40 years and countless of compilations, this still holds up as the best and most essential collection of Stones songs. The second LP got all their strongest numbers lined up together perfectly including the definitive version of Midnight Rambler. AND it got one of the Stones best coverarts. Forget Jump Back, 40 Licks or Grr!, this is the only Stones collection you need.



1. "Time Is on My Side" 2:59
2. "Heart of Stone" 2:49
3. "Play With Fire" 2:13
4. "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" 3:43
5. "As Tears Go By" 2:44
6. "Get Off of My Cloud" 2:55
7. "Mother's Little Helper" 2:44
8. "19th Nervous Breakdown" 3:56
9. "Paint It, Black" 3:23
10. "Under My Thumb" 3:42
11. "Ruby Tuesday" 3:16
12. "Let's Spend the Night Together" 3:37
13. "Jumpin' Jack Flash" 3:41
14. "Street Fighting Man" 3:14
15. "Sympathy for the Devil" 6:18
16. "Honky Tonk Women" 3:00
17. "Gimme Shelter" 4:31
18. "Midnight Rambler" (Live) 9:14
19. "You Can't Always Get What You Want" 7:28
20. "Brown Sugar" 3:49
21. "Wild Horses" 5:44

Obviously it helps that the songs are all outstanding, but I don't know if there's ever been a better "greatest hits release". This ranks among the Top 5 of them. An unbelievable collection with not one song to skip.

In high school it was the one Stones album that everyone seemed to own, even the kids who weren't really Stones fans.

I love how they put Charlie in the limelight at the time, similiar to GYYYO

Not sure if any of my friends had this version. I probably would have been too drunk at those high school parties to have noticed anyway.









Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-10-27 18:15 by tatters.

Side three of Hot Rocks is the greatest album side of all time.


War Horse Schmore Horse.

Its great and all, an amazing collection of songs, could be the greatest of greatest hits albums but at the same time many people favorite and most played Stones songs are Tumblin Dice, Miss You and Start Me Up.

Funny this thread popped up cause I just listened to this record last night for the first time in years and thought that side three is just incredible.

When I was 12, in 1979, with two older brothers, I always thought of the rock n' roll "Starter Kit" as:

Hot Rocks
Who's Next
Dark Side of the Moon
Led Zeppelin IV

With those four albums, you had every HUGE song you needed.

If you had to add to the essential starter kit -- remember, it's 1979, what would you add?

T@3

'More Hot Rocks" was really good too.......

The only way to make it better at all would be to put just a few more songs on it - We Love You, 2000 Light Years, some of those that are on More Hot Rocks.

But yeah, truly a unbeatable compilation.

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TeaAtThree
When I was 12, in 1979, with two older brothers, I always thought of the rock n' roll "Starter Kit" as:

Hot Rocks
Who's Next
Dark Side of the Moon
Led Zeppelin IV

With those four albums, you had every HUGE song you needed.

If you had to add to the essential starter kit -- remember, it's 1979, what would you add?

T@3

That's a tough one, because you're comparing 3 studio albums to one "greatest hits" lp, but to add to it, by 1979, "Exile On Main St." and "Physical Graffiti" were both monster lps. Hot Rocks is an amazing hits package, but is, as an earlier poster said, without the Exile, Some Girls, and Tattoo You essential tracks.

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WeLoveToPlayTheBlues
The only way to make it better at all would be to put just a few more songs on it - We Love You, 2000 Light Years, some of those that are on More Hot Rocks.

But yeah, truly a unbeatable compilation.

I always liked Rolled Gold better than Hot Rocks, despite it featuring the studio version of Midnight Rambler instead of the live one.

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Erik_Snow

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WeLoveToPlayTheBlues
The only way to make it better at all would be to put just a few more songs on it - We Love You, 2000 Light Years, some of those that are on More Hot Rocks.

But yeah, truly a unbeatable compilation.

I always liked Rolled Gold better than Hot Rocks, despite it featuring the studio version of Midnight Rambler instead of the live one.

I just looked it up, the 2007 version, and it IS better!

I've got Hot Rocks now (and more Hot Rocks).

But I had the Rolled Gold double album back in the 70s.

Made a few Stones converts with that one.

Rolled Gold has a great picture on the back of the sleeve.

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GravityBoy
I've got Hot Rocks now (and more Hot Rocks).

But I had the Rolled Gold double album back in the 70s.

Made a few Stones converts with that one.

Rolled Gold has a great picture on the back of the sleeve.

Rolled Gold did convert me, back then. Backsleeve photo is terrific, I agree.

The recent Rolled Gold Plus that has a better and extended tracklist doesn't have as good artwork as the original one. 'Cos the frontcover of the old one was also really great....not just the backside

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DiscoVolante

I love how they put Charlie in the limelight at the time, similiar to GYYYO

Yes, Charlie looks to be "holding down the fort" the way he holds down the beat. I had this on vinyl 30 years ago as a starter, and it's still one of the best Stones best comps. I would say it is the best, but the CD collection from the early 90s, Singles Collection: The London Years, is quite essential as well.



Disc 1
1. Come On
2. I Want To Be Loved
3. I Wanna Be Your Man
4. Stoned
5. Not Fade Away
6. Little By Little
7. It's All Over Now
8. Good Times, Bad Times
9. Tell Me
10. I Just Want To Make Love To You
11. Time Is On My Side
12. Congratulations
13. Little Red Rooster
14. Off The Hook
15. Heart Of Stone
16. What A Shame
17. The Last Time
18. Play With Fire
19. (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
20. The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man
21. The Spider And The Fly
22. Get Off Of My Cloud
23. I'm Free
24. The Singer Not The Song
25. As Tears Go By

Disc 2
1. Gotta Get Away
2. 19th Nervous Breakdown
3. Sad Day
4. Paint It, Black
5. Stupid Girl
6. Long, Long While
7. Mother's Little Helper
8. Lady Jane
9. Have You See Your Mother, Baby, Standing In The Shadow?
10. Who's Driving Your Plane?
11. Let's Spend The Night Together
12. Ruby Tuesday
13. We Love You
14. Dandelion
15. She's A Rainbow
16. 2000 Light Years From Home
17. In Another Land
18. The Lantern
19. Jumpin' Jack Flash
20. Child Of The Moon

Disc 3
1. Street Fighting Man
2. No Expectations
3. Surprise, Surprise
4. Honky Tonk Women
5. You Can't Always Get What You Want
6. Memo From Turner
7. Brown Sugar
8. Wild Horses
9. I Don't Know Why aka Don't Know Why I Love You
10. Try A Little Harder
11. Out Of Time
12. Jiving Sister Fanny
13. Sympathy For The Devil

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stonesnow
... but the CD collection from the early 90s, Singles Collection: The London Years, is quite essential as well.

Very weak soundquality on that compilation, though.

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Erik_Snow

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stonesnow
... but the CD collection from the early 90s, Singles Collection: The London Years, is quite essential as well.

Very weak soundquality on that compilation, though.

You think so? This comp was released in 1989, so the original CD version may have had a harsh, dampened quality to it, like the first-generation Beatles CDs. But the version I have is the remastered 2002 reissue, and the sound quality is just as good on this as on any of the remastered 2002 reissues of their 60s albums put out by ABKCO. Have you given the 2002 version a listen?

Like many others I'm sure, it was my first Stones purchase. It had every Stones song I knew and wanted, except for IORR. I think IORR was my second purchase, I remember standing in Sam Goody with Hot Rocks and IORR in my hands, but I didn't have enough money for both so I got Hot Rocks and went back later for IORR.

It's one of the few compilations for any band that I actually consider a necessary part of my CD collection, even after buying all the studio albums.

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TeaAtThree
When I was 12, in 1979, with two older brothers, I always thought of the rock n' roll "Starter Kit" as:

Hot Rocks
Who's Next
Dark Side of the Moon
Led Zeppelin IV

With those four albums, you had every HUGE song you needed.

If you had to add to the essential starter kit -- remember, it's 1979, what would you add?

T@3

I was 14 in 1988. I'm speechless, those were my four.

[thepowergoats.com]

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stonesnow

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Erik_Snow

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stonesnow
... but the CD collection from the early 90s, Singles Collection: The London Years, is quite essential as well.

Very weak soundquality on that compilation, though.

You think so? This comp was released in 1989, so the original CD version may have had a harsh, dampened quality to it, like the first-generation Beatles CDs. But the version I have is the remastered 2002 reissue, and the sound quality is just as good on this as on any of the remastered 2002 reissues of their 60s albums put out by ABKCO. Have you given the 2002 version a listen?

You are right about the 2002 version being a lot better, stonesnow.
I was referring to the original 1989 release, which sounded dreadful - much worse than the other Rolling Stones CD releases at the time; at least here in Europe. As you might know....the German CD releases from 1986 were excellent sounding, and those were the ones I had. A LOT better than the American CD releases or the European CD releases of the 90s.
So Singles Collection was a huge letdown for me - soundwise. And allthough I don't have it, I have heard that the vinyl version of Singles Coll was just as poor as the CDs.

If you want to introduce someone to Rock and Roll and the Rolling Stones Hot Rocks is the one I would recommend. It does not have the 70's material obviously as it states 1964-1971. Side 3 is a STUNNING awray of music it is the best album side hits package or not that anyone has ever put on a rock and roll record and the other three sides are not bad either. It also had great art work. I played it so much when I first got into the Stones that the jacket got all ripped. We may consider side 3 "warhorses" now bit those songs are great songs. The album is sequenced so well too. The best hits package that they ever put out. More Hot Rocks and the Singles Collection are good as well.

Hot Rocks is the album that introduced me to and got me in to The Rolling Stones. The early teens His Majesty was spellbound by the magic, mystery and atmosphere that oozed from the music on the vinyl and the great photos on the inner and outter cover.

I'm from the "mp3 era", and my first listen to the Stones was More Hot Rocks(It's All Over Now and The Last Time)

I only discovered the Stones a few years ago (of course i know Satisfaction and other "hits" like IORR,Start Me Up, Don't Stop and others), but it's All Over Now and Last Time catch my ears... I remember admiring the riff of The Last Time and that power chords on It's All Over Now... When i discovered that was Brian Jones who played it... i became a great fan of him ><

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Max'sKansasCity
Side three of Hot Rocks is the greatest album side of all time.


War Horse Schmore Horse.

is the 'e' silent in Schmore? Sounds like it should be.

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His Majesty
Hot Rocks is the album that introduced me to and got me in to The Rolling Stones. The early teens His Majesty was spellbound by the magic, mystery and atmosphere that oozed from the music on the vinyl and the great photos on the inner and outter cover.

Emotional Rescue is the album that introduced me to and got me in to The Rolling Stones. Then I bought Sucking in the 70s. Then I bought Tattoo You.
FINALLY, I bought Hot Rocks! The early teens treaclefingers was spellbound by the magic, mystery and atmosphere that oozed from the music on the vinyl and the great photos on the inner and outter cover. Treacle fingers subsequently and many years later, purchased the first Hot Rocks pressing with Clapton on Brown Sugah.

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treaclefingers

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His Majesty
Hot Rocks is the album that introduced me to and got me in to The Rolling Stones. The early teens His Majesty was spellbound by the magic, mystery and atmosphere that oozed from the music on the vinyl and the great photos on the inner and outter cover.

Emotional Rescue is the album that introduced me to and got me in to The Rolling Stones. Then I bought Sucking in the 70s. Then I bought Tattoo You.
FINALLY, I bought Hot Rocks! The early teens treaclefingers was spellbound by the magic, mystery and atmosphere that oozed from the music on the vinyl and the great photos on the inner and outter cover. Treacle fingers subsequently and many years later, purchased the first Hot Rocks pressing with Clapton on Brown Sugah.

The first pressing of Hot Rocks didn't feature the Eric Clapton version of Brown Sugar.

Compare and contrast:

Hot Rocks version:





Clapton version:






"As we say in England, it can get a bit trainspottery"



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-10-28 13:27 by Deltics.

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TeaAtThree
When I was 12, in 1979, with two older brothers, I always thought of the rock n' roll "Starter Kit" as:

Hot Rocks
Who's Next
Dark Side of the Moon
Led Zeppelin IV

With those four albums, you had every HUGE song you needed.

If you had to add to the essential starter kit -- remember, it's 1979, what would you add?

T@3

I was 12 in 1974 and my "starter kit" was

High Voltage (AC/DC's first Aussie album)

Led Zeppelin IV

Made In Japan (all my mates LOVED Blackmore)

Slayed?

First Stones comp was "Rolled Gold"-got it in 1980. The best for me!

Good one. But too many early omissions to make it definitive.

It's All Over Now and The Last Time at least, should have been included.