One thing that was great about the Stones was been their ability to come up with a killer track as a lead single for their albums. Their record was close to perfect, until Dirty Work, and since then, I question their choices. They blew it big time, imo, with Streets of Love.

Sticky Fingers - Brown Sugar. No question.
Exile - Tumbling Dice. No question.
GHS - Angie. A ballad but a great one.
IORR - IORR. Slam dunk, no question.
Black & Blue - Fool to Cry. This is a tough one. I don't like it but there aren't many tracks that sound like hits on B&B; maybe a truncated Memory Motel; Negrita? Probably the best choice.
Some Girls - Miss You. During the disco period, a perfect single.
Emotional Rescue - Emotional Rescue. Not sure about this one; She's so Cold?
Tatoo You - SMU. Perfect.
Undercover - Undercover. Probably the best choice.
Dirty Work - Harlem Shuffle. Ugh, probably One Hit would have been better.
Steel Wheels - Mixed Emotions. Probably the best choice.
Voodoo Lounge - Love is Strong. Why not YGMR?
B2B- Anybody Seen My Baby. Hmmm . . . .

i agree with you drbryant -

steel wheels - Mixed Emotions was the best choice - but slim pickings mabe!!

Love is Strong was backed up with a great video - it won a Grammy from memory


B2B - now that WAS a very odd choice - Out of Control, Saint of Me??

Actually IORR was not considered a huge US smash in '74 - the single peaked at #16, for sure a respectable hit. Now a warhorse. But Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo went to #15, and the nearly forgotton Ain't To Proud To Beg # 17. ER was a huge # 3 hit, 5 months on the top 100; SSC reached # 26 (Yes I know lead singles have an advantage). And both "Harlem Shuffle" (love it) and "Mixed Emotions" reached # 5, big hits by any standard tho you'd never know it given the lack of airplay in the past decade. As for Bad choices imo, "Love Is Strong" (sing-songy, underwritten, cliched lyrics, tho a funky track - peaked at a then-terrible # 91). Followup "Out Of Tears" hit # 60 (higher on sales chart), w/ 15 weeks (!) charted. Another bad lead choice, BTB's "Anybody Seen My Baby" which didn't even chart here, tho "Saint Of Me" (a better lead single in my book) reached # 94 in March '98.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2005-12-27 07:11 by john r.

I have read many articles from 76 when B&B was realsed with the FTC single. It was blasted as badly as SOL today. But over the years we have learned to see some kind of Stonesy wisdom in their decision. One day SOL will redeem itself.

I don't know. I find SOL cringeworthy. Kind of like a 70's era Paul McCartney song.

I did this before, but compare another classic Stones ballad:

The awful truth, is awful sad . . . I was awful bad. I-yi-yi-yi, I-yi-yi, walk the Streets of Love and they're paved with tears.

Childhook living, is easy to do, the things you wanted, I bought them for you; Graceless lady, you know who I am, you know I can't let you, slide through my hands . . . Wild horses, couldn't drag me away.

Wow. What a difference.

Why not YGMR ? This one is pure shit comparing to so many masterpieces and anybody else would be totally ridiculous shouting "Hey, hey, you got me rocking" !!!

Just as "She's so co-co-co-co-cold" lol !

LIS was best choice, definitively.

MV.

From Sticky Fingers to Tatoo you, I think we all agree with your list. The issue is that from Steel Wheels to ABB, the choice is far from an evidence.

drbryant Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I don't know. I find SOL cringeworthy. Kind of
> like a 70's era Paul McCartney song.
>
> I did this before, but compare another classic
> Stones ballad:
>
> The awful truth, is awful sad . . . I was awful
> bad. I-yi-yi-yi, I-yi-yi, walk the Streets of
> Love and they're paved with tears.
>
> Childhook living, is easy to do, the things you
> wanted, I bought them for you; Graceless lady, you
> know who I am, you know I can't let you, slide
> through my hands . . . Wild horses, couldn't drag
> me away.
>
> Wow. What a difference.


Shocking, ain't it? Hard to believe the same guy(s) could write both of these songs. Cringe-worthy took on a new meaning when I first heard SOL.

So far, ABB is the only studio album without hits on the Billboard Hot 100.
And about ASMB, it didn't chart on the hot 100 because the physical single didn't go on sale in the states (a stupid rule that lasted until December 1998).

Wasn't aware of that, georgelicks - nowadays it seems most hits aren't even issued as singles.