I'm assuming that nearly everyone on this board would agree the top 4 albums are:

Beggars Banquet

Exile on Main Street

Let it Bleed, and

Sticky Fingers

(in alphabetical order)


So what's #5?

SG? Aftermath? IORR? Etc?

I have to go with Aftermath, but what say you all?

tough call...right at this moment "it's only rocknroll".....best to all

For me, it's Steel Wheels. Just my opinion.

My god!!!!! Some Girls!!!

What about "Get Yer Ya Ya's Out"... that would definitely be on my Top 4, probably in place of Exile or Beggars

for me its tattoo you
and stripped for live album

-----------------------------------------------------
Oh, give me the beat, boys, and free my soul
I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2005-09-12 02:06 by TeleK.

I find them hard to rate, & the further apart chronologically the more difficult it is - compare "The RS Now!" (imo, an A plus album) with "Tattoo You" - ? - so it's hard for me to go beyond my thought that Exile is their deepest, most emotionally powerful work - there are qualities about some of the early albums already gone by '68. I really think that anybody who truly loves & 'gets' the obvious 4, 5 masterpieces will find much worth exploring in all phases of their superfine career!

It may not be flawless, but I have a soft spot for Between The Buttons.

Beggar's Banquet will always be #1 for me though.

are we not referring to studio records.

john scialfa

Some Girls ,,, i give all my bread 2 ,, i don't ever want it back

If you are allowing live albums, it's unquestionably Ya-Yas.

Otherwise Goats Head Soup and Steel Wheels are my joint fifth, (depending on mood!).

SG is good but it's stuck in 1978 punk era. The others are not so confined to their era as that one. SG was more 'important' though, than anything after Exile, just for kick-starting the band's re-birth, (which they owe to punk rock).

backstreetboy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> are we not referring to studio records.
>
> john scialfa


Yes, no "live" recordings. Why make the impossible more impossible, at least that was my intended question.

I can't believe no one else is going with Aftermath. I'm Going Home? etc. Talk about ground breaking. Talk about test of time. Hey, just campaigning a little.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2005-09-12 02:29 by camper88.

john r Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
I really think that anybody who truly loves
> & 'gets' the obvious 4, 5 masterpieces will
> find much worth exploring in all phases of their
> superfine career!

I agree. Hey, it's just a question for discussion, no more no less.

Some Girls

I'd go further and say its in their top 3...as good as Sticky Fingers, if not better, and just behind Exile

I also prefer YaYas to both Beggars and Let it Bleed

Aftermath, for me, is too clean/contrived. Too well-dressed. Too pop. It's my least favourite 60s album by Stones.......

BUT, (A Bigger BUT!), it was their seminal self-penned album and paved the way for all the rest.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2005-09-12 02:34 by Four Stone Walls.

I like a lot Aftermath I think that it's a great album, don't you?
However also Between The Buttons...sorry but it's hard to choose ;-)

Four Stone Walls Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Aftermath was their seminal
> self-penned album and paved the way for all the
> rest.
>


Exactly how I feel.

"Beggars Banquet
Exile on Main Street
Let it Bleed, and
Sticky Fingers" ... No 1-4?

No way. Like John R I find it almost impossible to compare the early albums with 70´s or 80´s albums. For me Sticky

We tend to sicuss past each other in these matters.
Me, as on old geezer born & raised with vinyl discs, I see the concept, the theme; how it all works & fits together, A-side, B-side etc. While others has the strength of the individual songs as a main criteria.

Exile is my fav o those four.
LIB not long after.
ABB up there.

I dont like that a Stones fan "should" or "are supposeed to" put those four
you mention at the very top above, camper88; I´m a fan of Majesties, but every time we discuss these matters here I get into trouble. For me Majesties is a doubtless natural Best Five´er. Sticky I can put away; Beggars too. I can see why so many Stones die-hards love ´em, but I dont. Beggars is too limited for me, musically. It feels too short. Stick is somewhat antiseptic or clinical, sonic-wise, sound-wise. The first two albums should be placed in the top. ABB, too. Some girls and Tattoo too. And, of course, my ultimate fav GHS.

HMSR
RS
RS-now!
SG
TY
GHS

..And, to be perfectly honest; SF should of course be up there.


SF (BB for me, no 11, bubbling)

= voilá - 10 albums. I have to work more to limit myself to a top-5. Sorry

Brussels Affair

Agree that those are the top 4, then Some Girls, followed by TY, Aftermath (UK), VL, ABB...have to think about the rest...and ABB may be rising a slot or two!

Some Girls

<I'm assuming that nearly everyone on this board would agree the top 4 albums are:

Beggars Banquet

Exile on Main Street

Let it Bleed, and

Sticky Fingers>

My favourite album is Some Girls. IMO:

1. Some Girls
2. Exile On Main Street
3. Sticky Fingers
4. Let It Bleed
5. Tattoo You
6. Beggars Banquet

Some Girls - it has to be included in their top 5!

1) Exile
2) Let It Bleed
3) VOODOO LOUNGE (!!!)
4) Out Of Our Heads (UK version)
5) Sticky Fingers

Baboon Bro Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> "Beggars Banquet
> Exile on Main Street
> Let it Bleed, and
> Sticky Fingers" ... No 1-4?
>
> No way. Like John R I find it almost impossible to
> compare the early albums with 70´s or 80´s albums.
> For me Sticky
>
> We tend to sicuss past each other in these
> matters.
> Me, as on old geezer born & raised with vinyl
> discs, I see the concept, the theme; how it all
> works & fits together, A-side, B-side etc.
> While others has the strength of the individual
> songs as a main criteria.
>
> Exile is my fav o those four.
> LIB not long after.
> ABB up there.
>
> I dont like that a Stones fan "should" or "are
> supposeed to" put those four
> you mention at the very top above, camper88; I´m a
> fan of Majesties, but every time we discuss these
> matters here I get into trouble. For me Majesties
> is a doubtless natural Best Five´er. Sticky I can
> put away; Beggars too. I can see why so many
> Stones die-hards love ´em, but I dont. Beggars is
> too limited for me, musically. It feels too short.
> Stick is somewhat antiseptic or clinical,
> sonic-wise, sound-wise. The first two albums
> should be placed in the top. ABB, too. Some girls
> and Tattoo too. And, of course, my ultimate fav
> GHS.
>
> HMSR
> RS
> RS-now!
> SG
> TY
> GHS
>
> ..And, to be perfectly honest; SF should of course
> be up there.
>
>
> SF (BB for me, no 11, bubbling)
>
> = voilá - 10 albums. I have to work more to limit
> myself to a top-5. Sorry

Baboonbro,

That's the kind of response I was hoping for, defying conventional thinking and offering a logic for your view. Thanks.

The canonical question is an old chestnut that used to get asked within my circle of Stones fans back home after every album was released, not so much to "know" the top albums but more to check out how our view of the albums had changed over time (or not), and how some albums that once seemed vital may have become less so. I, too, was raised on vinyl, and actually have bought every Stones (studio) album on vinyl from 12x5 to Dirty Work. I agree with the side 1/ side 2 thing, and think that it's one of the great virtues of TY.

Full disclosure: I don't really believe in a top 5 or 4 for the Stones, but I think the question is worth throwing out there for this board with the release of ABB.

Now, about the bottom five, however . . . lol

# 5 would be ABB to me.

JumpingKentFlash

Some Girls.