Essential Rolling Stones

[Your Paragon of Virtue]

I know next to nothing about these guys, but I have a bunch of their albums, I think all at my disposal thanks to a friend. Now which ones should I take whether it be their best work, what I should start off with, etc.

 

All suggestions welcome.

[Henry Spencer]

Exile On Main Street is their best album. After that, go to Let It Bleed, Begger's Banquet, and Sticky Fingers. Those are all their "first tier" great albums. Aftermath and Some Girls are both good "second tier" albums.

[Youth N Asia]

If you just want the hit singles then get Forty Licks...as far as hits packages go that one is very well done

[B. Brian Brunzell]

Forty Licks is good, but I'm still partial to the Hot Rocks collections as far as singles go.

[Your Paragon of Virtue]

Just to clarify, I'm not interested in Hits packages, more or less actual albums. Thanks anyways though.

[PUT THAT DICK IN MY MOUTH!]

Exile On Main Street is their best album. After that, go to Let It Bleed, Begger's Banquet, and Sticky Fingers. Those are all their "first tier" great albums. Aftermath and Some Girls are both good "second tier" albums.

This is pretty much right. Though I prefer Sticky Fingers to Exile simply because it holds together better. Exile really falls apart at the end whereas Sticky Fingers is really consistent all the way through.

[B. Brian Brunzell]

Oh, albums eh? Well, as previously mentioned, Sticky Fingers and Exile On Main Street are the cream of the crop as far as Stones albums go. Let it Bleed, Goat's Head Soup and Tattoo You aren't bad either. I also quite like Thei Santanic Majesties Request, and I think I'm the only guy who likes that album.

[Anorak]

'Between the Buttons' would get into my top 5 and 'Their Satanic Majesties' is their most undervalued album.

[Henry Spencer]

I find Aftermath and Some Girls to both be underrated.

[Precious Roy]

I always recommend going in chronological order:

 

Start with the early classics, Out of Our Heads, December's Children, Aftermath and Between the Buttons. Then move on to the peak works, Beggar's Banquet, Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main St., then jump to their last great album, Some Girls.

 

Satanic Majesties Request is a good album, but it's a stylistic anomaly, I'd go for that after you're familiar with their traditional work.

[godthedog]

i agree with the pynchon guy who's got neutral milk hotel in his avatar. it's all about 'sticky fingers'.

[B. Brian Brunzell]

I find Aftermath and Some Girls to both be underrated.

Some Girls is a fucking great album from beginning to end. I used to despise "Far Away Eyes" when I was younger. Now, it's become one of my favourite tracks on the album, up there with "Before They Make Me Run" and the title track.

 

"Beast of Burden", while a good tune, has become a bit tired with me due to its overplayedness on classic rock radio.

[Henry Spencer]

I've never heard Beast Of Burden on the radio ever. That's odd.

 

If I may make a bold statement:

 

I believe Beast Of Burden to be the greatest song the Rolling Stones ever recorded.

[Precious Roy]

I've never heard Beast Of Burden on the radio ever. That's odd.

 

If I may make a bold statement:

 

I believe Beast Of Burden to be the greatest song the Rolling Stones ever recorded.

[B. Brian Brunzell]

That is quite the bold statement. I'm all about the "Tumbling Dice." "Hangfire" is another one of my faves.

[Guest The Winter Of My Discontent]

I believe Beast Of Burden to be the greatest song the Rolling Stones ever recorded.

This is correct.