A selection of the main hits of the 60s by the Rolling Stones
Today the whole world knows about The Rolling Stones, but do you know their main hits, recorded during their formative period - in the 60s? It was in those years, filling their tracks with energy of rock and roll and a complete disregard for the rules, the Rolling Stones laid the pattern that other rock and roll stars followed! The best songs of the Rolling Stones of the 60s trace their evolution as a group - in these songs they challenge anyone who dares to challenge their claim to the throne. So: this is a list of the best songs of the Rolling Stones during the 1960s, which became the defining rock templates.
Parachute Woman (1968)
The Rolling Stones started out playing songs written by other people, but they soon began creating their own material. So, by the end of the 60s, Jagger and Richards had established themselves as talented songwriters. An example of their talent was "Parachute Woman", which appeared on the Beggars Banquet album. They performed the song live for the first time as part of The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus.
"Under My Thumb" (1966)
Co-written by Keith Richards for Aftermath, Mick Jagger described this song as "a caricature written after a bad relationship..." It's impossible not to underline Jagger's confident vocals and Richards' subtle guitar playing, as well as the marimba chords played by Brian Jones...
"Get Off Of My Cloud" (1965)
"Get Off Of My Cloud" was a strong follow-up to the popular hit "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction". The Jagger-Richards song, dedicated to the band's frustration with their lack of superstar status, was a big hit! Recorded in Hollywood, the single was included on December's Children (And Everybody's) for the US only…
Out Of Time (1966)
The first version of the popular song "Out Of Time" was recorded for Aftermath and featured Brian Jones as the marimba. A Chris Farlowe version was later released and went to No. 1 in 1966. Numerous covers of the song have been released, including versions by the Bee Gees, Ramones and Manic Street Preachers.
"Mother's Little Helper" (1966)
“How disgusting it is to get old,” Jagger sings at the beginning of the song about sleeping pills (“yellow pills”), which at that time were very popular among stressed housewives. In addition to being an interesting social commentary, the song from the Aftermath album has several interesting musical features, including Richards' 12-string guitar solo and Bill Wyman's bass riff...
"She's a Rainbow" (1967)
And this is an amazing lyric for the band (“She’s colorful everywhere / She combs her hair / She looks like a rainbow ...”), one of the most overtly romantic that Jagger and Richards have ever written ...
"Midnight Rambler" (1969)
"Midnight Rambler" from the 1969 album Let It Bleed was based on the life of a real Boston Strangler! Richards called the song a "blues opera" and insisted that his one-of-a-kind collaboration with Jagger was so unique that "nobody else could have written this song for them..." beautiful sunny hill town of Positano gave them the creative spark to write a dark composition about a serial killer "jumping around like a panther..."
"Midnight Rambler" was a favorite at live performances, with Richards unleashing his guitar solos! It was also the last song that Brian Jones recorded with the band...
"Time Is On My Side" (1964)
"Time Is On My Side" was first recorded in 1963 by the great jazz trombonist and composer Kai Winding. The cover version, recorded by The Rolling Stones in Chicago, reached #6 on the US Pop Singles Chart, becoming the band's first Top 10 hit!
"Street Fighting Man" (1968)
Richards' layered guitar parts are eye-catching, and the use of instruments unusual for rock music (Brian Jones, for example, plays the sitar) added extraordinary energy to one of The Rolling Stones' most political songs ...
"Let's Spend The Night Together" (1967)
"Let's Spend The Night Together" was one of David Bowie's favorite songs in the Rolling Stones' repertoire, and in 1973 he even recorded his own version of the Jagger-Richards collaboration!
"It's All Over Now" (1964)
Many critics and listeners agreed that the Rolling Stones version of "It's All Over Now" quickly overshadowed the original The Valentinos featuring Bobby Womack! Bruce Springsteen himself has said that Richards' guitar work on this song was one of his biggest inspirations as an aspiring young musician...
19th Nervous Breakdown (1966)
The classic track "19th Nervous Breakdown" was inspired by a line Jagger uttered on their wild 1965 American tour: "We've just had five weeks of hard work in the States and I was like, 'I don't know guys, but I feel myself ready for my 19th nervous breakdown…” Bill Wyman’s bass lines are contagious, and the pulsing single itself became a hit in the US, reaching number two on the Billboard charts…
Ruby Tuesday (1967)
Keith Richards wrote the moving verses for "Ruby Tuesday", which remains one of Jagger's favorite songs!
“It's a wonderful song,” the singer said in 1995. “It's a very good tune, really. And great lyrics. I didn’t write any of this, but I always like to sing it ... "
In his autobiography, Richards said that the song was about an ex-girlfriend named Linda Keith who became close to Jimi Hendrix and allegedly became addicted to illegal substances ... According to Richards, she eventually turned her life around and started a family in New Orleans.
"Honky Tonk Woman" (1969)
The song has been a staple of live performances for decades... This classic example of raunchy rock was written by Jagger and Richards while on vacation in Brazil and refers to a dancing girl in a western bar!
"Jumpin' Jack Flash" (1968)
The distinctive guitar riff alone makes "Jumpin' Jack Flash" one of the Stones' best songs. Brian Jones described it as "a return to the funky, core essence of the band..." The song's unusual title allegedly came from Richards' aging gardener, Jack Dyer, who woke Jagger one night while walking in the garden in his wellington boots.
"Paint It, Black" (1966)
"Paint It, Black" is about depression... Her rendition was groundbreaking: it was the first Stones song to feature an Indian sitar arrangement.
"You Can't Always Get What You Want" (1969)
"You Can't Always Get What You Want" began life as a little song written by Jagger for acoustic guitar. But it ended up becoming an iconic musical statement - the closing song of Let It Bleed, the Stones' last album in the '60s...
Aside from the catchy tune, Jagger said it resonated with the audience because it was a message that anyone could identify with...
"Sympathy For The Devil" (1968)
This song was recorded with African drummers Ginger Johnson, who performed with the band in Hyde Park in 1969.
"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (1965)
The title was inspired by a line from the 1955 Chuck Berry song "30 Days": "I can't get any satisfaction from a judge." The catchy riff came to Richards as he lay drowsily in bed in a Florida hotel experimenting with his sound...
Gimme Shelter (1969)
Insightful vocals and a mesmerizing rhythm serve as the backdrop for one of the most impassioned songs of the 60s... Richards' guitar playing is dark and mesmerizing, while Jagger sings energetically in tandem with the brilliant gospel singer Merry Clayton.
“It's actually kind of a song about the end of the world. It's the apocalypse: the whole record is about it..." Jagger said of the intro track to Let It Bleed.
