As a bassist, playing Stones songs is an exercise in getting into the groove, which may sound simple, but it isn't. Jeez, I love 'em all, but "Midnight Rambler" is a favorite, because it is tempting to overplay it and get lost in the tempo changes. This makes the song an exercise in, how can I put it, "controlled violence". Same goes for a raveup like "When The Whip Comes Down".
Then there's the signature riff songs like "Bitch" or "Live With Me", which require discipline. You miss a note and you're screwed.
I'm speaking as a bassist, so my POV is different from the guitarists here.
To get people singing along at a party the following usually work for me - Dead Flowers, It's All Over Now, Come On, Good Times, Loving Cup, and Wild Horses.
If I feel a bit psychedelic I'll play the Tele through the vibrato on my Fender Twin and give it that good old spaced out sound.
Interesting to hear the bass player's perspective. I play in a group that does a number of Stones tunes, and the bass players often play a simpler line than what Bill W wrote for the tune. Satisfaction has a brilliant bass line, but many bass players choose (or assume) to just play along with the riff. The bass riff is very different than the fuzztone guitar riff. Also, when we play CYHMK, I prefer when our bass player just plays a straight groove during the long instrumental segment, rather than trying to play along with the great guitar rhythms in that song. The straight groove allows the guitar parts to really stand out, making the band sound so much better as a whole.
My favorite Stones tunes to play out, along with CYHMK, are Midnight Rambler and Get Off My Cloud.
Drumming Stray Cat Blues is always fun. Nice slow to mid tempo and so easy to put nice accent rolls with the guitar between verses, the up tempo chorus ETC. Such a simple yet powerful tune. Easy to over play it on drums, the controlled agression Charlie plays is what I try to match. (poorly)
Another fave is "Gimme Shelter". After listening to Bill (from the multitrack), one realizes that he is actually very busy. You can definitely hear it on the '73 Wembley boot, but it isn't much different from what he plays on the original studio track!
For about the last 30 years, songs I have enjoyed playing with my rock buddies include Honkey Tonk Women (in STD tuning) a slow blues version of Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man and a medley of It's All Over Now with Ian Whitcomb's You Really Turn me On, but for our last seesion about a month ago, I took my Danelectro which I keep tuned in Keef (5 string open G) and we did JJP and SMU with the other guitarist playing the "Ronnie" parts. Except for the singing, it was unbelievable how real it sounded. The studio we used, which provided Marshall guitar amps and an Ampeg bass amp along with DW drums may have had something to do with it, although our drummer happens to own a Gretch set.
In my blues band we do some songs the Stones covered including Bye Bye Johnny and Route 66.
Quote Baboon Bro Which ones are these three chords, Elmo? (havent played regularly or sober since '94.... but now I've finally gotten myself a new set of strings)
SYMPATHY JJ FLASH EMPTY HEART STRAY CAT BLUES STREET FIGHTING MAN SOUL SURVIVOR/MUST BE HELL most of SOME GIRLS NO EXPECTATIONS DEAD FLOWERS UNDERCOVER
As an acoustic guitar player, the "warhorses" are a stretch for me. But I enjoy playing Dead Flowers, Wild Horses, Sweet Virginia, and Just My Imagination (stones version) which is basically two chords. Nice threat.
No order: Rough Justice. Midnight Rambler. New Faces. Mercy Mercy. Dead Flowers. Start Me Up (The most perfect riff ever). Jumping Jack Flash. Brown Sugar.
Yeah, Bro, "Dead Flowers" is DAGD in the verses, ADAD (Take me down), GDGDGD (You can ..), and back to A on "roses". It's easier than this makes it seem.
"Imagination" is basically A and D, with an E in the 3rd verse (Don't ever let another take her love from me).
Yeah, I was wondering when somebody was gonna say "Tumbling Dice." Sometimes I feel like I could play that little riff over and over, it almost never gets boring.