The Greatest Band Ever Part Two

The Rolling Stones

If the Beatles didn’t influence your favorite band, then the Stones probably did. I have to admit, I am a Stones guy. The music is more straightforward and angst ridden then many of the groups of the 1960’s and 1970’s. They took the music world on a journey of excess and have not stopped. Simply put, they invented what it means to act like the biggest band in the world. Then they backed it up with music that was just as emphatic.

In a career that has spanned four decades; the Rolling Stones have established themselves the solid number two in the quest for the greatest rock band ever. Founded by Brian Jones in 1962, the Stones took the Blues and R&B and mixed it with a substantial level of aggression. Always a band that challenged the status quo, the Stones greatness is the attitude that permeates every song. Whether it was old people destroying the world or the sluts at the local pub, every song is the proverbial F$#% Off to somebody.

While the Beatles sought to craft artistic masterpieces, the Stones sought to push the boundaries of the total package of style and substance. While the Beatles drug use was seen as a means to an artistic end, the Stones excesses created music with a dark angst and sarcastic charm. With the firing and subsequent death of Jones in 1969, the duo of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards officially became the driving forces for the direction of the band. They ensured the band would tap into the trends of the times, and find a way to leave an indelible mark on everything.

The music that has been created by Jagger and Richards blends genres and perspectives. They are a garage rock band that can make a three minute song into an 8 minute opus of hedonism. They are the original no nonsense rock band that allowed for the progression of blues based music that would follow. The immediate response came in the form of Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Aerosmith, and Queen just to name a few. This is the band that pushed pop music to its zenith before writers had to start developing genres in which to categorize sounds, attitudes, and lifestyles.

While the band’s ability to produce classic hits continues, so does the larger then life persona’s of Jagger and Richards. They have gone from being young hooligans to grandfatherly hipsters, but the seismic energy of their career continues to be the goal of every band that signs a record contract.

Some things to Know before you see my list:

A.I see the Rolling Stones as a direct link to development of heavy rock music. If there was no “Sympathy for the Devil”, would they have been a “Stairway to Heaven”, “Shout at the Devil”, or “Welcome to the Jungle”? I think not.

B. The Who are often called the Grandfathers of Punk Rock. I personally attribute it to the Rolling Stones, for the simple fact that they took the disdain the Establishment had for them and spit it back in their collective faces. Then they bought the Establishment’s house, screwed his wife, and shot his dog. By the late 1970’s the decadence of the Stones mystique was decidedly un-punk, but the early stuff created the evolution of the genre The Who continued.

C. The Rolling Stones contributed to the notion of Sex, Drugs, and Rock+Roll more then any band ever. Whether real or implied, It is a mystique that adds to what rock and roll is supposed to be….dangerous.

D. I love the dark sarcasm the early Rolling Stones.

10. Under My Thumb
9.You Can’t Always Get What You Want
8.Start Me Up
7.Jumpin Jack Flash
6.Mothers Little Helper

It was seriously difficult to be objective with the top seven. Each one could have gone at the top spot.

5.Street Fighting Man
Brilliant song. This is the Stones response to the government led lawlessness of the late 1960’s. In America we often forget that Europe was exploding as well. In a time before poor could depend on slingin' rock, taking it to the streets was the only option. This is an anthem for all who seek social change, and continues to be a thorn in the sides of the politicians who lost the faith and sold out their brothers and sisters in the streets. The band included. This song paved the way for the aggressive combat rock of groups like The Clash, U2, Anti-Flag, and Rage Against the Machine, who covered the song on the album Renegades.

4.(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction
The quintessential Stones jam, it frequently makes the top five of the greatest songs ever written. Filled with lyrics about sex and being pissed off at life, it has become a rock anthem for people of all ages.

3.Gimme Shelter
The power of this song seeming has no bounds. Whether you are listening to it by yourself on your IPod or watching is used perfectly by Martin Scorsese (Goodfellas, Casino, The Departed), this song creates a tour de forces shift in the atmosphere of your perspective on the world when listening. A once sunny day at the beach gets an edge, and desperation to find cover from the inevitable pitfalls of our world becomes paramount.

2.Sympathy for the Devil
Dabbling with the occult added to the group’s dangerous persona. However, the song itself is a masterpiece of storytelling. It has become a response to Dante, in that the sophisticated, manipulative Lucifer in the song doesn’t hide in the shadows but lives decadently in our modern times. This song personifies what rock and roll is all about.

1.Paint it Black
This song opened the door to the possibilities of the band. While utilizing the sitar, the song creates a creepy aura that is pushed forward by awesome riffs and the frenetic drumming by Charlie Watts. The lyrics are dark and brooding, and music is full of fury. The perfect combination for a song.

So there it is, the second greatest band of all time,..The Rolling Stones.

Next up the list, a group that took the genre of music on a Stairway to Heaven.