i Cant understand why many of you think "Singles" are not so important these days.. sure--most of the customers are "Teenies"---but that would mean "new Fans"
Stones need a smash hit-Single in these days,especially in the us and Uk.
Sure, the rolling Stones dont have to proove something, but this the way to rolling on.

I would rather they not even put out new music and just tour for the sake of touring.

Havo, these days most of people who love the rock music (and especially the Stones) are interested basically in the albums, not in the singles. An example: Stones recent albums which hadn't succesfull singles (like B2 have sold better than albums with charted singles (like Undercover and Dirty Work).

<<Havo, these days most of people who love the rock music...are interested basically in the albums, not in the singles.>>

Maybe that applies to the Stones, but I think your logic is a little off. It is the singles that lead the general public to the albums. Take U2 and "Beautiful Day," a track that brought incredible attention to an act many thought was in heavy decline following the Pop Mart tour. Sure U2 and the Stones have a built-in market for selling albums, but the difference between a decent seller and a hit is the single.

The Stones used to make great albums and great singles. It is pretty sad that today some of us have to pretend there is no singles market or that rock music doesn't sell on the basis of singles to justify it somehow that the Stones came up short.

In actuality, Stickydion's argument is further flawed in classifying ABB as rock; sadly it is closer to pop or adult contemporary. This album has lots of average songs, the majority of which are hardly in the Stones tradition; wake me up when they stop singing this schmalzy lounge music.

Maybe sway123 is right. The marginal studio work of late really distracts from their great tours (not to mention eating away at their studio legacy). Sad, sad, sad..

"You look like a leper dressed as Sergeant Pepper"

"Maybe that applies to the Stones, but I think your logic is a little off. It is the singles that lead the general public to the albums..."

"The difference between a decent seller and a hit is the single..."

JamesBurton, it's not my "logic", it's the real situation that "speaks". B2B sold worldwide 1.5 million copies more than Undercover and (1.5 more) than Dirty Work. Can you remind me of a real hit-single from B2B? Saint Of Me, hardly at the last positions of Top 100 in USA (#94 or something like that) for just an week. But: Undercover On The Night #9 in USA and #11 in UK. She Was Hot #44 and #42. Harlem Shuffle #5 and #13. One Hit To The Body #28 in UK. If i remember correclty, even Voodoo Lounge hadn't so successful singles as Undercover On The Night and Harlem Shuffle were. But VL sold 3,5 million copies more than Undercover and DW...

You say about ABB: "sadly it is closer to pop or adult contemporary. This album has lots of average songs, the majority of which are hardly in the Stones tradition"

You must be kidding...

Something more: "selling basically albums" is not something that applies to the Stones only. Look at the albums charts, look at the singles charts in the last 15 years. On the album charts you see much more rock stuff than on the single catalogues. And, think, the last #1 single of the Stones was a disco (to be honest) song in 1978. Miss You of course...