Rolling Stones Top 40 Countdown

If Gimme Shelter cannot muster 5 #1 votes then the sole owner of that privilege is Can't You Hear Me Knocking (#7.)

To put that in perspective only Jumpin' Jack Flash got 4 #1 votes and there wasn't a single #1 vote for Brown Sugar (#9), Street Fighting Man (#11) and Wild Horses (#12) which also didn't get a #2 placement. And if it wasn't for me Honky Tonk Women (#10) would join that list. I suspect Knocking as being a go to choice for the "quirky" vote.

 

Bringing it home....

5 Tumbling Dice
(my #14)
Yeah, I probably should have had this higher.

4 Jumping Jack Flash
(my #8)
I remember the day I was listening to this and it just struck me..... hey, this is even better than Satisfaction!

3 Paint It Black
(my #23)
Dark.
Brilliant.... but very dark

2 Sympathy For The Devil
(my #26)
See Paint it Black and multiply by 2

1 Gimme Shelter
(my #1)
Exactly where it should be. Their crowning achievement.


Finished at 26 / 40.

Will type up my group nonselects soon.

 

1. Gimme Shelter (1969)

Coming in at the top position, we have this memorable song, that was released as the opening track to their "Let It Bleed" album. and as you would expect, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards wrote this song together.

With 422 more points compared to the #2, and with an incredible 22 participants that ended up ranking this song as their #1. it's no wonder that it ended up with such a massive lead.

This ended up at #11 on my personal list, so it literally missed my top 10 by only a single position. there are no complaints coming from me, since this clearly deserved to end up topping The Rolling Stones countdown!



Total Points: 2,189

@AllAboutTheMusic #1
@All Down The Line #1
@Andreas #1
@Barkerboy2 #1
@Fischman #1
@Geir #1
@JeffMo #1
@JimSpark #1
@Mark R. Y. #1
@mark winstanley #1
@Michael Macrone #1
@MisterVacant #1
@Nipper #1
@penguinzzz #1
@PercysLemonade #1
@peymei4ever #1
@Ramblin'Roon #1
@Stéphane Roy #1
@streetlegal #1
@TexasBuck #1
@texron #1
@Wmcmanus #1
@Brian Kelly #2
@C6H12O6 #2
@chas #2
@Dhreview16 #2
@East of the Equator #2
@Jimbino #2
@Mother #2
@Python #2
@Standoffish #2
@cdollaz #3
@nowyouknow #3
@dross #4
@smith6552 #4
@aphexj #5
@hurple #5
@Rochdale3 #5
@spaulding #5
@Andy Smith #6
@J. R. #6
@Rfreeman #6
@bagofsoup #7
@outoftime #7
@Reckoning #7
@Seabass #7
@GreenFuz #8
@RJD1954 #10
@Clode #11
@JD33 #12
@alylemoss #13
@fallbreaks #13
@jmadad #14
@maui jim #15
@bkgMusic #16
@ARK #19
@The MEZ #20
@DooDee #21
@finslaw #23
@Steve G #23
@PsychobabbleMike #25
@HadgeTunes #27
@Daniel Plainview #28
@humpf #33
@bonus #35

 

Awright! My #1 is the poll's #1! Well deserved winner. More comments about my list coming later today.

 

I had Stray Cat, Sister Morphine, Happy, Child of the Moon.

I know 40 means everyone will have stuff missing but I’m really surprised by Stray Cat and Sister .

Stray is salacious and provocative, Sister is all mood and atmosphere. I’d be interested how many actually voted for these at all.

 

- My Top 40 Rolling Stones songs -

1. You Can't Always Get What You Want
2. Angie
3. Hand of Fate
4. Sympathy for the Devil
5. Brown Sugar
6. (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
7. Wild Horses
8. Salt of the Earth
9. Paint It, Black
10. Beast of Burden
11. Gimme Shelter
12. Get Off of My Cloud
13. Tumbling Dice
14. Down in the Hole
15. Moonlight Mile
16. She's a Rainbow
17. Torn and Frayed
18. Time Waits for No One
19. Before They Make Me Run
20. Ruby Tuesday
21. It's Only Rock 'N' Roll (But I Like It)
22. Waiting on a Friend
23. Can You Hear the Music
24. Too Tough
25. Dead Flowers
26. Jumpin' Jack Flash
27. One More Try
28. Start Me Up
29. Love Is Strong
30. It's Not Easy
31. Fool to Cry
32. Honky Tonk Women
33. Soul Survivor
34. Can't You Hear Me Knocking
35. 19th Nervous Breakdown
36. Miss You
37. Bitch
38. Mother's Little Helper
39. Hold Back
40. Stop Breaking Down

 

Here is my thoughtfully compiled list.



1 Ruby Tuesday
2 Paint It, Black
3 Connection
4 2000 Light Years From Home
5 I Am Waiting
6 She's a Rainbow
7 Coming Down Again
8 Waiting on a Friend
9 Play With Fire
10 Anybody Seen My Baby?
11 Let's Spend the Night Together
12 Heart of Stone
13 She Said Yeah
14 Out of Time
15 Dandelion
16 Hang Fire
17 Angie
18 Memory Motel
19 Undercover of the Night
20 Take It or Leave It
21 Satisfaction
22 She Smiled Sweetly
23 Hand of Fate
24 As Tears Go By
25 The Worst
26 Mother's Little Helper
27 Live With Me
28 Gimme Shelter
29 Rip This Joint
30 Jumpin’ Jack Flash
31 Pass The Wine (Sophia Loren)
32 Rocks Off
33 Emotional Rescue
34 Monkey Man
35 Get Off My Cloud
36 Happy
37 Cant You Hear Me Knocking
38 All Sold Out
39 You Better Move On
40 19th Nervous Breakdown

 

I bet I'm the only one that didn't have Gimme Shelter on their list at all. Guess I'm officially the rebel of the group. Not on purpose though, I just like what I like.

 

Hi Clode!

It's a fascinating list--quirky and deep. And incredibly cool that you've delved into "the boys" at this level at such a young age!

This was an interesting exercise. I approached it as "a very personal favorites"--while trying to acknowledge the Great Iconic Songs for which they're widely known. That put me out-of-sync with the group as a whole!

Anyway, thanks for designing and building this!

 

This was my full list:

1 Jumpin' Jack Flash
2 Sympathy for the Devil
3 Beast of Burden
4 (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
5 You Can't Always Get What You Want
6 She's a Rainbow
7 As Tears Go By
8 Street Fighting Man
9 Get Off of My Cloud
10 Tumbling Dice
11 Paint It, Black
12 Gimmie Shelter
13 Hang Fire
14 She's So Cold
15 Rocks Off
16 Start Me Up
17 Play With Fire
18 2000 Man
19 19th Nervous Breakdown
20 Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)
21 Mother's Little Helper
22 The Last Time
23 If You Can't Rock Me
24 Shine a Light
25 Ruby Tuesday
26 Biggest Mistake
27 Let It Bleed
28 I Go Wild
29 Miss You
30 Angie
31 It's Only Rock and Roll (But I Like It)
32 Undercover of the Night
33 2000 Light Years From Home
34 Time Is on My Side
35 Wild Horses
36 Shattered
37 Almost Hear You Sigh
38 Waiting on a Friend
39 Honky Tonk Women
40 Sweet Sounds of Heaven

The only big surprise to me was that "As Tears Go By" didn't make it. I also thought "Play With Fire" might get in, and that "Undercover of the Night" was the most likely post-Tattoo You song to have a shot.

 

If I’d known Angie was your second favourite Stones song I’m not sure I would have entered this

 

Rebel isn't the word I'd use.

 

Nice to see these. I thought long and hard about Connection. Such a happy breezy song to cruise along to as you as you track down your Heroin dealer.

 

Ok, well as long as we're in a holding pattern waiting for the last two songs on the countdown list I thought I'd post my personal Top 40 Stones songs. The best of the best!
They're not ranked or grouped together in any particular way. They're all just listed chronologiclly by release date (best as I can anyway).
Looking forward to the big day tomorrow, though, to see how my list compares to the forum's Top 40.

*The tracks in bold are songs 40-3 on the countdown list


The Last Time
Satisfaction
Get Off My Cloud
Paint It, Black! (<-- old spelling)
Under My Thumb
Stupid Girl
Let's Spend The Night Together
Ruby Tuesday
Dandelion
We Love You
She's A Rainbow
Child Of The Moon
Jumping Jack Flash
Honky Tonk Women
Street Fighting Man
Stray Cat Blues
Gimme Shelter
Live With Me
Monkey Man
Brown Sugar
Bitch
Can't You Hear Me Knocking
Sway
All Down The Line
Happy
Tumbling Dice
Rocks Off
Heartbreaker
It's Only Rock & Roll
If You Can't Rock Me
Time Waits For No One
Fingerprint File
Memo From Turner
Jiving Sister Fanny
Hand Of Fate
Shattered
Beast Of Burden
Start Me Up
Waiting On A Friend
Slave

If I had to guess, I'd say the final two countdown songs are "Stray Cat Blues" and "Gimme Shelter".

 

True!

 

Okay, so here's my 13 that the group didn't pick up.

37. Almost Hear You Sigh
A great late ballad.

36. Flip the Switch
So it's easy to dismiss later rockers as there's usually nothing they haven't done before, probably better. But there's a flipside to that coin. I also haven't heard these a gazillion times, so even if not 'classic', some of those post-golden age rockers can seem more fresh.

35. Rough Justice
See Flip the Switch

34. Fool to Cry
Probably not the Black and Blue song most would expect to make a list. Not the one I expected either, but as I listened to the album in preparation for this thread, this is the one that got me.

31. Far Away Eyes
Okay, so it's one step this side of a full blown novelty song. But ya' gotta admit, it's a pretty good novelty. Mick & the boys do a pretty damn good sendup of, well, a lot of things here. The quality of the satire mixed with the genuineness of the feeling keep this one from getting old.

29. She's So Cold
Yeah, it rawks, but I like it. Sue me.

28. Till the Next Goodbye
Did I really only put this at #28? Yeah, I dropped the ball here. One of my favorite ballads and one of the songs that make IORR a genuinely great album, no matter what anyone else thinks.

21. Rip This Joint
This totally throwback boogie rocker is just soooo perfect for Exile!

18. Happy
This really should have made the group list. Really.

16. All Down the Line
This song has everything going for it; classic dueling guitars, cool melody, vintage delivery. Part of the glory that is Exile on Main Street.

15. If You Can't Rock Me
Now this is an opener! Wicked vocal deliver. Clever bridge. Love it. Always have.

13. Before They Make Me Run
How come nobody else picked at least one Keef vocal? Another great guitar rocker and a killer tune. Super chorus.

10. When the Whip Comes Down
My only top 10 that didn't make the group list. This thing has a groove. Mick's semi-rap works surprisingly well, and this thing just ends up being unique, fun, and for me, totally enduring. Nice guitar solo on this one, too.

 

My (un-submitted) list:
01. If I Was a Dancer (Dance II)
02. Shattered
03. Emotional Rescue
04. Rocks Off
05. Mother's Little Helper
06. Sympathy for the Devil
07. Gimme Shelter
08. Happy
09. Respectable
10. Street Fighting Man
11. Shine a Light
12. Bitch
13. She's So Cold
14. Play With Fire
15. Rip This Joint
16. Hot Stuff
17. Heart of Stone
18. 19th Nervous Breakdown
19. Undercover of the Night
20. Get Off of my Cloud
21. Dance 1
22. She Was Hot
23. Wild Horses
24. Tumbling Dice
25. Ruby Tuesday
26. Hang Fire
27. Heartbreaker (doo doo doo)
28. Rock & a Hard Place
29. Miss You
30. Neighbours
31. Paint It Black
32. Satisfaction
33. Soul Survivor
34. Waiting on a Friend
35. When the Whip Comes Down
36. All About You
37. Mixed Emotions
38. Harlem Shuffle
39. Shake Your Hips
40. Brown Sugar

 

I had a great time re-listening to every Rolling Stones song during April in preparation for compiling this personal top 40:

40. Downtown Suzie
39. One Hit (to the Body)
38. Jigsaw Puzzle
37. Luxury
36. It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)
35. The Last Time
34. Monkey Man
33. Waiting on a Friend
32. Baby Break It Down
31. Bite My Head Off
30. Emotional Rescue
29. Happy
28. Continental Drift
27. Each and Everyday of the Year
26. Shattered
25. Fingerprint File
24. Mess It Up
23. 2000 Light Years from Home
22. Lady Jane
21. Play with Fire
20. Yesterday's Papers
19. Start Me Up
18. Satisfaction
17. Under My Thumb
16. Tell Me
15. Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)
14. Honky Tonk Women
13. Sympathy for the Devil
12. Angry
11. Undercover of the Night
10. Brown Sugar
9. Thru and Thru
8. Out of Time
7. Whole Wide World
6. Paint It Black
5. She's a Rainbow
4. You Can't Always Get What You Want,
3. Can't You Hear Me Knocking
2. Moonlight Mile
1. Gimme Shelter

I was all set to place "No Expectations" on my list, but then decided that "Downtown Suzie" was a better track with its similar slide guitar.

I bet I was the only one to put "Each and Everyday of the Year" onto my top 40. Martin Scorsese, Wes Anderson - why haven't you used this in one of your movies yet?

Speaking of films, a lot of these songs have been used memorably in movies: "Monkey Man" in Goodfellas, "Satisfaction" in Apocalypse Now, "Tell Me" in Mean Streets, "Paint It Black" in Full Metal Jacket, "Play with Fire" in The Darjeeling Limited, "Out of Time" (Metamorphosis version ) in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, "Gimme Shelter" in pretty much every other Scorsese film.

No Hackney Diamonds tracks made this thread's top 40, but four of 'em made my personal list. I love this album, not only their best in recent years, but possibly their best ever. It was all I could do to keep myself from placing every song from it on my 40.

I toyed with having the superb "Memo from Turner" on my top 40, but decided it's better as a solo Mick Jagger track.

I also included no cover versions, but certainly the Stones' versions of "Time is On My Side," "Prodigal Son," "Love in Vain," "Ain't Too Proud to Beg," all of Blue and Lonesome, et al are worthy.

I had to drop so many classics and great tracks to fit a top 40 that it hurt!

 

Where does this idea come from that Mick perhaps didn't think it was in your face enough?
N.b. It was Jimmy Miller's first "released" production with the Stones but I understand he had produced Street Fighting Man before Jumpin' Jack Flash.

Trivia; There is a precious audio recording of Brian Jones refuting a DJ's claim (following the release of the SFM single) that the new release was in some way copying JJF to which Brian totally disagreed.

 

Did they begin their Swan Song?

 

Here's my top 40...

1. Angie (1973)
2. Gimme Shelter (1969)
3. Winter (1973)
4. Tumbling Dice (1972)
5. No Expectations (1968)
6. 2000 Light Years From Home (1967)
7. Paint it Black (1966)
8. Sympathy for the Devil (1968)
9. She's A Rainbow (1967)
10. Ruby Tuesday (1967)
11. As Tears Go By (1966)
12. Moonlight Mile (1971)
13. Wild Horses (1971)
14. We Love You (1967)
15. Have You Seen Your Mother Baby, Standing in the Shadow? (1966)
16. (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction (1965)
17. I Just Want to See His Face (1972)
18. Waiting On A Friend (1981)
19. Play With Fire (1965)
20. Shine A Light (1972)
21. You Better Move On (1964)
22. 2000 Man (1967)
23. Child of the Moon (1968)
24. Midnight Rambler (1969)
25. Dandelion (1967)
26. If You Really Want to be My Friend (1974)
27. Lady Jane (1966)
28. Sweet Virginia (1972)
29. Coming Down Again (1973)
30. You Can't Always Get What You Want (1969)
31. Time Waits For No One (1974)
32. Yesterday's Papers (1967)
33. Sweet Black Angel (1972)
34. Torn and Frayed (1972)
35. Get Off of My Cloud (1965)
36. Memory Motel (1976)
37. Beast of Burden (1978)
38. Til the Next Goodbye (1974)
39. Fool To Cry (1976)
40. No Spare Parts (1978)

 

That's from the book 'According To The Rolling Stones'

 

Huh?

 

Not really the 2nd single (there wasn't one) unless we are counting Japan and a couple of other countries.
No SFTD became a more widespread A side in the mid 70's and then at the turn of the century when the Neptune's and Phat Boy Slim remixed it.

 

What is your job/work?