# Best Rolling Stones album? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 25, 2004, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rolling-stones-album/266038 "2004-09-25T14:09:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2004, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rolling-stones-album/266038/1 "2004-09-25T14:09:27Z")
Housesitting for a friend and what do I see? A complete collection (as far as I can tell) of the Rolling Stones! I’ve decided to listen to them all in chronological order. I don’t think I’ve ever owned a regular Stones album. I’ve had a few compilations over the years, but I never thought the Stones put out albums of consistantly high quality. So, what is your favorite? I think I can safely say that _England’s Greatest Hit Makers_ will \*\*not \*\*be my favorite when this weekend is over. I may skip the live albums. Should I? ---
**Author:** ![Albert\_Rose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Albert\_Rose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Albert_Rose)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2004, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rolling-stones-album/266038/2 "2004-09-25T14:14:20Z")
My favorite is _Exile on Main Street_. The countryfied songs and the gospel songs, especially. They had the music together when they made this one. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2004, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rolling-stones-album/266038/3 "2004-09-25T14:20:59Z")
Well… my feeling is, there are always at least 3 good songs on any Stones album, but there are never more than 4 good songs. So, “Sticky Fingers” is their best album because there are 4 great songs out of 7. Good batting average “Exile on Mains Street” is the worst because 3 decent songs out of 21 is a pathetic batting average. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2004, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rolling-stones-album/266038/4 "2004-09-25T14:25:19Z")
Another vote for **Exile**. I’m not sure if it’s their best or not – there’s the **Beggars Banquet/Let It Bleed/Sticky Fingers** trifecta of the late '60s – but it’s definitely my fave. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2004, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rolling-stones-album/266038/5 "2004-09-25T14:29:20Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > I may skip the live albums. Should I? You can skip _Still Life_. Preferably off an asphalt parking lot a couple hundred times. Quite possibly the worst live album ever. ---
**Author:** ![Ass\_For\_A\_Hat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ec9cab/32.png) [@Ass\_For\_A\_Hat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ass_For_A_Hat)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2004, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rolling-stones-album/266038/6 "2004-09-25T14:44:41Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > You can skip _Still Life_. Preferably off an asphalt parking lot a couple hundred times. Quite possibly the worst live album ever. Couldn’t agree more. My Stones fave is _Beggars Banquet_. I think it wins just for Keef’s solo on _Sympathy for the Devil._ All around though, it’s a first rate album. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2004, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rolling-stones-album/266038/7 "2004-09-25T15:18:43Z")
I recommend _Some Girls_. I don’t know if it’s the best, but it’s pretty damned good ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2004, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rolling-stones-album/266038/8 "2004-09-25T15:39:09Z")
Let it Bleed gets my vote, with Beggar’s Banquet second. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2004, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rolling-stones-album/266038/9 "2004-09-25T16:27:06Z")
_Beggar’s Banquet_ is my favorite, with its stripped-down, basic sound. Watts’s drum kit for most of that album was a travelling practice kit that folded up into a suitcase. _Dear Doctor_ is one of the finest country songs by a non-country group. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2004, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rolling-stones-album/266038/10 "2004-09-25T16:36:01Z")
Another vote for The Big 4 Beggars Banquet/Let It Bleed/Sticky Fingers and Exile. I also love Some Girls and Get Yer Ya’s Ya’s as a live album… ---
**Author:** ![CBCD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@CBCD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBCD)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2004, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rolling-stones-album/266038/11 "2004-09-25T16:44:28Z")
_Aftermath_ is still my favorite. ---
**Author:** ![Caprese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9a28c/32.png) [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2004, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rolling-stones-album/266038/12 "2004-09-25T16:57:06Z")
**Let It Bleed** is my fave. Gimme Shelter is arguably the best rock song ever recorded. Beggar’s Banquet comes in a strong second. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Roboto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@Mr.Roboto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Roboto)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2004, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rolling-stones-album/266038/13 "2004-09-25T17:01:06Z")
AFTERMATH! ``` Does anybody remember the "Golden Stone" ? ``` The Stones were Brian Jones’ Band and after his murder, the band changed forever. The band became Mick’s and the sound changed… Aftermath included “Going Home” arguably the best Long Song ever! ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2004, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rolling-stones-album/266038/14 "2004-09-25T17:05:37Z")
Sticky Fingers, Exile On Main St., Let It Bleed and Beggars Banquet, in that order. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2004, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rolling-stones-album/266038/15 "2004-09-25T17:42:57Z")
_Exile on Main St._, and I’ll take on any five guys who say different. When they made that album, they took hints from genres as diverse as old-style southern gospel, rockabilly, blues, psychadelia, and old-fashioned rock’n’roll. They were young enough to pull out some seriously rocking tracks but mature enough to make it work musically. They weren’t trying to be intelligent and soulful, because when they do that they wind up with self-indulgent crap, aka _Bridges to Babylon_. They were simply trying to be rockers, and they succeeded. ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2004, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rolling-stones-album/266038/16 "2004-09-25T18:01:10Z")
Don’t pass up the live album **Get Yer YaYa’s Out!**. There’s a couple slow movers on that album, but the rockers (esp. Carol and Little Queenie) are classics. If anyone says the Stones don’t rock-n-roll, put one of those two cuts on and turn up the volume. ---
**Author:** ![Ass\_For\_A\_Hat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ec9cab/32.png) [@Ass\_For\_A\_Hat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ass_For_A_Hat)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2004, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rolling-stones-album/266038/17 "2004-09-25T18:03:40Z")
I wanted to throw out one more. This is by no means their best album, but I’ve always had a soft spot for _Goats Heat Soup_. Probalby just cuz _Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo_ is a great name for a song. If you make it through the most popular choices from the thread, give this one a try. ---
**Author:** ![vl\_mungo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc8723/32.png) [@vl\_mungo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vl_mungo)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2004, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rolling-stones-album/266038/18 "2004-09-25T23:13:13Z")
Yet another vote for **Exile on Main Street** But I like **England’s Newest Hitmakers** … so what do I know? I will also recommend you leave off your Stones chronology after **Tattoo You** , the remainder of their albums are a great big pile of poo. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rolling-stones-album/266038/19 "2004-09-26T00:16:32Z")
Sticky Fingers. ---
**Author:** ![nitroglycerine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c5a1d2/32.png) [@nitroglycerine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nitroglycerine)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rolling-stones-album/266038/20 "2004-09-26T00:26:13Z")
> [@Ass For A Hat](#): > > I wanted to throw out one more. This is by no means their best album, but I’ve always had a soft spot for _Goats Heat Soup_. Probalby just cuz _Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo_ is a great name for a song. > > If you make it through the most popular choices from the thread, give this one a try. My favorite Stones albums are the already mentioned Goats Head Soup, Beggars Banquet and Let it Bleed because my three favorite Stones songs (which also happen to be the three sleaziest) are on those albums: “Star Star”, “Stray Cat Blues”, and “Live With Me” respectivly. I love most of the Stones albums up to Tatto You really, except for maybe Satanic Majesties, and even that one has a few great songs. “…I bet your mama don’t know that you scatch like that I bet she don’t know you can bite like that…” Hell Yeah! THATS what I’M talkin’ 'bout! Rocknroll sleaze at it finest. 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-rolling-stones-album/266038.md?page=2)