It can be a daunting task to try to put together a playlist that adequately sums up the career of the Rolling Stones. The career now spans over four decades, 37 top-10 singles (on the Pop, Billboard Hot 100 or Mainstream Rock charts) and countless other fan favorites. Luckily for you, BE has compiled a list of the essential Rolling Stones to get you started. These are the group’s “biggest” songs, which include the top chart performers and songs from the band’s various greatest hits collections. BE has also put together a Deep Cuts playlist that dives a little…uh…deeper into the band’s album cuts from the ‘60s and ‘70s.
The Essential Stones
Not Fade Away (High Tide and Green Grass)
Time Is On My Side* (12×5)
It’s All Over Now (High Tide and Green Grass)
(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction* (High Tide and Green Grass)
Get Off My Cloud* (High Tide and Green Grass)
I’m Free (December’s Children)
As Tears Go By* (High Tide and Green Grass)
Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In The Shadow? (Flowers)
Under My Thumb* (Aftermath)
The Last Time (High Tide and Green Grass)
19th Nervous Breakdown (High Tide and Green Grass)
Paint It, Black* (Hot Rocks 1964-71)
Mother’s Little Helper (Aftermath)
She’s A Rainbow (Milestones)
Ruby Tuesday* (Between the Buttons)
Jumpin’ Jack Flash* (Gimme Shelter)
Let’s Spend The Night Together (Between the Buttons)
Sympathy For The Devil* (Beggars Banquet)
Street Fighting Man* (Beggars Banquet)
Honky Tonk Women* (Gimme Shelter)
Gimme Shelter* (Gimme Shelter)
Let It Bleed* (Let It Bleed)
Brown Sugar* (Sticky Fingers)
Wild Horses* (Sticky Fingers)
Bitch* (Made in the Shade)
Happy (Exile on Main Street)
Tumbling Dice* (Exile on Main Street)
Angie* (Goats Head Soup)
You Can’t Always Get What You Want* (Let It Bleed)
Ain’t Too Proud To Beg* (It’s Only Rock and Roll)
Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker) (Goats’ Head Soup)
It’s Only Rock ‘N Roll (But I Like It)* (It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll)
Fool To Cry* (Black and Blue)
Beast Of Burden* (Some Girls)
Miss You (Some Girls)
Shattered* (Some Girls)
Emotional Rescue* (Emotional Rescue)
She’s So Cold* (Emotional Rescue)
Hang Fire (Tattoo You)
Little T&A* (Tattoo You)
Start Me Up* (Tattoo You)
Waiting On A Friend (Tattoo You)
Undercover Of The Night (Undercover)
Harlem Shuffle (Dirty Work)
Mixed Emotions (Steel Wheels)
Rock and a Hard Place (Steel Wheels)
Love Is Strong* (Voodoo Lounge)
Out Of Tears* (Voodoo Lounge)
Saint Of Me* (Bridges to Babylon)
Flip The Switch (Bridges to Babylon)
* BE’s top picks
By John Paulsen
