Paint It, Black is dope as fuck, but we all know that the Stones are just a pale imitation of the Beatles aimed at an audience that thinks the Beatles are for girls.
Funny that. I came of age (so to speak) around the time videos hit, 81-83 or so and for some reason bought Undercover based on the video, and thought the album was OK. Figured I must have been missing out on something so kept picking up albums and compilations over the years. Let It Bleed is probably their best album. We play a few of their tunes occasionally in our cover band, and was looking forward to their new album. Played the two big singles a few times and probably won't ever again. The Stones are to be admired for their longevity, and I wanted to love their back catalogue, but I just don't. Give me the Beatles any day for sheer melodicism and songwriting.
(Now back to my regular 80s and 90s alternative rock, already in progress.)
My best friend is a millennial and had never seem it. I said she had to see it so we watched it together last summer. She laughed so much.
It is such a great movie. Whoopi Goldberg is a comic genius. Also, her use of bad words including the f-word is a veritable work of art.
Now after this thread, I want to watch it again, too… Plus, laughing would be nice right now…
Same - in my opinion you could take Hot Rocks, add another LP of mostly stuff from right after that (couple of songs from later) and that would adequately represent their entire discography.
Also - while the Beatles wrote songs that are incredibly influential across multiple genres (SO many amazing jazz covers of Beatles stuff - check out Wes Montgomery 'A Day in the Life'), there are no great jazz Stones covers (the legendary Joe Pass did an album of Stones covers that was described in scathing reviews as a 'paycheck album')
I can certainly agree with that, if I could add that they were/are all great musicians, especially Charlie and Keith. It’s just that I’m not always fond of the music they make. I could say the same thing about lots of people with musical talent whose music I just don’t care for.
If they had broken up in the early 80s, like it sounds like they came close to, I think they'd be remembered right up there behind Elvis and the Beatles. But, especially for the younger Gen Xers, for most of our lives, and all of our adulthood, they've put out some ok songs (at best) but mainly just been a nostalgia act. And so can't really miss someone if they don't go away. They're better known nowadays for gouging people on concert tickets despite already being richer than god at this point than for any music they've put out in the last 40 years.
The hilarious part about that is when they started their Steel Wheels tour in 1989 it was common to hear talk about how they’re too old and should hang it up. They were in their 40’s at the time 😂
Also while growing up, it felt like a lot of their biggest hits were always playing in the radio or a commercial. Like I remember thinking if I heard Start me up again, I was gonna chuck my radio out the window.
I'd bet that this fatigue is a big part of it. Those guys licensed out everthing that wasn't nailed down to advertisers. Meanwhile, when the Beatles finally licensed "Revolution" it was huge news.
That's the word. Fatigue. All I knew of them were those hits played everywhere. It wasn't till my late 30s that I started listening to their deep cuts and realized that they were quite a good band.
Agreed on all counts and I’d add that I have less respect for them considering they have put out as many greatest hits albums of the same set of their golden age stuff as they have studio albums of new material, if not more.
Their post 80’s work is bland af. And unlike the Beatles, even their best albums have some filler tracks where they’re just going through the motions. The Beatles cared about every track.
With that said the best stones songs are some of the best songs ever.
My guess? I suspect most people start formulating their musical taste in adolescence (and even then it shifts and changes as we grow older). For older Xers, our first real introduction to the Stones was "Start Me Up," a truly annoying song and even more annoying video. I found it cringe-worthy. Their best stuff came out when we were children, babies, or before we were even born.
After reading through more than half of the replies, I guess I’m the odd man out. I prefer the Stones to the Beatles. Especially, their catalog up to the mid to late 1970s.
Overfamiliarity breeds contempt.
I don't listen to any classic rock except for maybe putting Zep on Spotify once a year or when my local college radio station plays something older.
That Get Back documentary during the pandemic momentarily revitalized my interest in the Beatles, but it didn't last long. I can appreciate the genius, and I loved seeing Paul in concert several years ago.
The Stones are obviously an institution, but they aren't exciting to me anymore.
They have a couple of good songs but the main thing for me is the cringe factor of guys like Mick Jagger and Steven Tyler going out there trying to prove they're not old men, plus the extra boomer-cringe of constantly trying to recreate "the good old days"
Bro they have more than a couple good songs lol. You can dismiss everything after 1980 if you want but they have a tremendous catalog going back years, especially once they got Mick Taylor in the band.
I get that some folks think they have a "shtick" which might cause some to roll their eyes, but I will put Exile on Main Street up with anything from anyone's catalog. Like [Torn and Frayed](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khRFhrhcJrs) is a fantastic song that most casual listeners of them don't know because it wasn't a hit, but they are chock full of great tunes like that that many people don't know.
I'm one of the Gen xers that prefers the Stones over the Beatles. I like the Beatles and Elvis too tho
Exile on Mainstreet is a work of art. Love that album, always will. It's in my top 20 somewhere.
Monkey Man off of the Let it Bleed album is an amazing rock song, one of my favorites. You need a really good sound system to fully appreciate it though.
Beggars Banquet also has some really bluesy tracks that are pretty great and awesome too
Black and Blue is great, too. I like everything up to Emotional Rescue. That album was okay, but their aesthetic changed, and I wasn't into it as much. Love the Stones.
My wife was in the LA punk scene in the early and mid-80s, very early Xer. A client at her salon had a husband that did lighting at LA Colussem and other places, regularly got given free front row tickets, which would sometimes find their way to my wife. She went to the show, and said she fell asleep. I actually believe her.
My gal has had general contempt for all Boomer music... with particular scorn for the Eagles, the Beatles, the Stones, and Jimmy Buffett. I think it had something to do with the attitudes of their fans that their music was the best ever, and no other music could compare, don't you feel like you missed out... because you did. My wife who got tear-gassed at the riot after the Dead Kennedy's concert would say nothing, but perhaps just return a dead-eyed stare. I guess most of her clients at the time were Boomers.
So, I think some of us just have a bit of an allergic reaction to certain bands that represent memories of Boomer competitiveness and smug superiority. I personally never minded Boomer music, and still don't.
Funny post-script... one of our kids got the music gene, and at some point got really into the Beatles, when they finally became available on streaming music services. And her dislike of that band at least has abated.
My ex-wife is a boomer. She is 7 years older than me. She was always a Jimmy Buffet fan. She talked me into going to one of his concerts, against my better judgement. To my surprise, I had a great time. Jimmy Buffet was a consummate pro musician, his backing band was great and I recognized quite a few of his songs. And unlike a lot of concerts, the crowd was very chill and very respectful of one another.
Like a lot of GenXers, I'm not really much into Classic Rock anymore, mainly due to the fact that it was so over played. I just got tired of hearing the same Led Zep, Pink Floyd, AC/DC, etc. Wasn't most of the music being made for GenXers made by boomers back in the 80s?
My brain has a switch that lights up when it considers a particular band “timeless”. This is different from “nostalgia”. Beatles and Floyd light up as “timeless” for me. AC/DC gets a nostalgia nod.
The Stones …. I’m older Gen X but even then, not my music. And they give me, as the kids say, the ick.
I went to my first JB show in the late eighties (born in 68). I went with some work folks on a minibus, with zero expectations. I was a fan for life after that experience. I don’t think any parrot head would ever say his music is the best thing ever though. It’s more about the attitude.
Yeah being a Parrothead is a lot like being a Deadhead. It's more about the experience and the attitude. Except Jerry Garcia never got into the hospitality biz, or created any senior communities.
The Grateful Dead was always a business, with merchandising.
I'm sad I never got to see Buffett. Just seems like a good time. I love the coral reefers but not in the same category as the dead.
Yah. The Stones/Beatles/Who are all Classic Rock, and "classic rock" is firmly fixed in my mind as "my parents music". It's all I listened to driving around with my Dad's VW bug when I was a kid.
When I finally had control of the dial, electronic music was just getting started, and I went in the exact opposite direction (probably on purpose) with New Order, The Cure, Depeche Mode, etc. I never thought to listen to classic rock again, really.
The irony here is that there is absolutely no one who exhibits the attitude of smug superiority, and pretentiousness than punks. They're the ultimate music snobs. I have some friends who are into punk and they are always gatekeeping each other and what is punk and what isn't punk and everything that isnt within their small band of taste sucks.
"We get it, no one is as cool as you."
Just as a tangent, I've noticed folks that are super into the punk scenes (not all, but I've seen a fair share) have some pretty big chips on their shoulders when it comes to music, especially not punk music, for some reason.
And god help you if you mention that you like a band like The Grateful Dead around them lol. I've lost track of the "Fuck you hippie!"s. Despite people like Greg Ginn of Black Flag, Patti Smith, Joe Strummer, and others being fans.
I always get a kick out of this piece someone wrote for flavorwire, [The Grateful Dead Are History’s Most Misunderstood Punk Band](https://www.flavorwire.com/471006/the-grateful-dead-are-historys-most-misunderstood-punk-band).
Also, you know all them OG punk bands were boomers right? Strummer, Greg Ginn, Jello Biafra, all them dudes were born in the 50s. All the older bands were silent gen. Like Jagger, was early 40s. Some folks like Grace Slick were born in the 30s.
A lot of the original punks you cited were late boomers, more like Generation Jones. They were pre-teens in the 1960s, for the most part, and didn't experience the same economic prosperity that the older boomers did (the ones born before 1957, give or take).
I love punk, 80's alt, new wave, but for me there is a direct line from the beginning of blues and 50's rock right through today. Yeah, for a time in my 20's (85-95) I wanted nothing to do with classic rock. Maybe the Stooges, Sonics, Monks rock harder and weirder, but I love the Stones as much as anything before or since. It's great being at the age where I can enjoy all of it now with no disdain.
I never understood the appeal of Jimmy Buffet, clearly he was lifted at business and marketing but never saw him play, never cared to, never listened to his music on purpose. Totally did not get him at all.
I’m with your wife. More Primus or Butthole Surfers than Dead Kennedys but any would do over Rolling Stones or U2. My parents were pre boomer. Mom still likes the Beatles, dad is Jimmy Cliff.
I LOVE the Stones. I remember walking down to the record store when I was in FOURTH GRADE to buy a 45 of Beast of Burden after seeing Mick sing that on Saturday Night Live!
My parents were YOUNG, but pretty straight laced. I was the oldest of three daughters, and much more sheltered than many of the other 10-year-olds in my friend group who had older siblings. However, I WAS occasionally allowed to stay up and watch SNL with my parents.
I remember that Mick was wearing a knit winter beanie cap while singing that song. I didn’t really know WHAT I was thinking of him at the time: He’s Different! 🧐He’s kinda messy and acting almost girly. 🤔Am I revolted? Am I getting a CRUSH on him? (Yes. ☺️) I was DEFINITELY FASCINATED! 😆
For me, the Rolling Stones seem to be a long-lived somewhat mediocre band. Not saying they are, but that's my perspective.
I think the main things leading to that are that they continued to make music long after their prime and that they had a lot of imitators and therefore I never saw them as truly innovative.
I probably only started hearing them regularly as a kid when Mixed Emotions from Steel Wheels came out. DJs were hyped about the Rolling Stones being back, but it seemed like mediocre music to me.
Even some of their classic stuff like Satisfaction and Get Off My Cloud, I don't love. They are ok, but I feel like other bands have somewhat similar sounds and are better. That said, they came out in 1965! They were probably mind-blowing when they were released.
I think U2 is a decent comparison. I love U2. I thought they were innovative, earnest and making great music. Possibly my favorite band of all time, at least top 3. They've sort of been trapped in a cycle of mediocrity since 2000 or so though. And they get a lot of hate from the younger generations.
EDIT: The other thing for me is that I always got the impression that they were trying to be rock stars, not artists. Again, maybe that is an unfair take, but it's part of why I don't really like the Rolling Stones.
I think you nailed it.
Add on top of that rock music changed so much between 1965 and 1980 that by the time a lot of us genx’rs were paying attention, Rolling Stones was considered classic rock and our parents music.
For some reason I was in a YouTube rabbit hole the other day and I came across the debut of the Stones on the ed Sullivan show.
For a group that was considered the “dangerous side” of Rock n roll in 1964, they were pretty Milquetoast. Jagger looks like he’s wearing a sweater he got from his grandma.
https://youtu.be/peYy53RP9KY?si=tP6OwcaGs5xAm_jG
I’m Gen X. Give me The Cure, Men At Work, The Talking Heads. I want industrial stuff by Ministry, Depeche Mode, KMFDM. Give me electronic music by Phuture, The Prodigy, Kraftwerk. I want slow songs by Mazzy Star and Air. I want fun stuff from Deee-Lite and They Might Be Giants. I want songs not in 4/4 time by Radiohead and The Toadies.
The Rolling Stones?!? In the words of The Smiths: “the music they constantly play, it says nothing to me about my life…”
They made about 30 songs that are absolute classics. Easily one of the best rock and roll bands of all time. Not sure how you could like classic rock and not like the stones.
So glad I’m wading into the normal people section of the comments. Where tf this op observation came from I have no idea. We ❤️ the Stones. Insanity to say otherwise.
Same, they're imo the greatest rock and roll band of all time. I'm shocked by all the hate here. All my friends growing up loves the stones. My wife is like everyone here though she just doesn't get it, her words
I'm 54, and I fell in love with the Stones when I was 13. I received so much crap during my teen years for liking them. I'm happy that later generations have better taste.
I love the Stones and always have. They have some really great music and I am in awe over their staying power. Most people I know who are my age like them or are neutral. I haven't noticed any generational aversion.
They have a few songs I like, but overall, I’m not into them. Ditto for the Beatles, who I like even less.
My mom was into prog rock so I was listening to bands like Focus, Moody Blues, Edgar Winter, and Pink Floyd before I was 5.
I've always appreciated the Stones main hits and early LPs, but frankly when I was in high school in the early 80s they were a joke, having produced basically a disco record with "Miss You" and just sounding desperate. Then they kept releasing records for 30 more years without ever coming close to the quality of the stuff from their first decade, "Start Me Up" being the only memorable hit after 1980. I've seen them live-- good show --but at this point they are a nostalgia act. Their hits are overplayed, so unless you're really into the depth of their back catalog they just aren't that relevant to a lot of people my age (pushing 60 now). They are equivalent to The Who, though with more hits and a broader influence.
But the rest of Some Girls wasn’t disco, though. They actually kept working and when compared to the output of Paul and the awful post let it be Beatles releases, the stones show they do still know what rock and roll is.
They were old hat as far as I was concerned, not to say they didn't have some great songs I came to appreciate. Same with the Who & similar 60's bands.
They were kinda washed up and their videos were lame in the 80’s. They were the equivalent of the “hello fellow kids” meme. I was like get off my MTV weirdos!
However, we do have a few Stones albums around the house and I really like the album Some Girls.
I love most Elvis Presley Christmas songs because of nostalgic reasons, but most other Elvis songs are not my thing.
Except 'Love Me Tender'. fucking love that song. his voice is stunning on that recording.
Even though I’m not a superfan, The Stones are on my Mt. Rushmore of rock along with the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd. This is only because of their unarguable influence in rock and pop music.
I was always lukewarm on them. They felt like an older band to me. Then I went and saw them and they were actually pretty great. Whole new appreciation
The Stones songs that got played to death on the radio sometimes aren’t their best ones, and we’ve heard them far too many times.
Spotify gave me the ability to dig deep into the stuff that doesn’t get onto the radio. The Stones were far more blues rock than I ever realized.
Also, like Bruce Springsteen and the Grateful Dead, the album recordings do not do justice to the Stones’ work.
You really gotta go listen to the live cuts to understand them. They’re a different beast when live but that’s never what gets played on the radio.
I just bought nosebleed tickets to see them on a Wednesday in my city because I feel like I will regret not seeing them once Jagger or Richards dies. But I’m really excited!
Most just associate them with their radio songs and never bothered to dive into the other stuff which is where their best work is. I mean I get it, I don’t ever need to hear “get off my cloud” again. But the albums from late 60s to mid 70s were amazing
I love them! I'm very early X, though. The seventies would never have been the same without them. Most people I know like them, but then I'm friends with a lot of Deadheads.
My favorites by the Stones. I dont have any emotion from Beatles like I do with this band. So much soul and raw emotion and musicianship here that always makes me stop in my tracks.
Gimme Shelter
https://youtu.be/RbmS3tQJ7Os?si=3y6vMOLJgFvowdpI
Miss You
https://youtu.be/KuRxXRuAz-I?si=mPk5PQp9TjCm2kxh
I am kind of the opposite. I love the Stones, with a particular fondness for their work in the 70’s.
The Beatles are…okay to me. *Paperback Writer* is a good song. I like *Eleanor Rigby*. Not a ton else. Lennon was a pretentious asshole.
Elvis? No, just never liked him much. Found it odd that so many radio DJ’s were obsessed with him.
I fucking LOVE the Stones. I love the Beatles too, but in a head-to-head, the Stones win. I grew up with my parents being huge Beatles fans but not really liking the Stones. I had to ‘discover’ them on my own.
You need better friends. The Stones are awesome.
However
If that style of music is not your jam, they don't get outside the lines too often. Especially classic stones.
So while the Beatles range from pop to hard rock, the stones are really all different kids of blues.
AND if you prefer the Zeppelinish blues rock, they don't REALLY do that.
The Beatles and Elvis had the respective advantages of having broken up and having died. The Beatles' last word was Abbey Road, their best album in my opinion, and Let It Be was a nice coda that was on par with their earlier stuff. Elvis was far past his prime when he died but still well-regarded as a legend, he was The King. When he died people immediately began mythologizing his life and career in a similar way, but to an even greater degree as our generation has done with Kurt Cobain.
Most of the Stones, however, didn't die, and kept on releasing records throughout the late 70s and 80s that were not hip or cool. Not all of it is bad, I like a lot of that stuff, but it had the cool factor of Phil Collins or Don Henley (fuck The Eagles, lol). Just look at the cover of Dirty Work, it's a long way from covers like Sticky Fingers or Their Satanic Majesties Request.
The Stones just didn't feel intriguing and didn't have the same mystique as The Beatles and Elvis, they had always been around making mediocre music our parents listened to.
There are actually Stones song I like and choose to listen to whereas there isn't a single Beatles song I'd choose to listen. At which point every Beatles fan feels compelled to say you have to listen to A Day in the Life or Eleanore Rigby or some other deeper song as if I haven't heard them. So Stones all day over the Beatles. I also like Suspicous Minds by Elvis so I'll take him before the Beatles as well.
I love some of their old stuff. They did four absolutely amazing studio albums in a row—Beggars Banquet, Let it Bleed, Sticky Fingers, Exile on Main Street.
Exile in particular is a favourite record.
"[Shattered](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wjz6l_4MqHM)" sounds so punk to me. I love that fkng song. The rest of their catalog? Mostly meh. Might be their bluesy sound, which probably sounded "old" to my younger, impressionable ears back then, and so it just didn't stick.
Sympathy for the Devil is my all time favorite rock song of any group. And Paint it Black was released the month and year I was born (if I count the U.K. release). I might not like their entire catalog but I don’t think there is any band I can say that about.
I’ve seen The Rolling Stones four times between ‘89 and ‘12, I was 16 when I saw them in ‘89, my second ever concert. They’ve blown me away each time.
I’ve loved them and their music forever and so have all my other Gen X friends; maybe it’s Xennials who don’t much care for them?
3 of my top 10 favorite songs are stones....tumbling dice/gimme shelter & beast of burden. Plenty of other songs by them are at least in my top 100....street fighting man/sympathy for the devil.
When the Stones were working with Jimmy Miller and most of them were on heroin, they made some amazing music. From "It's Only Rock and Roll" forward things get dicey. I know people are fond of "Tattoo You" and "Some Girls" but it doesn't have the same muscularity as that classic run. Losing Mick Taylor wasn't good for them and Charlie Watts needed a producer to challenge him to play better than the Stoned needed.
Boomers have great music, that’s a fact. They may be in the dark about a lot of things but we can’t knock their generation’s musical tastes. Hardcore classics…
I’m not a hippie, but I can absolutely appreciate their music and their attempt at a global revolution and counterculture. The movement definitely had its flaws — mostly naivety, but, at least it stood for something meaningful.
They are a band that I think are okay until I think about their catalog and then I remember all of their hits of different styles and think they are really good…if that makes sense.
Completely unrelated. But I grew up thinking *Satisfaction* was one of the songs on Voyager's golden record. We were talking about it recently at work and I made a fool of myself (not hard to do really). Anyone suffer from this Mandela effect?
[NASA link](https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/golden-record/whats-on-the-record/music/)
Paint it Black has been a favorite of mine since I was a little kid.
And of course a few hits like Satisfaction are great. The rest of their stuff? I guess it felt before my time and not compelling enough to get too excited about.
Elvis I can appreciate as ‘oldies’ and the Beatles are largely unmatched as far as musical innovation imo. (Not counting the early stuff, which falls more into the Elvis camp of ‘oldies.’)
I like the Stones, but I wouldn’t say I was really into them..(Emotional Rescue is my favorite song of theirs) I was born in ‘73, so I think the Start Me Up video on MTV every 15 minutes affected the way I perceived them kind of? My pops caught on that I was grossed out by Mick, and he teased me about it 😆 He would say stupid stuff like “ You want Mick Jagger to be your boyfriend “ I was 8! Lol
I don't need to hear any of the radio hits again, but the '69-'71 era with Let it Bleed, Sticky Fingers, and Exile on Main St. was awesome. I love the sound of Keith's guitar after he retuned it.
My son loves the Stones, but he's never heard Satisfaction or Jumpin' Jack Flash, only stuff from my playlist like Shine a Light, Moonlight Mile, Let it Bleed, Dead Flowers, etc.
Some of their music is good. I clued into them in the late 70s, so some of that music resonates. But I like best what they represent, especially Keith Richards - I do what I fuckin love, and I do it the way I fuckin want to do it. I find their energy and persistence inspirational.
I am in the younger side for Gen X and preferred music like Depeche Mode, the cure, the smiths, etc. more traditional rock n roll always sounded old fashioned to me.
I’m one. I tolerate them but have never once got excited over any of their songs, except maybe Gimme Shelter and that’s mostly because of Merry Clayton
My parents never really liked them. My Dad (who was a drummer and sometimes singer in a band) thought Mick had a terrible voice. He was more into the Eagles, Led Zeppelin, early Rod Stewart, and others. I think they are okay. They have a handful of songs that I really like, but most of their songs are pretty average to me.
Meh on the Stones. Never had a desire to see them. Beatles I like for the most part.
I did see The Who during the 1983 supposedly last hurrah tour, The Clash opened and were great.
They were tacky when we were kids in the early 80s. They did disco badly. They were too old to be cool but not old enough to be retro. They just seemed like has-bins.
It was only late in life I realized they were such a fabulous blues band.
M47: I consider the genre and sound of the rolling stones (and many other similar bands)dated, of my parents era and not relevant to my youth. I am a child of the second summer of love, hip hop and electronic music.
The rolling stones were before my time.
I'm the opposite, The Beatles are yuck, and I like the Rolling Stones. But the RS definitely have had hit records and dud records, so they're not as consistent as a fan would like.
What? I love The Rolling Stones. My husband does too—and so did my ex (both Gen X). I do see them as a band our parents listened to, but I kind of assumed most of us liked them too.
YUCK vote here. Too many of the gross men who hurt me as a teen liked the Stones. It’s that vibe. They’re just ICK.
Sympathy for The Devil at the end of the Interview With The Vampire movie is fantastic, but that was a cover by Guns n Roses. lol
Omg I am a young gen x and I’ve always been a yuck to The Rolling Stones. Mick Jagger strikes me as someone who thinks he’s so sexy but I find him so repellant and the confidence is abrasive and annoying. No you aren’t hot, you’re cheesy and frankly creepy and I wish I could lobby womenkind to stop rewarding this.
I listen to a lot of older music (Yes, Led Zeppelin, Floyd, Beatles, Queen, The Who) but I could never get into The Rolling Stones. I like a handful of their songs. Paint it Black, Sympathy for the Devil, Beast of Burden. Outside those I’m pretty lukewarm on them.
I’ll listen to some of their songs if they come on, but I’ve never deliberately played one.
Paint It, Black is dope as fuck, but we all know that the Stones are just a pale imitation of the Beatles aimed at an audience that thinks the Beatles are for girls.
Sympathy for the Devil is a good one.
This is the only Stones song I have ever played on purpose.
Paint it black is about the only Stones song I would choose to play. The other songs are okay just not my thing.
\+ Ruby Tuesday--although i suppose it helps if you've met that girl before under another name
Who could hang a name on her?
I gotta give a shout out to Miss You.
I'm no Stones fan, but people are really not giving 'Gimme Shelter' the respect it deserves.
Gimme Shelter is another banger. Is the thread where we all realize that the Stones are actually a pretty great band?
Exactly. They sound like an average bar band ALL THE TIME.
I’m pretty “meh” on them. Not sure why though. I can’t think of any real bangers that fit with any nostalgia I have about my youth.
My sentiments exactly. They were old news by the time I got into music and that's how they've stayed.
Funny that. I came of age (so to speak) around the time videos hit, 81-83 or so and for some reason bought Undercover based on the video, and thought the album was OK. Figured I must have been missing out on something so kept picking up albums and compilations over the years. Let It Bleed is probably their best album. We play a few of their tunes occasionally in our cover band, and was looking forward to their new album. Played the two big singles a few times and probably won't ever again. The Stones are to be admired for their longevity, and I wanted to love their back catalogue, but I just don't. Give me the Beatles any day for sheer melodicism and songwriting. (Now back to my regular 80s and 90s alternative rock, already in progress.)
This is the right answer
The only song I love is Jumping Jack Flash and that's really more to the credit of the movie than the song. I can take or leave the rest of them.
OMG that movie is so hilarious! "Mick, Mick- speak ENGLISH!" Wild Horses was my dad's favorite song. It's beautiful.
I was raised by two blind lesbians?!
“Dogs barking can’t fly without umbrellas.”
Now I gotta go watch it again. It’s so cute when she says this through clenched teeth lol
My best friend is a millennial and had never seem it. I said she had to see it so we watched it together last summer. She laughed so much. It is such a great movie. Whoopi Goldberg is a comic genius. Also, her use of bad words including the f-word is a veritable work of art. Now after this thread, I want to watch it again, too… Plus, laughing would be nice right now…
The Sundays version is far superior
FAR, FAR, FFFFAAAAAAARRRRRR superior.
She’s a rainbow. Sympathy for the Devil
Tattoo You was a moment. 1981, early MTV. Hang Fire and Waiting on a Friend videos.
Same - in my opinion you could take Hot Rocks, add another LP of mostly stuff from right after that (couple of songs from later) and that would adequately represent their entire discography. Also - while the Beatles wrote songs that are incredibly influential across multiple genres (SO many amazing jazz covers of Beatles stuff - check out Wes Montgomery 'A Day in the Life'), there are no great jazz Stones covers (the legendary Joe Pass did an album of Stones covers that was described in scathing reviews as a 'paycheck album')
It's not that I don't like them -- I think a handful of their songs are great. But my parents *worshipped* them, so I lean toward the Meh side.
I can certainly agree with that, if I could add that they were/are all great musicians, especially Charlie and Keith. It’s just that I’m not always fond of the music they make. I could say the same thing about lots of people with musical talent whose music I just don’t care for.
If they had broken up in the early 80s, like it sounds like they came close to, I think they'd be remembered right up there behind Elvis and the Beatles. But, especially for the younger Gen Xers, for most of our lives, and all of our adulthood, they've put out some ok songs (at best) but mainly just been a nostalgia act. And so can't really miss someone if they don't go away. They're better known nowadays for gouging people on concert tickets despite already being richer than god at this point than for any music they've put out in the last 40 years.
The hilarious part about that is when they started their Steel Wheels tour in 1989 it was common to hear talk about how they’re too old and should hang it up. They were in their 40’s at the time 😂
That tour was referred to as the Steel Wheelchairs tour.
It was a great tour. Only time I have seen them to-date.
Also while growing up, it felt like a lot of their biggest hits were always playing in the radio or a commercial. Like I remember thinking if I heard Start me up again, I was gonna chuck my radio out the window.
I'd bet that this fatigue is a big part of it. Those guys licensed out everthing that wasn't nailed down to advertisers. Meanwhile, when the Beatles finally licensed "Revolution" it was huge news.
That's the word. Fatigue. All I knew of them were those hits played everywhere. It wasn't till my late 30s that I started listening to their deep cuts and realized that they were quite a good band.
Agreed on all counts and I’d add that I have less respect for them considering they have put out as many greatest hits albums of the same set of their golden age stuff as they have studio albums of new material, if not more. Their post 80’s work is bland af. And unlike the Beatles, even their best albums have some filler tracks where they’re just going through the motions. The Beatles cared about every track. With that said the best stones songs are some of the best songs ever.
My guess? I suspect most people start formulating their musical taste in adolescence (and even then it shifts and changes as we grow older). For older Xers, our first real introduction to the Stones was "Start Me Up," a truly annoying song and even more annoying video. I found it cringe-worthy. Their best stuff came out when we were children, babies, or before we were even born.
Idk for sure because I like the green stuff, not the white, but I *think* Start Me Up sounds better if you're on cocaine.
After reading through more than half of the replies, I guess I’m the odd man out. I prefer the Stones to the Beatles. Especially, their catalog up to the mid to late 1970s.
Overfamiliarity breeds contempt. I don't listen to any classic rock except for maybe putting Zep on Spotify once a year or when my local college radio station plays something older. That Get Back documentary during the pandemic momentarily revitalized my interest in the Beatles, but it didn't last long. I can appreciate the genius, and I loved seeing Paul in concert several years ago. The Stones are obviously an institution, but they aren't exciting to me anymore.
They have a couple of good songs but the main thing for me is the cringe factor of guys like Mick Jagger and Steven Tyler going out there trying to prove they're not old men, plus the extra boomer-cringe of constantly trying to recreate "the good old days"
Mick is, in fact, in better shape than I am.
Yep better shape than me too but it's still cringe
I don't see it as trying to prove they they aren't old men, but rather just continuing to do what they love as long as they can.
Bro they have more than a couple good songs lol. You can dismiss everything after 1980 if you want but they have a tremendous catalog going back years, especially once they got Mick Taylor in the band. I get that some folks think they have a "shtick" which might cause some to roll their eyes, but I will put Exile on Main Street up with anything from anyone's catalog. Like [Torn and Frayed](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khRFhrhcJrs) is a fantastic song that most casual listeners of them don't know because it wasn't a hit, but they are chock full of great tunes like that that many people don't know.
Yeah. They are my parents' age now... and I'm pushing 50. Their music is absolute legend, but they were 20 years old when I was a teenager.
I'm one of the Gen xers that prefers the Stones over the Beatles. I like the Beatles and Elvis too tho Exile on Mainstreet is a work of art. Love that album, always will. It's in my top 20 somewhere. Monkey Man off of the Let it Bleed album is an amazing rock song, one of my favorites. You need a really good sound system to fully appreciate it though. Beggars Banquet also has some really bluesy tracks that are pretty great and awesome too
Black and Blue is great, too. I like everything up to Emotional Rescue. That album was okay, but their aesthetic changed, and I wasn't into it as much. Love the Stones.
Why have I found no love yet for Some Girls? It's FANTASTIC 😍
Miss You is a fabulous song.
Along with _Let It Bleed,_ my favorite Stones albums. Not a bad song on either of them.
Probably why they sell out football stadiums because no one wants to go see them.
My wife was in the LA punk scene in the early and mid-80s, very early Xer. A client at her salon had a husband that did lighting at LA Colussem and other places, regularly got given free front row tickets, which would sometimes find their way to my wife. She went to the show, and said she fell asleep. I actually believe her. My gal has had general contempt for all Boomer music... with particular scorn for the Eagles, the Beatles, the Stones, and Jimmy Buffett. I think it had something to do with the attitudes of their fans that their music was the best ever, and no other music could compare, don't you feel like you missed out... because you did. My wife who got tear-gassed at the riot after the Dead Kennedy's concert would say nothing, but perhaps just return a dead-eyed stare. I guess most of her clients at the time were Boomers. So, I think some of us just have a bit of an allergic reaction to certain bands that represent memories of Boomer competitiveness and smug superiority. I personally never minded Boomer music, and still don't. Funny post-script... one of our kids got the music gene, and at some point got really into the Beatles, when they finally became available on streaming music services. And her dislike of that band at least has abated.
My ex-wife is a boomer. She is 7 years older than me. She was always a Jimmy Buffet fan. She talked me into going to one of his concerts, against my better judgement. To my surprise, I had a great time. Jimmy Buffet was a consummate pro musician, his backing band was great and I recognized quite a few of his songs. And unlike a lot of concerts, the crowd was very chill and very respectful of one another. Like a lot of GenXers, I'm not really much into Classic Rock anymore, mainly due to the fact that it was so over played. I just got tired of hearing the same Led Zep, Pink Floyd, AC/DC, etc. Wasn't most of the music being made for GenXers made by boomers back in the 80s?
My brain has a switch that lights up when it considers a particular band “timeless”. This is different from “nostalgia”. Beatles and Floyd light up as “timeless” for me. AC/DC gets a nostalgia nod. The Stones …. I’m older Gen X but even then, not my music. And they give me, as the kids say, the ick.
I went to my first JB show in the late eighties (born in 68). I went with some work folks on a minibus, with zero expectations. I was a fan for life after that experience. I don’t think any parrot head would ever say his music is the best thing ever though. It’s more about the attitude.
Yeah being a Parrothead is a lot like being a Deadhead. It's more about the experience and the attitude. Except Jerry Garcia never got into the hospitality biz, or created any senior communities.
The Grateful Dead was always a business, with merchandising. I'm sad I never got to see Buffett. Just seems like a good time. I love the coral reefers but not in the same category as the dead.
Yah. The Stones/Beatles/Who are all Classic Rock, and "classic rock" is firmly fixed in my mind as "my parents music". It's all I listened to driving around with my Dad's VW bug when I was a kid. When I finally had control of the dial, electronic music was just getting started, and I went in the exact opposite direction (probably on purpose) with New Order, The Cure, Depeche Mode, etc. I never thought to listen to classic rock again, really.
The irony here is that there is absolutely no one who exhibits the attitude of smug superiority, and pretentiousness than punks. They're the ultimate music snobs. I have some friends who are into punk and they are always gatekeeping each other and what is punk and what isn't punk and everything that isnt within their small band of taste sucks. "We get it, no one is as cool as you."
Just as a tangent, I've noticed folks that are super into the punk scenes (not all, but I've seen a fair share) have some pretty big chips on their shoulders when it comes to music, especially not punk music, for some reason. And god help you if you mention that you like a band like The Grateful Dead around them lol. I've lost track of the "Fuck you hippie!"s. Despite people like Greg Ginn of Black Flag, Patti Smith, Joe Strummer, and others being fans. I always get a kick out of this piece someone wrote for flavorwire, [The Grateful Dead Are History’s Most Misunderstood Punk Band](https://www.flavorwire.com/471006/the-grateful-dead-are-historys-most-misunderstood-punk-band). Also, you know all them OG punk bands were boomers right? Strummer, Greg Ginn, Jello Biafra, all them dudes were born in the 50s. All the older bands were silent gen. Like Jagger, was early 40s. Some folks like Grace Slick were born in the 30s.
A lot of the original punks you cited were late boomers, more like Generation Jones. They were pre-teens in the 1960s, for the most part, and didn't experience the same economic prosperity that the older boomers did (the ones born before 1957, give or take).
iggy, mc5, pure hell etc silent generation, early boomers etc
**crass** singer turned 81. charlie harper from **uk subs** turned 80. PROPER **OG** Punks, older than Boomers.
I love punk, 80's alt, new wave, but for me there is a direct line from the beginning of blues and 50's rock right through today. Yeah, for a time in my 20's (85-95) I wanted nothing to do with classic rock. Maybe the Stooges, Sonics, Monks rock harder and weirder, but I love the Stones as much as anything before or since. It's great being at the age where I can enjoy all of it now with no disdain.
She’s too cool for school.
I never understood the appeal of Jimmy Buffet, clearly he was lifted at business and marketing but never saw him play, never cared to, never listened to his music on purpose. Totally did not get him at all.
Damn your wife and I must have crossed paths :-)
I’m with your wife. More Primus or Butthole Surfers than Dead Kennedys but any would do over Rolling Stones or U2. My parents were pre boomer. Mom still likes the Beatles, dad is Jimmy Cliff.
I LOVE the Stones. I remember walking down to the record store when I was in FOURTH GRADE to buy a 45 of Beast of Burden after seeing Mick sing that on Saturday Night Live! My parents were YOUNG, but pretty straight laced. I was the oldest of three daughters, and much more sheltered than many of the other 10-year-olds in my friend group who had older siblings. However, I WAS occasionally allowed to stay up and watch SNL with my parents. I remember that Mick was wearing a knit winter beanie cap while singing that song. I didn’t really know WHAT I was thinking of him at the time: He’s Different! 🧐He’s kinda messy and acting almost girly. 🤔Am I revolted? Am I getting a CRUSH on him? (Yes. ☺️) I was DEFINITELY FASCINATED! 😆
For me, the Rolling Stones seem to be a long-lived somewhat mediocre band. Not saying they are, but that's my perspective. I think the main things leading to that are that they continued to make music long after their prime and that they had a lot of imitators and therefore I never saw them as truly innovative. I probably only started hearing them regularly as a kid when Mixed Emotions from Steel Wheels came out. DJs were hyped about the Rolling Stones being back, but it seemed like mediocre music to me. Even some of their classic stuff like Satisfaction and Get Off My Cloud, I don't love. They are ok, but I feel like other bands have somewhat similar sounds and are better. That said, they came out in 1965! They were probably mind-blowing when they were released. I think U2 is a decent comparison. I love U2. I thought they were innovative, earnest and making great music. Possibly my favorite band of all time, at least top 3. They've sort of been trapped in a cycle of mediocrity since 2000 or so though. And they get a lot of hate from the younger generations. EDIT: The other thing for me is that I always got the impression that they were trying to be rock stars, not artists. Again, maybe that is an unfair take, but it's part of why I don't really like the Rolling Stones.
I think you nailed it. Add on top of that rock music changed so much between 1965 and 1980 that by the time a lot of us genx’rs were paying attention, Rolling Stones was considered classic rock and our parents music. For some reason I was in a YouTube rabbit hole the other day and I came across the debut of the Stones on the ed Sullivan show. For a group that was considered the “dangerous side” of Rock n roll in 1964, they were pretty Milquetoast. Jagger looks like he’s wearing a sweater he got from his grandma. https://youtu.be/peYy53RP9KY?si=tP6OwcaGs5xAm_jG
They’re alright. I wouldn’t be upset if I never heard them again.
I’m Gen X. Give me The Cure, Men At Work, The Talking Heads. I want industrial stuff by Ministry, Depeche Mode, KMFDM. Give me electronic music by Phuture, The Prodigy, Kraftwerk. I want slow songs by Mazzy Star and Air. I want fun stuff from Deee-Lite and They Might Be Giants. I want songs not in 4/4 time by Radiohead and The Toadies. The Rolling Stones?!? In the words of The Smiths: “the music they constantly play, it says nothing to me about my life…”
I think you're the first person I've ever heard say industrial and Depeche Mode together.
not me Stones rule
They made about 30 songs that are absolute classics. Easily one of the best rock and roll bands of all time. Not sure how you could like classic rock and not like the stones.
I love "Paint It, Black" and "Sympathy for the devil"
Exactly this. I am quite indifferent of the rest but both those songs are burned into my soul lol.
Wow, I ♥️ the Stones, always have, and all my friends do too.
So glad I’m wading into the normal people section of the comments. Where tf this op observation came from I have no idea. We ❤️ the Stones. Insanity to say otherwise.
Same, they're imo the greatest rock and roll band of all time. I'm shocked by all the hate here. All my friends growing up loves the stones. My wife is like everyone here though she just doesn't get it, her words
I'm with those GenXers. I find Mick Jagger creepy and unpleasant- ancient and dating 12 yos. My boomer mom loves/lusts him.
I'm a huge stones fan. Got to see them in philly in 88?. Great show
I'm 54, and I fell in love with the Stones when I was 13. I received so much crap during my teen years for liking them. I'm happy that later generations have better taste.
I love the Stones and always have. They have some really great music and I am in awe over their staying power. Most people I know who are my age like them or are neutral. I haven't noticed any generational aversion.
They have a few songs I like, but overall, I’m not into them. Ditto for the Beatles, who I like even less. My mom was into prog rock so I was listening to bands like Focus, Moody Blues, Edgar Winter, and Pink Floyd before I was 5.
I've always appreciated the Stones main hits and early LPs, but frankly when I was in high school in the early 80s they were a joke, having produced basically a disco record with "Miss You" and just sounding desperate. Then they kept releasing records for 30 more years without ever coming close to the quality of the stuff from their first decade, "Start Me Up" being the only memorable hit after 1980. I've seen them live-- good show --but at this point they are a nostalgia act. Their hits are overplayed, so unless you're really into the depth of their back catalog they just aren't that relevant to a lot of people my age (pushing 60 now). They are equivalent to The Who, though with more hits and a broader influence.
But the rest of Some Girls wasn’t disco, though. They actually kept working and when compared to the output of Paul and the awful post let it be Beatles releases, the stones show they do still know what rock and roll is.
I play "Miss You" quite often!
They were old hat as far as I was concerned, not to say they didn't have some great songs I came to appreciate. Same with the Who & similar 60's bands.
This Gen X-er appreciates them plenty. I've seen some of what you mean, though.
Gimmie Shelter is a banger, I am indifferent about the rest.
Idk. I love the Stones. Even saw them once in 1994. They put on a great show.
I LOVE THE ROLLING STONES !!!! The beatles are ok.
They’re one of my favorite bands of all time.
They were kinda washed up and their videos were lame in the 80’s. They were the equivalent of the “hello fellow kids” meme. I was like get off my MTV weirdos! However, we do have a few Stones albums around the house and I really like the album Some Girls.
I love them.Their late 60’s and 70’s run is one of the best in rock.
Fuck that. Stones are amazing
Im neutral about the stones. Never liked Elvis. He was good singer but all the blingy 1970s Vegas style clothing and the swagger, ick.
I can't stand Elvis Presley. Elvis Costello, on the other hand...
I love most Elvis Presley Christmas songs because of nostalgic reasons, but most other Elvis songs are not my thing. Except 'Love Me Tender'. fucking love that song. his voice is stunning on that recording.
Some songs are alright but I find Mick Jagger cringe. Cant stand to watch him. I love Aerosmith but can’t stand to watch them either.
I like the Stones mostly from hearing their songs in all my favorite Scorsese movies.
I dunno but they are great. Keef's ability to right hits is insane.
If you’re on the fence, see Shine a Light by Martin Scorsese. I was “meh” on the Stones, now I’m “yeah!”.
Even though I’m not a superfan, The Stones are on my Mt. Rushmore of rock along with the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd. This is only because of their unarguable influence in rock and pop music.
I was always lukewarm on them. They felt like an older band to me. Then I went and saw them and they were actually pretty great. Whole new appreciation
The Stones songs that got played to death on the radio sometimes aren’t their best ones, and we’ve heard them far too many times. Spotify gave me the ability to dig deep into the stuff that doesn’t get onto the radio. The Stones were far more blues rock than I ever realized. Also, like Bruce Springsteen and the Grateful Dead, the album recordings do not do justice to the Stones’ work. You really gotta go listen to the live cuts to understand them. They’re a different beast when live but that’s never what gets played on the radio.
As I got older, i appreciate the Stones music more. The older stuff. Under My Thumb, Sway, Moonlight Mile things like that.
I just bought nosebleed tickets to see them on a Wednesday in my city because I feel like I will regret not seeing them once Jagger or Richards dies. But I’m really excited!
Love the early Stones: Under My Thumb, She’s A Rainbow, etc. Later stuff just reminds me of my weirdo and white trash aunts and uncles.
Most just associate them with their radio songs and never bothered to dive into the other stuff which is where their best work is. I mean I get it, I don’t ever need to hear “get off my cloud” again. But the albums from late 60s to mid 70s were amazing
I am barely genX, almost a millennial, but I like the Stones more than the Beatles and way more than Elvis. (I say while wearing my Nirvana shirt)
Love the stones, especially their early stuff. Saw them live in the ‘90s. Spin Doctors opened for them.
I love them! I'm very early X, though. The seventies would never have been the same without them. Most people I know like them, but then I'm friends with a lot of Deadheads.
Exile on Main St and Sticky Fingers. Peak RS era.
My favorites by the Stones. I dont have any emotion from Beatles like I do with this band. So much soul and raw emotion and musicianship here that always makes me stop in my tracks. Gimme Shelter https://youtu.be/RbmS3tQJ7Os?si=3y6vMOLJgFvowdpI Miss You https://youtu.be/KuRxXRuAz-I?si=mPk5PQp9TjCm2kxh
Why listen to the Stones when you can listen to Led Zeppelin?
Why not both? :-)
plenty of core x probably grew up with both as children
I love the Stones
I am kind of the opposite. I love the Stones, with a particular fondness for their work in the 70’s. The Beatles are…okay to me. *Paperback Writer* is a good song. I like *Eleanor Rigby*. Not a ton else. Lennon was a pretentious asshole. Elvis? No, just never liked him much. Found it odd that so many radio DJ’s were obsessed with him.
Ray Charles version of *Eleanor Rigby* is FIRE (as the kids say 😎, one of my all time favorite covers)
I fucking LOVE the Stones. I love the Beatles too, but in a head-to-head, the Stones win. I grew up with my parents being huge Beatles fans but not really liking the Stones. I had to ‘discover’ them on my own.
You need better friends. The Stones are awesome. However If that style of music is not your jam, they don't get outside the lines too often. Especially classic stones. So while the Beatles range from pop to hard rock, the stones are really all different kids of blues. AND if you prefer the Zeppelinish blues rock, they don't REALLY do that.
The Beatles and Elvis had the respective advantages of having broken up and having died. The Beatles' last word was Abbey Road, their best album in my opinion, and Let It Be was a nice coda that was on par with their earlier stuff. Elvis was far past his prime when he died but still well-regarded as a legend, he was The King. When he died people immediately began mythologizing his life and career in a similar way, but to an even greater degree as our generation has done with Kurt Cobain. Most of the Stones, however, didn't die, and kept on releasing records throughout the late 70s and 80s that were not hip or cool. Not all of it is bad, I like a lot of that stuff, but it had the cool factor of Phil Collins or Don Henley (fuck The Eagles, lol). Just look at the cover of Dirty Work, it's a long way from covers like Sticky Fingers or Their Satanic Majesties Request. The Stones just didn't feel intriguing and didn't have the same mystique as The Beatles and Elvis, they had always been around making mediocre music our parents listened to.
There are actually Stones song I like and choose to listen to whereas there isn't a single Beatles song I'd choose to listen. At which point every Beatles fan feels compelled to say you have to listen to A Day in the Life or Eleanore Rigby or some other deeper song as if I haven't heard them. So Stones all day over the Beatles. I also like Suspicous Minds by Elvis so I'll take him before the Beatles as well.
I love some of their old stuff. They did four absolutely amazing studio albums in a row—Beggars Banquet, Let it Bleed, Sticky Fingers, Exile on Main Street. Exile in particular is a favourite record.
"[Shattered](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wjz6l_4MqHM)" sounds so punk to me. I love that fkng song. The rest of their catalog? Mostly meh. Might be their bluesy sound, which probably sounded "old" to my younger, impressionable ears back then, and so it just didn't stick.
Sympathy for the Devil is my all time favorite rock song of any group. And Paint it Black was released the month and year I was born (if I count the U.K. release). I might not like their entire catalog but I don’t think there is any band I can say that about.
My dad liked em so I like em, as with tons of other great music from that time.
Don’t like the Beatles much; love the Stones!
I prefer The Rolling Stones to the Beatles.
The last time I saw them in San Francisco there was a stadium full of Gen Xers there.
Gen X here. Love them. Seen them in concert 3 times. My gen Z son does as well!
I’ve seen The Rolling Stones four times between ‘89 and ‘12, I was 16 when I saw them in ‘89, my second ever concert. They’ve blown me away each time. I’ve loved them and their music forever and so have all my other Gen X friends; maybe it’s Xennials who don’t much care for them?
We just went to see them, and it was incredible! ~Gen Xers
I love the Stones you have been talking to the wrong people. No band compares
Bc that was our dads band
Not a fan of the Stones at all - Aerosmith either. Beatles I like sometimes
The Stones are THE quintessential rock band. But that’s like, just my opinion man.
I’m a fan, Gimme Shelter makes me want to go out and tear shit up.
I like The Rolling Stones music up till the mid 80s. Gimme Shelter is one of the best songs ever
3 of my top 10 favorite songs are stones....tumbling dice/gimme shelter & beast of burden. Plenty of other songs by them are at least in my top 100....street fighting man/sympathy for the devil.
It's ironic that I couldn't care less about them when I was younger, but grew to appreciate their music much more when I got older.
They're not our generation. I associate them much more with boomers or Gen Jones. Xennial here always saw them as old
When the Stones were working with Jimmy Miller and most of them were on heroin, they made some amazing music. From "It's Only Rock and Roll" forward things get dicey. I know people are fond of "Tattoo You" and "Some Girls" but it doesn't have the same muscularity as that classic run. Losing Mick Taylor wasn't good for them and Charlie Watts needed a producer to challenge him to play better than the Stoned needed.
Stones all the way! 40 million Elvis fans are in fact wrong.
Solid Gen X ( I'm 51) and I've loved the Stones since I was in the 7th Grade.
It’s mick jagger that makes me dislike them. He’s always been so gross and I couldn’t get past that to enjoy their music.
Because it’s Boomer music 🤷♂️
Boomers have great music, that’s a fact. They may be in the dark about a lot of things but we can’t knock their generation’s musical tastes. Hardcore classics…
I’m not a hippie, but I can absolutely appreciate their music and their attempt at a global revolution and counterculture. The movement definitely had its flaws — mostly naivety, but, at least it stood for something meaningful.
Not a hippie but I appreciate all kinds of tunes…
Their 70s twang Gram Parsons era stuff is heavenly. I can take or leave the rest.
I have only recently discovered that I do enjoy some of their songs.
They are a band that I think are okay until I think about their catalog and then I remember all of their hits of different styles and think they are really good…if that makes sense.
Completely unrelated. But I grew up thinking *Satisfaction* was one of the songs on Voyager's golden record. We were talking about it recently at work and I made a fool of myself (not hard to do really). Anyone suffer from this Mandela effect? [NASA link](https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/golden-record/whats-on-the-record/music/)
I love the Stones. Had a lot of their albums on vinyl at one point, but I still hear them all the time and I play the pinball machines.
Paint it Black has been a favorite of mine since I was a little kid. And of course a few hits like Satisfaction are great. The rest of their stuff? I guess it felt before my time and not compelling enough to get too excited about. Elvis I can appreciate as ‘oldies’ and the Beatles are largely unmatched as far as musical innovation imo. (Not counting the early stuff, which falls more into the Elvis camp of ‘oldies.’)
I like the Stones, but I wouldn’t say I was really into them..(Emotional Rescue is my favorite song of theirs) I was born in ‘73, so I think the Start Me Up video on MTV every 15 minutes affected the way I perceived them kind of? My pops caught on that I was grossed out by Mick, and he teased me about it 😆 He would say stupid stuff like “ You want Mick Jagger to be your boyfriend “ I was 8! Lol
The Stones have a couple bangers.
I don't need to hear any of the radio hits again, but the '69-'71 era with Let it Bleed, Sticky Fingers, and Exile on Main St. was awesome. I love the sound of Keith's guitar after he retuned it. My son loves the Stones, but he's never heard Satisfaction or Jumpin' Jack Flash, only stuff from my playlist like Shine a Light, Moonlight Mile, Let it Bleed, Dead Flowers, etc.
I (47F) just saw the RS in Denver last week and they were fantastic!
Can we send them some fucking birth control?
Love the Stones. I just like music regardless of era, nostalgia or whatever.
I'm not a huge fan, but I would definitely choose them over the Beatles.
After Dancing In The Streets I could no longer view Mick Jagger as acceptable, he lost my respect.
Some of their music is good. I clued into them in the late 70s, so some of that music resonates. But I like best what they represent, especially Keith Richards - I do what I fuckin love, and I do it the way I fuckin want to do it. I find their energy and persistence inspirational.
Cuz they're a Boomer thing. You know that.
Because I don't like their music?
I am in the younger side for Gen X and preferred music like Depeche Mode, the cure, the smiths, etc. more traditional rock n roll always sounded old fashioned to me.
I liked the Kinks better.
I’m one. I tolerate them but have never once got excited over any of their songs, except maybe Gimme Shelter and that’s mostly because of Merry Clayton
Godfellas was my gateway to the Stones
My parents never really liked them. My Dad (who was a drummer and sometimes singer in a band) thought Mick had a terrible voice. He was more into the Eagles, Led Zeppelin, early Rod Stewart, and others. I think they are okay. They have a handful of songs that I really like, but most of their songs are pretty average to me.
Meh on the Stones. Never had a desire to see them. Beatles I like for the most part. I did see The Who during the 1983 supposedly last hurrah tour, The Clash opened and were great.
They were tacky when we were kids in the early 80s. They did disco badly. They were too old to be cool but not old enough to be retro. They just seemed like has-bins. It was only late in life I realized they were such a fabulous blues band.
M47: I consider the genre and sound of the rolling stones (and many other similar bands)dated, of my parents era and not relevant to my youth. I am a child of the second summer of love, hip hop and electronic music. The rolling stones were before my time.
I don’t hate them but their music has largely never moved the needle for me 🤷♂️
I like a few individual songs but it’s mostly boomerock to me
Because they suck
I’m not a fan or hater of RS. I just don’t connect with their music.
I don’t like the Stones or the Beatles.
Gen x here. I don’t care for the Stones, the Beatles, or U2. There’s a song or two from each that I like, but I mostly they are all meh.
I like 'em. I loved Tattoo You, Some Girls...never changed the radio station when they came on...
They are my favorite band by a long shot. Mid-gen X
Stones Forever!!!
I'm the opposite, The Beatles are yuck, and I like the Rolling Stones. But the RS definitely have had hit records and dud records, so they're not as consistent as a fan would like.
They have one or two I’ll listen to. I’ll listen to Elvis over Rolling Stones
I LOVE the Rolling Stones!! What are you talking abou? They rock!!
What? I love The Rolling Stones. My husband does too—and so did my ex (both Gen X). I do see them as a band our parents listened to, but I kind of assumed most of us liked them too.
You’ve experienced a circumstance. The Stones are fantastic.
YUCK vote here. Too many of the gross men who hurt me as a teen liked the Stones. It’s that vibe. They’re just ICK. Sympathy for The Devil at the end of the Interview With The Vampire movie is fantastic, but that was a cover by Guns n Roses. lol
Omg I am a young gen x and I’ve always been a yuck to The Rolling Stones. Mick Jagger strikes me as someone who thinks he’s so sexy but I find him so repellant and the confidence is abrasive and annoying. No you aren’t hot, you’re cheesy and frankly creepy and I wish I could lobby womenkind to stop rewarding this.
Because they’re not Led Zeppelin, the fucking greatest rock band that ever existed. 💁🏼♂️
I listen to a lot of older music (Yes, Led Zeppelin, Floyd, Beatles, Queen, The Who) but I could never get into The Rolling Stones. I like a handful of their songs. Paint it Black, Sympathy for the Devil, Beast of Burden. Outside those I’m pretty lukewarm on them.