After 50 years of music, the Rolling Stones have cranked out a staggering number of classic songs. To mark the 50th anniversary of their first concert, we decided to try and find out which of those songs reigns supreme. After a week of voting, we've tallied the results and have a clear winner, after a race where the lead changed hands on a daily basis.
See which song holds the title of the Rolling Stones' greatest hit as we count down the list. Let us know what you think, and what songs you think were overlooked or overrated in the comment section.
10. "Ruby Tuesday"/"Angie"/"Can't You Hear Me Knocking?"/"Honky Tonk Women" (tie)
You can see how tight the race was when you have to start the list with a four-way tie. It also shows the Stones' talent for both ballads and bawdy rockers.
8. "Wild Horses"/"Beast of Burden" (tie)
We have to jump up to eighth position because of another tie. The voters just couldn't decide between the two great pack animal songs.
7. "Jumpin' Jack Flash"
This song made a late rush into the top 10. The 1968 hit features one of the Stones' most distinctive riffs.
6. "Brown Sugar"
Another great guitar lick opens this song. This 1971 hit was written primarily by Mick Jagger while we was filming Ned Kelly.
5. "Paint it, Black"
Did you know there was a comma in the title? I didn't. The trippy sitar playing of Brian Jones really makes the song.
4. "You Can't Always Get What You Want"
The top four choices were miles ahead of the pack in the voting. Jagger initially had a gospel choir in mind, but they couldn't find one in London. When somebody suggested using the London Bach Choir, Jagger agreed, saying "That will be a laugh." It was released as the B-side of "Honky Tonk Women," number 10 on our list.
3. "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"
This is probably the Stones' signature song. Keith Richards's guitar riff, the howling chorus, the bluesy beat. It's all there. It was also the Stones' first chart-topper in the States.
2. "Gimme Shelter"
Jagger says, "That's a kind of end-of-the-world song, really. It's apocalypse; the whole record's like that." It's that storming violence that has Martin Scorsese peppering the soundtracks of his gangster movies with this song.
1. "Sympathy for the Devil"
It's a rock song with a samba beat from the perspective of Satan himself. And it is the Rolling Stones' greatest hit.
And congratulations to Cam Burns of Burlington, Ontario, who was the winner of the copy of Rolling Stones 50.
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