The Playlist: Rolling Stones

They are arguably the greatest rock 'n' roll band of all time, garnering 32 Top 10 singles in the US and UK over the course of a 45-year career.

With 200 million albums sold and 55 albums under their belt, it's no wonder Rolling Stone magazine (no relation) ranked them No. 4 on their Top 100 Artists of All Time.

And despite now being in their 60s, the band is far from over. They just wrapped up an 18-month world tour - the highest grossing concert tour of all time - and are scheduled to be back on the road in 2008.

With that said, here are my favorite songs from the Rolling Stones.


Paint it Black (1966)
Album: Aftermath

A No. 1 hit on both the U.S. and U.K. charts, Rolling Stone magazine ranked it No. 174 on its Top 500 Songs of All Time. Even 40 years later, the song remains prevalent in pop culture – from being used in such movies as ‘Full Metal Jacket’ and ‘The Devil’s Advocate’ to TV appearances in ‘American Dreams’ and ‘Tour of Duty’, where it served as the show’s theme song. Many relate the depressing nature of the song to the Vietnam War, explaining its inclusion in 2004’s Xbox and Playstation 2 release, ‘Conflict: Vietnam’.






Wild Horses (1971)
Album: Sticky Fingers

Legend has it Keith Richards wrote the song about having to leave his infant son to tour with the band and then Mick Jagger rewrote most of it to reflect his own personal thoughts. Released as a single in June 1971, the song only reached No. 28 on the U.S. charts but has become a popular cover song. Guns ‘n’ Roses, Bush, Tori Amos, Garbage, Dave Matthews, and Alicia Keys are among those who have put their own spin on the love song. But my favorite version – which has appeared on TV in both ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ and ‘CSI’ – is by The Sundays.


The Sundays' cover






You Can’t Always Get What You Want (1969)
Album: Let it Bleed

Some of you might remember this song from 1983’s ‘The Big Chill.’ Good soundtrack, bad movie. John Lennon once said the Stones typically copied the Beatles innovations within a year. If that’s true then, due to the sing-along chorus, this is their ‘Hey Jude.’ The song has appeared in recent years in commercials (Coca-Cola’s C2 soda), TV shows (‘House’, ‘Nip/Tuck’), and even in sports (ESPN’s coverage of the 2007 NFL Draft).







Sympathy for the Devil (1968)
Album: Beggers Banquet

A narrative, first-person account from a sympathetic Devil, the song makes reference to the Russian Revolution, World War II, and the assassinations of John and Robert Kennedy. The band caught some initial grief from those who accused them of being devil worshipers but the song has stood the test of time. It has since been covered by the likes of Ozzy Osbourne (for a 2005 box set), Guns ‘n’ Roses (for the 1994 film, ‘Interview with the Vampire’) and – along with Ruby Tuesday – was sampled by U2 during their show-stealing performance at 1985’s Live Aid.







Gimme Shelter (1969)
Album: Let it Bleed

This was the title track of the band’s 1970 documentary which detailed their 1969 U.S. tour and the Altamont Speedway concert where a fan was stabbed to death by a member of the Hells Angels, who were working security for the show. (As some added trivia: a young George Lucas was one of the camera operators during the Altamont concert.) Director Martin Scorsese has used the song in several of his films, including ‘Goodfellas’, ‘Casino’, and most recently ‘The Departed.’ And you can also find it in such shows as ‘The Simpsons,’ ‘Nip/Tuck,’ ‘Prison Break,’ and ‘Entourage.’ Rolling Stone magazine ranked it No. 38 on their Top 500 Songs of All Time.







So there’s my list. What’s yours? Shoot me an e-mail at grahamcawthon@shelbystar.com and it might end up featured in a future column.