Honestly, its easier to look at what I would eliminate from band releases from 1983-2005 and even then, sometimes I would only want to edit a verse or a line to make the song work. I think the only tracks I would happily pull from my collection would be...

1. Too Much Blood

Everything else is defensible on some level.

Quote
T&A
i'm gonna eschew the 15-song album and just go with a killer double-sided 45:

she saw me coming/pain of love

Finally someone who shares my admiration for Pain Of Love.

Pain of Love is a great song that has that Exile side 3 voodoo vibe to it. As they say in the biz, funky but chic.

If it had been a regular lp and only three songs had to be sung by Keith, then I would love to hear Mick doing You Don't Have To Mean It.

Undercover Of The Night
She Was Hot
Too Much Blood
Almost Hear You Sigh
Continental Drift
The Storm
The Worst
I Go Wild
Thru And Thru
You Don’t Have To Mean It
Out Of Control
Saint Of Me
Thief In The Night
Look What The Cat Dragged In
Under The Radar

Interesting; i am quite surprised myself that my selection would be mostly made from songs from SW and Vodoo....

1. Undercover Of The Night
2. Too tough
3. One Hit (To The Body)
4. Mixed Emotions
5. Rock and hard place
6. Almost hear you sigh
7. Continental Drift
8. Love Is Strong
9. You got me rocking
10. I go wild
11. Thru and Thru
12. Anybody Seen My Baby?
13. Gunface
14. Saint of me
15. Driving too Fast

I've always loved Tie You Up. I was astounded when Rewind came out. I kept thinking that they would release Tie You Up as a single. It should have been. It's a simply outstanding song.

Quote
skipstone
I think the context is interesting. Applying this kind of thought to these albums/tracks and finding what grabs you is interesting - because it makes you move past the war horses and actually think and maybe for some listen to these songs again. Are they great songs? Sure, some of them are. As great and definitive as Gimme Shelter, Jumpin' Jack Flash, Brown Sugar etc...? Why not? Maybe. Possibly. Time is a bitch. These songs haven't been around as long. Maybe to someone they are just as good. It's all just different. It's all about each album being its own, each song being its own.

Agreed. The context for the tracks that have been praised in this thread is that they were released into a world that, even in 1981, already wanted to hear "Brown Sugar" and "Satisfaction" at every show, as well as daily (or more?) on FM radio. Those tracks were already the subjects of ten and fifteen-year love affairs.

I think the band's twenty-year mark is pretty significant, as it seems to be the cutoff for a mass audience to continue embracing new material. And I would say that's even true even for Dylan, Young and Springsteen, who have cult followings within the wider audiences that come out for "Blowin' In The Wind," "Heart Of Gold," and so on. Last tour, I showed up to hear "Back Of My Hand" and "How Can I Stop?" (daydreaming of Wayne-freaking-Shorter on that horn!), but I couldn't escape the hunch that I was in the minority...

Of course, the Stones have been a series of reunions, rather than a working band, since at least 1989. That, along with their nearly exclusive residencies in the hugest venues, has hampered their songwriting, which sometimes seems merely geared for the Big-Ol'-High-Testosterone-Stones-Show [that would be you, "I Go Wild"].

Still, I tend to think that a lot of the latter-day material is remarkably strong and would appear stronger if it were more familiar to a wider audience. After all, it's popular music and context does matter: "Honky Tonk" sounds the way it does because you've heard it at parties and coming out of the car stereo a million times. It's not a personal, private touchstone, it's a giant public event and the whole stadium goes nuts for it. There's no separating that familiarity and shared experience (which can also ruin great records) from how we hear those tunes. We the audience actually poured energy into those records and turned them from would-be cult classics into the standards they are today...

Oh, yeah. In no particular order, here are fifteen strong "latter-day" tracks:

1. "Had It With You" (goes with "Turd On The Run" for me. Clausterphobic rockabilly.)
2. "Fancy Man Blues" (dead-simple Chicago blues with a great sense of irony and an even better harp part from MJ)
3. "Harlem Shuffle IV [London mix]" (for me, the most fully realized version-listen to Keith's Tele up-front and barking during the midsection.)
4. "Thief In The Night/How Can I Stop" (I can't separate them. Trance music followed by soul followed by a free jazz climax. One of the greats.)
5. "Rough Justice" (Sleazy, with a great crunch to it. The opening reminds me of the Faces.)
6. "She Was Hot" (Another brilliantly tossed-off rocker. I would use the SAL Beacon version.)
7. "Hold On To Your Hat" (Scalding, this one.)
8. "Terrifying" (from the "Monitor Mixes." I love that repeating guitar figure-it's kinetic trance music-and all the great percussion elements. Actually akin to "Continental Drift.")
9. "Moon Is Up" (Again, great percussion. Love the distorted harp and the vocals and lyrics.)
10. "Let Me Down Slow" (Funny lyrics, almost Middle Eastern [?] quality to the chorus vocals, cool guitars.)
11. "For You Precious Love" (Gorgeous. Sums up the depth of which they're capable. Can't see how it would have fit on SW, but should be given a prominent place somewhere...)
12."Too Much Blood" (Lots of good stuff on Undercover, but I'll take this.)
13. "Out Of Control" (A monster. "I wonder how time is gonna change her...")
14. "Too Rude" (The live Winos version is the best-'till Keith revives this next tour-right? right?)
15. "The Storm" (The best white blues band going...has been getting better.)

also: "Might As Well Get Juiced," "Continental Drift," Break The Spell," "Low Down," "Back Of My Hand," "Mean Disposition," "Sex Drive," "Slipping Away" and others...

the think i love about the stones is that although people tend to think they were a 60,s and 70,s band, a lot of folk dont realise how many great songs they made post mid 70,s.

sometimes when i listen to the stones from the era of 1976-86 i cant believe im hearing the same band that i knew from the 60,s.

my list of great songs for the post tattoo you era are as foolows.


1. she was hot.
2. too tough.
3. continental drift.
4. highwire
5. love is strong
6. the worst.
7. i go wild.
8. anybody seen my baby.
9. already over me.
10. gunface.
11. flip the switch.
12. rough justice.
13. this place is empty.
14. infamy.
15. laugh i nearly died.

Just 15 songs from "Undercover" on ?!?

Well, that's a pretty hard one!
First I have to omit quite a few of the more obscure but nevertheless loveable nuggets.

But even when I limit the list to only really the best and essential stuff I still have my 23-25 tracks!

Which goes to show that even a period that many critics see as the Stones' musically low point with general creative blankness makes for a really long great album. (Or two . .!)


She was hot
One hit to the body/ Dirty Work /Had it with you/ Sleep tonight
Love is strong /You got me rocking/Thru and Thru /Moon is up
Anybody seen my baby /Lowdown /Already over me /Saint of me//You don't have to mean it
Laugh I nearly died

( + ca. 10 others of the same quality and importance like: Undercover, Tie you up,H. Shuffle,Rock and a hard Place,Slipping away,The Worst,Baby break it down,Flip the Switch, Out of Control,Thief in the night,Rough Justice,Oh no not you again,Place is empty and Driving too fast.)

Had to make some really hard decisions. I always liked "Babylon".
BtB, VL and Dirty Work! are all nicely represented!(Because these songs are good!)

I still had to strike some very good stuff. And in the end even the last one from Steel Wheels had to "slip away".

First time, long time ... I compiled the following in 2002. Instead of a top-15, my criteria was 45 minutes, since modern albums are too long and as a tribute to the days of TDK SA90s (it was always frustrating when a single LP wouldn't fit on one side of a cassette).

Pierced: Life After Tattoo You (1983-1997)

1. One Hit (To the Body) - 4:43
2. Sparks Will Fly - 3:14
3. Love Is Strong - 3:46
4. Dirty Work - 3:52
5. Too Rude - 3:10
6. Undercover of the Night - 4:31
7. Highwire - 4:46
8. Wanna Hold You - 3:12
9. The Worst - 2:24
10. Out of Control - 4:43
11. Sleep Tonight - 5:11

Total: 43:32

P.S. The October 2005 issue of Uncut offered the following post-1980 great eight: Dance (Pt. 1), Start Me Up, Undercover of the Night, Pretty Beat Up, One Hit (To the Body), Continental Drift, Thru and Thru, Saint of Me.

Quote
Rev. Robert W.

Quote
skipstone
I think the context is interesting. Applying this kind of thought to these albums/tracks and finding what grabs you is interesting - because it makes you move past the war horses and actually think and maybe for some listen to these songs again. Are they great songs? Sure, some of them are. As great and definitive as Gimme Shelter, Jumpin' Jack Flash, Brown Sugar etc...? Why not? Maybe. Possibly. Time is a bitch. These songs haven't been around as long. Maybe to someone they are just as good. It's all just different. It's all about each album being its own, each song being its own.

Agreed. The context for the tracks that have been praised in this thread is that they were released into a world that, even in 1981, already wanted to hear "Brown Sugar" and "Satisfaction" at every show, as well as daily (or more?) on FM radio. Those tracks were already the subjects of ten and fifteen-year love affairs.

I think the band's twenty-year mark is pretty significant, as it seems to be the cutoff for a mass audience to continue embracing new material. And I would say that's even true even for Dylan, Young and Springsteen, who have cult followings within the wider audiences that come out for "Blowin' In The Wind," "Heart Of Gold," and so on. Last tour, I showed up to hear "Back Of My Hand" and "How Can I Stop?" (daydreaming of Wayne-freaking-Shorter on that horn!), but I couldn't escape the hunch that I was in the minority...

Of course, the Stones have been a series of reunions, rather than a working band, since at least 1989. That, along with their nearly exclusive residencies in the hugest venues, has hampered their songwriting, which sometimes seems merely geared for the Big-Ol'-High-Testosterone-Stones-Show [that would be you, "I Go Wild"].

Still, I tend to think that a lot of the latter-day material is remarkably strong and would appear stronger if it were more familiar to a wider audience. After all, it's popular music and context does matter: "Honky Tonk" sounds the way it does because you've heard it at parties and coming out of the car stereo a million times. It's not a personal, private touchstone, it's a giant public event and the whole stadium goes nuts for it. There's no separating that familiarity and shared experience (which can also ruin great records) from how we hear those tunes. We the audience actually poured energy into those records and turned them from would-be cult classics into the standards they are today...

Oh, yeah. In no particular order, here are fifteen strong "latter-day" tracks:

1. "Had It With You" (goes with "Turd On The Run" for me. Clausterphobic rockabilly.)
2. "Fancy Man Blues" (dead-simple Chicago blues with a great sense of irony and an even better harp part from MJ)
3. "Harlem Shuffle IV [London mix]" (for me, the most fully realized version-listen to Keith's Tele up-front and barking during the midsection.)
4. "Thief In The Night/How Can I Stop" (I can't separate them. Trance music followed by soul followed by a free jazz climax. One of the greats.)
5. "Rough Justice" (Sleazy, with a great crunch to it. The opening reminds me of the Faces.)
6. "She Was Hot" (Another brilliantly tossed-off rocker. I would use the SAL Beacon version.)
7. "Hold On To Your Hat" (Scalding, this one.)
8. "Terrifying" (from the "Monitor Mixes." I love that repeating guitar figure-it's kinetic trance music-and all the great percussion elements. Actually akin to "Continental Drift.")
9. "Moon Is Up" (Again, great percussion. Love the distorted harp and the vocals and lyrics.)
10. "Let Me Down Slow" (Funny lyrics, almost Middle Eastern [?] quality to the chorus vocals, cool guitars.)
11. "For You Precious Love" (Gorgeous. Sums up the depth of which they're capable. Can't see how it would have fit on SW, but should be given a prominent place somewhere...)
12."Too Much Blood" (Lots of good stuff on Undercover, but I'll take this.)
13. "Out Of Control" (A monster. "I wonder how time is gonna change her...")
14. "Too Rude" (The live Winos version is the best-'till Keith revives this next tour-right? right?)
15. "The Storm" (The best white blues band going...has been getting better.)

also: "Might As Well Get Juiced," "Continental Drift," Break The Spell," "Low Down," "Back Of My Hand," "Mean Disposition," "Sex Drive," "Slipping Away" and others...

Great post Rev.

Wow, thanks for reminding me how many great songs have been released after 81. I couldn't pick just 15. I would love a tour of post-81 songs.

Hell I've got my own sort of hits comp called Flip The Switch on my media player that is strictly from 1976 to 2006 and it's hilarious. Here's about half of it, in the sequence I have it:

Flip The Switch
Rough Justice
Low Down
Love Is Strong (Clearmountain)
One Hit (To The Body)
It Won't Take Long
Tie You Up (The Pain Of Love)
Everything Is Turning To Gold
Don't Stop (rock mix)
Some Girls
She Was Hot
She's So Cold
Oh No Not You Again
Crazy Mama
Hang Fire

I missed this thread:

01.) She Was Hot
02.) Think I'm Going Mad
03.) One Hit (To The Body)
04.) Had It With You
05.) Fancy Man
06.) Cook, Cook, Blues
07.) Almost Hear You Sigh
08.) Slipping Away
09.) Love Is Strong
10.) Jump On Top Of Me
11.) Out Of Control
12.) Saint Of Me
13.) Oh No, Not You Again
14.) Night Time, Is The Right Time
15.) Champagne & Reefer

She was hot
Feel on baby
One hit
Sleep tonight
mixed emotions
Almost hear your sigh
Sleepin Away
Hold on to your hat
Love is strong
ASMB
Flip the switch
Out of control
saint of me
How can i stop
Rough Justice

Great thread - I balked when I first saw it but I think I'm re-evaluating their post '78 work as I read some of these great playlists.