# Is there a better rock song than Rocks Off? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 12, 2015, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-better-rock-song-than-rocks-off/714839 "2015-03-12T16:42:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-better-rock-song-than-rocks-off/714839/1 "2015-03-12T16:42:58Z")
Piano, cymbal crashes, horns, Mick, Keith … It just came on and I was inspired…also curious what others would pick in this particular vein. No Rush lovers please. ---
**Author:** ![Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/soul_brother_number_two/32/3515_2.png) [@Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soul_Brother_Number_Two)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-better-rock-song-than-rocks-off/714839/2 "2015-03-12T17:24:24Z")
My name is Soul Brother Number Two and I support this post. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-better-rock-song-than-rocks-off/714839/3 "2015-03-12T17:26:30Z")
I’ll take it one step further and ask, “is there a better rock album than Exile on Main Street?” And then I’ll say “no” and turn it up. ---
**Author:** ![BurnMeUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-better-rock-song-than-rocks-off/714839/4 "2015-03-12T18:15:59Z")
New York Doll’s - Personality Crisis is pretty rollicking as well. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-better-rock-song-than-rocks-off/714839/5 "2015-03-12T19:10:03Z")
Tumbling Dice ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-better-rock-song-than-rocks-off/714839/6 "2015-03-12T19:13:31Z")
Love the discussion, love the album. I ask a similar question: is there a better opening guitar lick than **Can’t You Hear Me Knockin’**? Greasy boogie at its finest. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-better-rock-song-than-rocks-off/714839/7 "2015-03-12T20:09:51Z")
Well, I’m a sucker for I-V-IV songs, so I’ll nominate “Do Ya” (the Move version, please), “Baba O’Riley”, and “Sweet Jane”. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-better-rock-song-than-rocks-off/714839/8 "2015-03-12T20:11:27Z")
Born To Run. ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2015, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-better-rock-song-than-rocks-off/714839/9 "2015-03-12T21:40:46Z")
I’m a bit of an outlier, because I think Sticky Fingers is better than Exile. But my favorite Stones song? “Loving Cup.” ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2015, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-better-rock-song-than-rocks-off/714839/10 "2015-03-13T16:39:30Z")
> [@Steophan](#): > > Born To Run. No way…and I was once one of the biggest Bruce fans. I’m talking rock and roll and he leaves most of the sex and all of the drugs out of the trinity…can’t be a Bruce song. …but if I was forced to pick one of his it would be Badlands. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2015, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-better-rock-song-than-rocks-off/714839/11 "2015-03-13T17:08:59Z")
> [@What\_the](#): > > Piano, cymbal crashes, horns, Mick, Keith … > > It just came on and I was inspired…also curious what others would pick in this particular vein. No Rush lovers please. [Gimme Shelter](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOYlcXF0ok4) You have to turn it up to 11. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2015, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-better-rock-song-than-rocks-off/714839/12 "2015-03-13T17:41:54Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Love the discussion, love the album. I ask a similar question: is there a better opening guitar lick than **Can’t You Hear Me Knockin’**? Greasy boogie at its finest. I’m not saying it beats it, but I think the Allman Brothers opening to Statesboro Blues has it tied. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2015, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-better-rock-song-than-rocks-off/714839/13 "2015-03-13T17:59:58Z")
It’s funny, these are all great songs that I’ve owned and listened to forever and a day, but they don’t really get me moving anymore. If it’s really about what still gets my blood going (which is my definition of rock and roll), on a given day it might be - Love Comes in Spurts (Richard Hell and the Voidoids, with the wonderful Robert Quine) or Harnessed in Slums (Archers of Loaf) But tomorrow it might be Will Butler’s new song “Take My Side”. > **[Will Butler Does "Take My Side" on "Letterman"](https://pitchfork.com/news/58804-will-butler-does-take-my-side-on-letterman/)** Yes in fact, watching that video I think it may be the greatest rock and roll song of all time. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2015, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-better-rock-song-than-rocks-off/714839/14 "2015-03-13T18:39:58Z")
OMO am I old! ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2015, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-better-rock-song-than-rocks-off/714839/15 "2015-03-13T22:19:40Z")
> [@Nonsuch](#): > > I’m a bit of an outlier, because I think Sticky Fingers is better than Exile. But my favorite Stones song? “Loving Cup.” No, you’re not. I also think Sticky Fingers is a better album. Still, Exile is a _close_ second. And [“All Down the Line”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9R5KAmIOBkA) and [“Happy”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBcFjNUzFJ0) from Exile are both better than “Rocks Off”. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-better-rock-song-than-rocks-off/714839/16 "2015-03-14T02:03:11Z")
I won’t say a bad word about any of the Stones songs mentioned. However, I often think the ultimate rock and roll song is Faces [Stay With Me](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSQp7YOPdJ8). mmm ---
**Author:** ![Graymalkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@Graymalkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Graymalkin)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-better-rock-song-than-rocks-off/714839/17 "2015-03-14T03:27:16Z")
Ever since the sounds of Tell Me wafted into my ears from the radio in my '56 Chevy back in ‘64, I have been what was later to be referred to as a Stones Freak. While the Stones came up with great songs and albums before and later, Sticky Fingers has to be their apogee. The raunch and the “rock” in several of those songs are just in another dimension. But I do have to say that my favorite of all is their version of Carol on the Ya-Ya’s album. I have to get up and dance. It just MOVES. And of course, I constantly work on the guitar riffs in that song, hoping one day to nail them on my own. As the years go by, I just love the Stones’ songs more and more (up until, oh, Tattoo You I suppose, as well as Keith’s solo offerings in the early '90s) as the years roll on. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-better-rock-song-than-rocks-off/714839/18 "2015-03-14T03:58:28Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Love the discussion, love the album. I ask a similar question: is there a better opening guitar lick than **Can’t You Hear Me Knockin’**? Greasy boogie at its finest. I also like the instrumental section at the end where they suddenly turn into Traffic. ---
**Author:** ![Graymalkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@Graymalkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Graymalkin)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2015, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-better-rock-song-than-rocks-off/714839/19 "2015-03-15T02:48:12Z")
Yes, I’m with you on that. Great guitar stuff in there, too. I just listened to 12X5 this morning, and the instrumentals on that album are really good. And Around and Around really gets rocking. The Stones seemed to have been able to take Chuck Berry songs and make them really ROCK. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2015, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-better-rock-song-than-rocks-off/714839/20 "2015-03-15T03:00:16Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > No, you’re not. I also think Sticky Fingers is a better album. Still, Exile is a _close_ second. Can we all agree that, between Beggars Banquet and Exile, the Stones had the best four-album/five record streak ever? It’s almost like an extended single release. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-better-rock-song-than-rocks-off/714839.md?page=2)