The Rolling Stones have long been one of the premier rock acts, known for balancing mop top cool with respect for black blues music and an appetite for excess. Recording and touring still take place today.
Decca Records offered the Stones generous terms, including three times their usual royalty rate for new acts and complete artistic control over their recordings. Oldham prefered Regent Sound Studios with egg boxes on its ceiling for sound treatment.
1. Come On
Beginning their recording career by covering Chuck Berry’s “Come On”, The Who made their first attempt at “Come On”, to much criticism from critics who felt their version lacked rhythm and energy of Berry’s original.
The Stones recorded their version on May 10, 1963 at Olympic Studios in London – marking their inaugural official studio session with producer Andrew Loog Oldham.
Even after criticism, listeners tended to enjoy this early single by the Rolling Stones. That could be down to Mick Jagger’s vocals: while not as polished and inexperienced as later recordings by the group, his delivery and style quickly captured fans. Plus his Hohner harmonica added a unique country flavor. (This sound would play an integral part in later recordings.)
2. (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction
This song by The Rolling Stones is one of the most influential rock tunes ever created and one of their best-known compositions. It established them as bold musicians who weren’t afraid to break rules and push limits.
Keith Richards is believed to have composed the music part of this song. After awakening at a motel and recording an eight-note riff onto a portable recorder before returning back to sleep.
He then presented it to the band, who added their own ideas such as bass lines, Bill Wyman’s vocals, Charlie Watts’ drumming and Jack Nitzsche’s tambourine work – creating an epic three-minute masterpiece that remains timeless today – their breakthrough song that became such an enormous success across America.
3. Let It Bleed
As 2019 nears an end and the 1960s become dimmed memories, it’s worth recalling one album by The Rolling Stones that marked their low point during this decade: Let It Bleed is not their greatest work but certainly ranks among their finest album-length recordings.
Beggars Banquet marked a return to blues-influenced rock for this band while simultaneously showing its more expansive sound that would evolve throughout subsequent albums. They had ventured beyond R&B/Psychedelic in favor of country and folk.
The women of this album are strong and bold; from kitchen maids and upstairs-downstairs socialites in “Live With Me” to Crazy Horse strippers on “Midnight Rambler.” These aren’t songs for the faint of heart!
4. Gimme Shelter
After Their Satanic Majesties Request’s eye-catching toilet cover, the Stones returned to basics for Beggars Banquet. Shot by Annie Liebovitz and representative of all that was wrong with 80s culture in one day-glo color blast.
Mick looks completely taken aback, Charlie respectful, and Bill defiant; all three show no evidence of their signature arrogant swagger that will come to define their lives later on.
This album was an enormous success, revolutionizing rock and solidifying their place in music history. The art depicted both their inner turmoil and an external world that seemed set on devouring them; additionally it highlighted their music as it transformed from basic R&B into triumphant guttural screams.
5. Rock and Roll
The Rolling Stones may not have been the first rockers to rise to mainstream popular culture, but they certainly elevated this burgeoning genre. Where the Beatles avoided controversy at all costs, The Stones took pride in being known as bad boys of rock music.
No other rock band has managed to maintain such an iconic and rebellious image for as long as The Stones. Even after decades of drug-fueled excess, their music can still fill stadiums around the globe.
What exactly makes them one of the greatest groups in music history remains unclear, yet they unquestionably deserve their place at the pinnacle of rock ‘n’ roll history. Their onstage personae — such as Jagger’s preening swagger and Richards’ haggard guitar playing — set an unprecedented standard that would set precedent for every band that followed.