years after Bridges To Babylon this was the longest wait for a studio album in the band’s career. It is reminiscent of earlier, rootsier albums and a departure from the big sounding, more produced albums of the last two decades. The first single from the album was “Rough Justice”, a classic Stones rocker, with a killer riff and smart lyrics (which even mention little roosters!) The double A-side was the anthemic Streets Of Love, which became hugely popular at live shows because of the sing-a-long chorus. “Rain Fall Down” was later released as a single, a nod back to the disco floor-filler “Miss You”, but with a harder blues bass, provided by Darryl Jones. The spine tingling “Back Of My Hand” could’ve been an off cut from Sticky Fingers or Exile On Main St, and “Look What The Cat Dragged In” is full of firey riffs and sultry, sneering lyrics.

Ranking the songs:

'Let Me Down Slow'
'Biggest Mistake'
'Streets Of Love'
'Rough Justice'
'It Won't Take Long'
'She Saw Me Coming'
'This Place Is Empty'
'Oh No! Not You Again'
'Look What The Cat Dragged In'
'Rain Fall Down'
'Driving Too Fast'
'Sweet Neo-Con'
'Infamy'
'Back of My Hand'
'Dangerous Beauty'
'Laugh? I Nearly Died'

Final rating: 6.3

23. 'Out Of Our Heads' (1965)

With another David Bailey shot on the front cover it featured “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” as the opening track on side two of the LP, which was also the first number one single on the Billboard chart. This is a much more R&B oriented album, with less out and out blues. It also the first with more band originals than covers, although only three were solely written by Jagger/ Richards. “The Last Time” is also here, it made number nine on the Billboard charts and “I’m Alright” that was recorded on the UK tour that provided the tracks for the EP Got Live If You Want It.

Ranking the songs:

'(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction'
'Good Times'
'Mercy Mercy'
'Cry to Me'
'The Last Time'
'That's How Strong My Love Is'
'Play With Fire'
'The Spider and the Fly'
'Hitch Hike'
'I'm All Right'
'The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man'
'One More Try'

Final rating: 6.6

22. 'Bridges To Babylon' (1996)

The album sold 1.1 million copies in America and topped the charts in Austria, Germany, Norway and Sweden, made no.2 in Belgium, Canada, France and the Netherlands. Recorded in Los Angeles between March and July 1997, the album featured a darker sound for the band on tracks like “Anybody Seen My Baby”, “Thief In The Night” and “Gunface”. “Saint Of Me” highlights Jagger’s unique strengths as a lyricist and the words are a latter answer to “Sympathy For The Devil” and “Undercover Of The Night”. Keith gives sublime lead vocals on the reggae-inspired “You Don’t Have To Mean It”, a truly romantic track.

Ranking the songs:

'Low Down'
'Too Tight'
'Already Over Me'
'How Can I Stop'
'Thief in the Night'
'Flip The Switch'
'Gunface'
'Anybody Seen My Baby?'
'Always Suffering'
'Out of Control'
'Saint of Me'
'You Don't Have to Mean It'
'Might as Well Get Juiced'

Final rating: 7.0

21. 'The Rolling Stones' (1964)

Here was a band that refused to conform, not least of which was the custom of all groups wearing matching suits. At this point there was no other band in Britain it could be. Of the twelve tracks, nine are covers, there’s one original by Mick and Keith and two group compositions (including one with a little help from Phil Spector). Recorded at Regent Sound in London it’s as close as you can get to a live album, but in a studio setting. There’s not a UK hit single to be heard, although Mick and Keith’s “Tell Me (You’re Coming Back)” became the second US single, making No.24 on the Billboard chart as well as their first ever composition to appear as a Stones single – there would be a few more...

Ranking the songs:

'Tell Me'
'(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66'
'Carol'
'Can I Get A Witness'
'Walking The Dog'
'You Can Make It If You Try'
'I'm A King Bee'
'Honest I Do'
'I Just Want Make Love With You'
'Little By Little'
'Now I've Got A Witness'
'I Need You Baby'

Final rating: 7.0

20. 'Between The Buttons' (1967)

Some of the tracks were started in America and finished in London. Recording technology was by now allowing for greater experimentation and although every track is credited to Jagger/Richards, there are certainly very different styles of music and song writing to be heard on this album – “Yesterday’s Papers” has the distinction of being the first song to be written solely by Mick. “Connection” was played live at the London Palladium the week after the album came out and was featured in Shine a Light in 2008. Cartoons and drawings by Charlie are used on the album artwork.

Ranking the songs:

'Miss Amanda Jones'
'Yesterday's Papers'
'Connection'
'Something Happened To Me Yesterday'
'My Obsession'
'Complicated'
'All Sold Out'
'Back Street Girl'
'She Smiled Sweetly'
'Please Go Home'
'Who's Been Sleeping Here?'
'Cool, Calm & Collected'

Final rating: 7.0

19. 'Steel Wheels' (1989)

Recorded between March and June 1989 at Air Studios, Montserrat this marked the return of Chris Kimsey as a co-producer along with the Glimmer Twins, and it was for many a return to what the Stones did best – they rocked.

The lead single “Mixed Emotions” features Mick, Keith and Ronnie on guitar and is autobiographical for the band, about building bridges and healing friendships. “Continental Drift” for which the band travelled to Tangier, Morocco, to record with the Master Musicians of Jajouka led by Bachir Attar. The instrumental version was used throughout the Steel Wheels/ Urban Jungle tour before the band entered the stage.

Ranking the songs:

'Slipping Away'
'Mixed Emotions'
'Sad Sad Sad'
'Almost Hear You Sight'
'Rock and a Hard Place'
'Continental Drift'
'Terrifying'
'Can't be Seen'
'Blinded by Love'
'Break the Spell'
'Hold on to Your Hat'
'Hearts for Sale'

Final rating: 7.2

18. 'The Rolling Stones, Now!' (1965)

'The Rolling Stones, Now!' features seven tracks taken from the second UK LP and five others that included “Little Red Rooster” that made UK No.1 in December 1964 but was never released as a single in the USA. Somehow the wrong version of “Everybody Needs Somebody To Love” appeared on the album. This version was as a studio run through rather than the final version featured on 'The Rolling Stones No.2'.

Ranking the songs:

'Heart of Stone'
'Oh Baby (We Got a Good Thing Going)'
'Surprise, 'Surprise'
'Off the Hook'
'Pain in My Heart'
'Mona (I Need You Baby)'
'Down the Road Apiece'
'Down Home Girl'
'Everybody Needs Somebody to Love'
'You Can't Catch Me'
'Little Red Rooster'
'What a Shame'

Final rating: 7.2

17. 'Aftermath' (1966)

It’s arguably the first ever ‘rock’ album. The credentials? At over eleven minutes, “Going Home” was one of the longest track ever to have appeared on any pop album, the tracks were recorded at two three day marathon sessions at RCA in Hollywood in December 1965 and March 1966, its fourteen tracks ran for over 53 minutes – long by the standards of pop LPs – and most of all – it ‘sounds’ like a rock album with a cohesion not associated with other long playing records from the era.

Among the ‘classic’ songs are “Mother’s Little Helper” – the a-side of the twelfth US single, and its b-side “Lady Jane”, “Under my Thumb” and “Out of Time”. Jack Nitzsche and Ian Stewart share the keyboard duties and Brian Jones plays a whole variety of instruments including an Appalachian dulcimer on “Lady Jane”.

Ranking the songs:

'Under My Thumb'
'Lady Jane'
'Stupid Girl'
'Mother's Little Helper'
'Take It or Leave It'
'Flight 505'
'Doncha Bother Me'
'What to Do'
'Think'
'It's Not Easy'
'High and Dry'
'Out of Time'
'I Am Waiting'
'Goin' Home'

Final rating: 7.2

16. 'Blue & Lonesome'

he album was recorded over the course of just three days in December last year at British Grove Studios in West London, just a stone’s throw from Richmond and Eel Pie Island where the Stones started out as a young blues band playing pubs and clubs.

Their approach to the album was that it should be spontaneous and played live in the studio without overdubs. The band – Mick Jagger (vocals & harp), Keith Richards (guitar), Charlie Watts (drums), and Ronnie Wood (guitar) were joined by their long time touring sidemen Darryl Jones (bass), Chuck Leavell (keyboards) and Matt Clifford (keyboards) and, for two of the twelve tracks, by old friend Eric Clapton, who happened to be in the next studio making his own album.

Blue & Lonesome sees the Rolling Stones tipping their hats to their early days as a blues band when they played the music of Jimmy Reed, Willie Dixon, Eddie Taylor, Little Walter and Howlin’ Wolf – artists whose songs are featured on this album.

Ranking the songs:

'Ride 'Em On Down'
'Everybody Knows About My Good Thing'
'Just Like I Treat You'
'Commit A Crime'
'Just Your Fool'
'Blue & Lonesome'
'All Of Your Love'
'I Gotta Go'
'Hoo Doo Blues'
'Little Rain'
'Hate To See You Go'
'I Can't Quit You Baby'

Final rating: 7.6

15. 'Voodoo Lounge'

Yet the album also features some of the most gentle and romantic songs for decades, such as “Sweethearts Together”, “Blinded By Rainbows” and “New Faces”. The yearning soulfulness of “Moon Is Up”, combined with Ronnie’s wah wah pedal steel playing, Mick’s harmonica, Charlie’s mystery drum and even Keith’s tambourine make for a truly unique and evocative Stones song.

The album of course features new Stones collaborator, bassist Darryl Jones, who had been Miles Davis’ protégé, and worked with Herbie Hancock. Darryl’s jazz pedigree appealed to aficionados Mick and Charlie, but it was the way he clicked with the group that cemented his role as bass player. The album gave the band two solid firsts, their first Grammy award win for Best Rock Album, and their first British No.1 since 1980’s Emotional Rescue. The album was co-produced by Don Was, and was recorded in late 1993, in Windmill Lane Studios, Dublin, and in early 1994 at A&M Studios in Los Angeles.

Ranking the songs:

'Sweethearts Together'
'Sparks Will Fly'
'Baby Break It Down'
'You Got Me Rocking'
'Blinded By Rainbows'
'Out Of Tears'
'I Go Wild'
'New Faces'
'The Worst'
'Love Is Strong'
'Brand New Car'
'Moon Is Up'
'Mean Disposition'
'Thru And Thru'
'Suck On The Jugular'

Final rating: 7.6

14. 'Their Satanic Majesties Request' (1967)

It seems entirely appropriate that the most unusual of all the band’s albums – the one that polarizes opinion among fans and critics alike – should be the first to be released on both sides of the Atlantic, and around the world, with the same running order and in the same sleeve. Recorded between February and October at Olympic Studios in Barnes, West London during what was the most difficult time in the band’s career, against a background of personal issues and criminal trials, it is an eclectic mix of music that includes “She’s a Rainbow” which made No.2 in America and second record that was released as a single in America as, Bill Wyman’s “In Another Land”, Bill wrote the track and it features Steve Marriott from the Small Faces on vocals. There were no UK single releases from the album that took its inspiration for its title from the words inside a British passport, “Her Britannic Majesty’s Secretary of State requests and requires…”.

Ranking the songs:

'Citadel'
'She's a Rainbow'
'2000 Man'
'2000 Light Years From Home'
'Sing This All Together'
'In Another Land'
'The Lantern'
'On With The Show'
'Gomper'
'Sing This All Together'

Final rating: 7.7

13. 'Black And Blue' (1976)

Work on the album began prior to the Tour of the Americas the previous year and continued in various locations until it was completed in New York City in February 1976. It’s Ronnie Wood’s first studio album as a band member, but it also features guitarists Wayne Perkins and Harvey Mandel, both of whom can be heard on the classic ballad, “Memory Hotel” on which Mick and Keith trade vocals. “Melody”, a jazz influenced track, was inspired by Billy Preston, who as well as appearing live with the band during this period is heard on the album playing piano, organ and synthesizer. With its cover shot taken by Hiro, the Japanese fashion photographer, it harks back to album covers from early days of the Stones’ career.

Ranking the songs:

'Crazy Mama'
'Fool To Cry'
'Hand Of Fate'
'Cherry Oh Baby'
'Hey Negrita'
'Memory Motel'
'Melody'
'Hot Stuff'

Final rating: 7.8

12. 'Undercover' (1983)

From the raunchy, fast pace of “She Was Hot”, to the Chuck Berry throwback “Wanna Hold You”, and the seductive Jagger/ Richards/ Wood penned “Pretty Beat Up”, the eclectic album has a savage rawness.

The band welcomed some new collaborators on Undercover including Jamaican reggae stars, Sly and Robbie and saxophonist, David Sanborn. It’s also the first appearance on a Stones record by Chuck Leavell who had been in the Allman Brothers Band and had joined the 1982 European tour as the second keyboard player, along with Ian Stewart.

Ranking the songs:

'(Tie You Up) In The Pain of Love'
'It Must Be Hell'
'She Was Hot'
'All Way Down'
'Too Much Blood'
'Too Tough'
'Wanna Hold You'
'Feel On Baby'
'Pretty Beat Up'
'Undercover Of The Night'

Final rating: 8.0

11. '12 X 5' (1964)

Coinciding with the band’s second American tour, this long player is an expanded version of the UK EP Five by Five, and also includes the third and fourth American singles, “It’s All Over Now”, recorded at Chess, and the first Billboard top 10 hit, “Time is On My Side”, which features an organ intro rather than the better known guitar version that’s the second British album. Mick and Keith’s songwriting partnership is hitting it’s stride by this time, with three of their songs on the album, “Congratulations”, “Grown Up Wrong” and the excellent “Good Times, Bad Times”, an homage to the country blues singers they loved so much.

Ranking the songs:

'Time Is On My Side'
'It's All Over Now'
'Congratulations'
'Around And Around'
'If You Need Me'
'Susie Q'
'Under The Boardwalk'
'Grown Up Wrong'
'Confessin' The Blues'
'2120 South Michigan Avenue'
'Empty Heart'
'Good Times, Bad Times'

Final rating: 8.3

10. 'Emotional Rescue' (1980)

The first of the band’s albums to top the charts on both sides of the Atlantic since Goats Head Soup, five years earlier, it also became the one that spent longest at the top of any Stones album during the previous sixteen years, eventually spending a year on the US album chart.

The biggest selling single on the album was “Emotional Rescue”, a song written in the main by Mick on the electric piano, which made number three in America and number nine in the UK. Recorded in the Bahamas, Paris and finished in New York City, it has tracks that date back to early 1978. The distinctive blue and white thermo-imaging photography on the cover was shot by Roy Adzak with its design, like that of Some Girls, by Peter Corrosion.

Ranking the songs:

'Indian Girl'
'She's So Cold'
'Where The Boys Go'
'Summer Romance'
'Let Me Go'
'Dance'
'Down In The Hole'
'Send It To Me'
'All About You'
'Emotional Rescue'

Final rating: 8.3

9. 'Goats Head Soup' (1973)

The track, inspired by Keith’s newborn daughter Angela, was released as a single and it became their seventh No.1 record in America. Strangely, it only made number five in Britain, but it did make the top spot in France and Holland, as well as number two in Germany.

The most controversial track on the album was, without a doubt, “Star Star”, which caused Atlantic Records boss, Ahmet Ertegan, whose company distributed the album for Rolling Stones Records, to initially be concerned about the strong lyrics. Later he realized that the BBC and other radio stations across the world banning the song just added to the publicity for the album. The early work on the album was done at Dynamic Sound in Jamaica with later sessions at Village Recorders in Los Angeles, Olympic and Island studios in London. Among the other musicians on the record are Bobby Keys and Jim Horn on saxes, Nicky Hopkins and Ian Stewart on piano and Billy Preston on clarinet.

Ranking the songs:

'Star Star'

'Angie'

'100 Years Ago'

'Dancing With Mr. D'

'Winter'

'Silver Train'

'Coming Down Again'

'Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)'

'Can You Hear The Music'

'Hide Your Love'

Final rating: 8.3

8. 'Beggars Banquet' (1968)

From the manner it was recorded at Olympic Studios in Barnes, London, to the track selection, a mixture of rockers (“Street Fighting Man”), blues numbers (“Prodigal Son”, “No Expectations”) and ballads (“Salt Of The Earth”), the band truly came into their own, and the Rolling Stones’ music of today is a reflection of what happened in that studio in 1968, they reached their musical manhood.

The genesis of the epic song “Sympathy For The Devil” is well documented in the Jean Luc Goddard film One Plus One . While 1967’s Their Satanic Majesties was recorded after Mick and Keith’s traumatic and unjust, drugs bust, it was almost too soon to be reflected in their songwriting. Whereas “Sympathy For The Devil”, and much of Beggars Banquet hint at a defiance at what they’d been through, and a strength from the experience.

The album also marks a change in musical direction for the band, with the debut of Jimmy Miller as producer, who went on to collaborate with the band on Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers, Exile On Main St and Goats Head Soup. Miller had also produced Traffic and Spooky Tooth, and co-wrote “I’m A Man” with Steve Winwood. Other musicians who appeared on the album are Nicky Hopkins on piano, Dave Mason on guitar and mandolin and a gospel choir from Los Angeles.

The only non Jagger/ Richards song on the album, “Prodigal Son” is a cover of Robert Wilkins’ “That Ain’t No Way To Get Along”, which he first recorded in 1929. A year earlier Wilkins recorded the first known song to be entitled, “Rolling Stone”.

Ranking the songs:

'Sympathy for the Devil'
'Street Fighting Man'
'No Expectations'
'Dear Doctor'
'Salt of the Earth'
'Stray Cat Blues'
'Jig-Saw Puzzle'
'Factory Girl'
'Prodigal Son'
'Parachute Woman'

Final rating: 8.3

7. 'Exile On Main St.' (1972)

There is no doubt that this is a record that defines rock music, it is a benchmark by which other judge their success and their failure.

In the mythology of rock it was recorded in the basement of Nellcôte, the villa that Keith rented in the South of France; the truth is that significant portions of it were recorded at Stargroves, Mick’s home in England as well as at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles. From “Rocks Off”, the opening track on side one of the first record through to the closing of side two, “Soul Survivor”, the Stones conjure up a rock tapestry that leaves nothing to the imagination, and yet it leaves everything. “Tumbling Dice”, US, number seven and UK, number five, was the only real hit single from the album, although “Happy”, with Keith on lead vocals, made the Billboard Top Thirty.

Ranking the songs:

'Loving Cup'
'Rocks Off'
'Shine A Light'
'Torn And Frayed'
'Tumbling Dice'
'Happy'
'Rip This Joint'
'Sweet Virginia'
'Soul Survivor'
'All Down The Line'
'Let It Loose'
'Sweet Black Angel'
'Turd On The Run'
'Stop Breaking Down'
'Ventilator Blues'
'Casino Boogie'
'Shake Your Hips'

Final rating: 8.3

6. 'It's Only Rock N' Roll' (1974)

The album to spawn the production duo The Glimmer Twins, a.k.a. Jagger and Richards.

It is also marks the first appearance on a Stones album by Ronnie Wood as he plays 12 string guitar on the single, “It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll”. The earliest versions of this iconic song were recorded in Ronnie’s home studio and he is credited with inspiring the song. Given the song’s place among live shows during the next four decades it did surprisingly badly when it was released as the lead single from the album. It got to number ten in the UK and number seventeen in America, although it did make number three in France. The second single from the album was the only cover on the record, the Temptations’ “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg”. This was also the last album to feature Mick Taylor as a band member as he left soon after its release. The cover features a painting by Guy Peelaert and it won an award as the best cover of the year.

Ranking the songs:

'Dance Little Sister'
'Ain't Too Proud To Beg'
'Time Waits For No One'
'Till The Next Goodbye'
'If You Can't Rock Me'
'It's Only Rock N' Roll (But I Like It)'
'If You Really Want To Be My Friend'
'Short And Curlies'
'Fingerprint File'
'Luxury'

Final rating: 8.7

5. 'Sticky Fingers' (1971)

The first Stones album to make No.1 on both sides of the Atlantic and in many other countries around the globe.

It was a long time in the recording, as was alluded to on the cover – ‘and everyone else who has had the patience to sit thru this for two million hours.’ Some of the tracks were started in March 1969 and the final overdubs were completed in January 1971; things had come a long way in seven years. “Sister Morphine” is the oldest track on the album that opens with “Brown Sugar”, which had a simultaneous release as a single and topped the American charts for two weeks. Surprisingly it only made number two in the UK. “Wild Horses” was another single in the US, but not Britain. Besides the music this album has the distinction of being the first to carry the famous tongue and lips, one of the world’s most iconic logos. The album had a real zip that opened on its cover, an idea conceived by Andy Warhol.

Ranking the songs:

'Dead Flowers'
'Sway'
'Brown Sugar'
'Wild Horses'
'Moonlight Mile'
'I Got The Blues'
'Bitch'
'Can't You Hear Me Knocking'
'You Gotta Move'
'Sister Morphine'

Final rating: 8.8

4. 'Tattoo You' (1980)

Topping the US charts for nine weeks, Tattoo You was number one for longer than any other Stones album.

The lead single “Start Me Up” fueled its success, on both sides of the Atlantic; it made number two in the USA and number seven in Britain. The two US follow-up singles, “Waiting On A Friend” and “Hang Fire” both made the Top Twenty. Like Emotional Rescue it was recorded in the Bahamas, Paris and New York City. Tattoo You had a massive US tour to support its release.

An interesting touch about the album’s release on vinyl is that it features an “up” side of rockers such as “Start Me Up” and “Little T&A” and a “slow” side of ballads and softer numbers such as “Heaven” and “Tops” so the listener can choose the side according to their mood.

Ranking the songs:

'Start Me Up'
'Waiting on a Friend'
'Little T&A'
'Hang Fire'
'Tops'
'Slave'
'Black Limousine'
'Neighbours'
'Worried About You'
'Heaven'
'No Use In Crying'

Final rating: 9.0

3. 'December's Children (And Everybody's)' (1966)

The cover photograph is identical to that of the British release of Out of Our Heads and was taken by Gered Mankowitz. Andrew Loog Oldham coined the album’s title.

Half the twelve tracks were written by Jagger/Richards and included is the fifth British No.1 “Get Off My Cloud”. It also features “As Tears Go By”, the ninth US single, which made number 6 in the USA. It became the b-side of “19th Nervous Breakdown” in Britain. “As Tears Go By” was arranged by Mike Leander and the only other band member to play on the song is Keith. The recording dates spanned over two years, with “You Better Move On” dating from August 1963, as well as two live tracks from the March 1965 UK tour – a cover of Bobby Troup’s “Route 66” and Hank Snow’s “I’m Moving On” that both appeared on the 'Got Live If You Want It' EP.

Ranking the songs:

'Blue Turns To Grey'
'I'm Free'
'Get Off Of My Cloud'
'As Tears Go By'
'You Better Move On'
'The Singer Not The Song'
'She Said Yeah'
'Talkin' About You'
'(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66' (Live)
'Gotta Get Away'
'I'm Moving On' (Live)
'Look What You've Done'

Final rating: 9.0

2. 'Let It Bleed' (1969)

The first studio album to be released following Brian Jones departure from the band and subsequent death, it includes his replacement, 20 year old guitarist Mick Taylor.

Like Beggars Banquet it was produced by Jimmy Miller and it’s also similar in that both sides of the LP open with two stone cold classics, “Gimme Shelter”, with Merry Clayton’s wonderful backing vocal, and “Midnight Rambler”, songs that have been a part of Stones live shows for the last four decades. In another similarity to the band’s previous studio album it also features a blues cover, this time, “Love in Vain”, written by the King of the Delta Blues Singers, Robert Johnson. The last track on the record is the ambitious and very different “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”. featuring the London Bach Choir arranged by Jack Nitzsche and Al Kooper, late of Blood Sweat & Tears on keyboards and French horn. And finally… the future queen of British TV cookery shows, Delia Smith, baked the cake on the front cover.

Ranking the songs:

'Gimme Shelter'
'Let it Bleed'
'Monkey Man'
'Love in Vain'
'Country Honk'
'You Can't Always Get What You Want'
'You Got The Silver'
'Live With Me'
'Midnight Rambler'

Final rating: 9.2

1. 'Some Girls' (1978)

Yet another chart topping US album and one that made number two in Britain.

It also has the distinction of being the studio album that has spent longest on the American charts. It’s success in America was helped by “Miss You” making it to number one in the summer of 1978, followed by “Beast of Burden”, a Top Ten single in the Autumn and then “Shattered” reaching number thirty one in early 1979. In Britain “Miss You” went to number three and the follow up, “Respectable” got to number twenty three. All in all it’s an album full of memorable songs, which is what accounted for it going six times Platinum in the US. The 2011 reissue of the album included a CD of bonus tracks mostly recorded during the two sessions at Pathé Marconi Studios in Paris that produced the original album. This was the first album on which Keith added the ‘s’ to the end of his name that he had dropped back in 1963 when their career began.

Ranking the songs:

'Beast of Burden'
'Miss You'
'Respectable'
'Lies'
'Some Girls'
'Far Away Eyes'
'When The Whip Comes Down'
'Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)'
'Shattered'
'Before They Make Me Run'

Final rating: 9.8