Skip to main content

Mick Jagger said he’s not a fan of all The Rolling Stones’ songs and albums. For example, he expressed mixed feelings about one of The Rolling Stones’ records. He said it didn’t mean much to him, but he really liked one of the hits on it.

The Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger and others near a switch board
The Rolling Stones | Robert Altman/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Mick Jagger didn’t like this Rolling Stones album but Frank Zappa did

In 1995, Jann S. Wenner published an interview with Jagger in Rolling Stone called “Mick Jagger Remembers.” In the interview, Jagger opened up about disliking certain Rolling Stones songs and albums. He agreed with Jenner’s assessment that The Rolling Stones released both classics and duds.

Wenner asked Jagger what he thought of The Rolling Stones’ album Between the Buttons. “Frank Zappa used to say he really liked it,” Jagger said. “It’s a good record, but it was unfortunately rather spoiled. We recorded it in London on four-track machines. We bounced it back to do overdubs so many times, we lost the sound of a lot of it.” Jagger said Between the Buttons didn’t matter much to him.

Mick Jagger really liked this song from The Rolling Stones’ ‘Between the Buttons’

Wenner mentioned one of the songs from Between the Buttons: “Yesterday’s Papers.” “Yeah, the first song I ever wrote completely on my own for a Rolling Stones record,” Jagger said, before discussing other songs on the record. “‘My Obsession,’ that’s a good one. They sounded so great, but then, later on, I was really disappointed with it. Isn’t ‘Ruby Tuesday’ on there or something? I don’t think the rest of the songs are that brilliant. ‘Ruby Tuesday’ is good.”

Jagger explained why he enjoyed “Ruby Tuesday.” “It’s just a nice melody, really,” he said. “And a lovely lyric. Neither of which I wrote, but I always enjoy singing it. But I agree with you about the rest of the songs – I don’t think they’re there. I don’t think I thought they were very good at the time, either.”

Related

The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger Has a Theory Why ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’ Is Such a Good Song

How the world reacted to the album

While Jagger wasn’t the biggest fan of Between the Buttons, the album became a success. Between the Buttons reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200, staying on the chart for 47 weeks. “Ruby Tuesday” was the double A-side for “Let’s Spend the Night Together” and it became a hit as well, topping the Billboard Hot 100 and remaining on the charts for 12 weeks.

Between the Buttons became a hit in the United Kingdom as well. The Official Charts Company reports Between the Buttons peaked at No. 3 in the U.K., lasting on the charts for 22 weeks. “Ruby Tuesday” reached No. 3 in the U.K., staying on the charts for 10 weeks. John Lennon’s son Julian Lennon later covered the track. Jagger liked “Ruby Tuesday” — and the American and U.K. public seemed to as well.

Best in Entertainment