The Rolling Stones’ Debut Album Turns 60: Ranking Every Song
Today, The Rolling Stones‘ debut album turned 60. Hats off to Mick Jagger and company for staying together this long against all odds! Here’s a look at their debut album’s triumphs and tragedies.
13. ‘I Just Want to Make Love to You’
The lively rhythm here is ruined by some questionable lyrics. In this song, Jagger compares himself to an enslaved person. It’s tasteless, but what would you expect from the same band that would later give us such racist atrocities as “Brown Sugar” and “Some Girls?” At least this song didn’t hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 like “Brown Sugar” did.
12. ‘You Can Make It If You Try’
Placed near the end of the album, “You Can Make It If You Try” is a self-empowerment song that feels tedious and endless. The Rolling Stones made it. They tried. This song didn’t help them get there.
11. ‘Walking the Dog’
Rufus Thomas’ silly hit “Walking the Dog” was a hit that became a major rock ‘n’ roll standard, so it was inevitable that The Rolling Stones would cover it. It has nothing on The Monkees’ far more ridiculous “Gonna Buy Me a Dog,” which features hilarious ad-libs from Davy Jones.
10. ‘Mona (I Need You Baby)’
This take on the Bo Diddley beat written by Diddley himself doesn’t have the immediacy of other, similar songs. However, it shows that Jagger knows how to put power in his voice even when he finds himself working with subpar material.
9. ‘Little by Little’
“Little by Little” was co-written by Phil Spector, but don’t expect to hear any of his famous Wall of Sound in this song. It’s just blues in its simplest, most straightforward form, and considering Spector’s involvement, it’s a minor disappointment.
8. ‘Can I Get a Witness’
This song has a gospel bounce that now feels ironic coming from the band that gave us “Sympathy for the Devil.” Regardless, it’s a convincing portrayal of a man whose woman doesn’t treat him right.
7. ‘Carol’
This cover of the Chuck Berry classic keeps Berry’s oft-imitated sound and shows the respect that The Rolling Stones had for their predecessors. But, in the age of streaming, why would anyone listen to this over the original?
6. ‘Now I’ve Got a Witness (Like Uncle Phil and Uncle Gene)’
“Now I’ve Got a Witness (Like Uncle Phil and Uncle Gene)” is an instrumental piece that feels more like an interlude than a real, completed song. On an album that’s pretty meat-and-potatoes, it’s a rare but fun moment of self-indulgence.
5. ‘Honest I Do’
This conventional blues number is mostly memorable for the guitar work and the harmonica. Contrast it with the harmonica with The Beatles’ “Love Me Do” (which became popular in the United States around the same time), and “Honest I Do” sounds much more authentic.
4. ‘Not Fade Away’
This song has the famous “Bo Diddley beat” but it was actually written by Diddley’s contemporary Buddy Holly. The Rolling Stones’ cover appears on the American version of the album but not the British version. Perhaps another song by an American icon helped ease The Rolling Stones into the American market.
3. ‘I’m a King Bee’
When Jagger sings “I’m a King Bee,” you know he means business. How you react to this song will largely depend on how much the idea of spending some time alone backstage with the British Invasion icon appeals to you.
2. ‘Route 66’
A lively take on Bobby Troup’s “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66,” it’s a wonder this cover hasn’t been used in a commercial for Best Western. Moments like this show that, even if The Rolling Stones never wrote one song, they still would have been a great cover band.
1. ‘Tell Me (You’re Coming Back)’
This original Jagger/Richards composition is a sensitive ballad that paved the way for “Angie,” “Ruby Tuesday,” and “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” It has a bit of a 1950s malt shoppe vibe, which makes it a beautiful hybrid of 1950s and 1960s top-40.
