To mark the release of the Stones’ 24th studio album, and their first original recording in almost two decades, let’s delve back into their long chart career, and explore the hits that didn’t make number one.
Over the course of the 1960s, the band scored eight chart toppers, from ‘It’s All Over Now’ in ’64 to ‘Honky Tonk Women’ in ’69. But they didn’t stop when the sixties ended. No, as you may be aware, they kept going. And going. Kept on rolling on. Impressively, their recent comeback single, ‘Angry’, made #34 in the UK, their first Top 40 hit since 2005. But that won’t quite make this list of their ten biggest non-chart toppers. In ascending order, then…
‘Start Me Up’, reached #7 in 1981
The Stones at their Stonesiest. A killer riff, some smutty lyrics, and Mick doing his best Jane Fonda impression in the video. It’s an impressive feat, releasing one of your signature songs two decades into your career. But it also somewhat marked the end of the band as a chart concern – it remains their final UK Top 10 hit – and the start of The Stones TM: the mega-touring, jukebox musical that the band have been for the last forty years. ‘Tattoo You’, the album from which it came, is seen by many as the band’s last great LP, too.
‘Fool to Cry’, reached #6 in 1976
Perhaps the one thing lacking from the Stones’ back-catalogue is a big ballad. (Ok, the next song on the list proves that statement completely wrong…) Anyway, ‘Fool to Cry’ comes close to being that ballad. A slow, bluesy number that takes its time, lingering on some wonderful falsetto notes from Mick. In the first verse he’s feeling low, so he puts his daughter on his knee, and she tells him Daddy, You’re a fool to cry… A bit too sentimental for the Stones? Not to worry, in verse two Mick goes to his mistress, who lives in a po’ part of town… And she says the exact same thing. Much more like it!
‘Angie’, reached #5 in 1973
Of course, if the Stones do have a big ballad, then it’s this one. There was some discussion as to who ‘Angie’ was: David Bowie’s wife, Keith Richard’s daughter, or the actress Angie Dickinson. Whoever it’s about, it’s a beautiful love song, with Jagger’s slurred singing giving the impression that he’s had a shot or two of Dutch courage before suggesting he and Angie call it a day.
‘Tumbling Dice’, reached #5 in 1972
I called ‘Start Me Up’ the Stones at their Stonesiest, but actually… This is the band at the peak of the powers. The lead single from what is widely regarded as their best album (though I’d go for the clean and concise ‘Sticky Fingers’ over the rambling ‘Exile…’) ‘Tumbling Dice’ might be the coolest piece of rock music ever recorded – that boogie-woogie rhythm, Keef’s lazy riff, Charlie’s drums bringing up the rear, the lyrics about being rank outsiders and partners in crime.. To be honest, until watching the lyric video above I had no idea what 90% of the words to ‘Tumbling Dice’ were. But does it matter? Nah. This one’s all about the groove, the attitude, about being the best freakin’ rock and roll band in the world.
‘Have You Seen Your Mother Baby, Standing in the Shadow?’, reached #5 in 1966
It’s easy now, with them in their eighties, to be blasé about how dangerous the Rolling Stones must have seemed in the 1960s. But this mid-decade hit, that begins and ends in a hail of feedback, with ambiguous lyrics that could be about a girl on the streets, taking drugs, or affairs with people’s mothers, proves that they were mad, bad, and dangerous to know… The memorable horn riff is a sign of the direction that the band would take as the sixties progressed. And just to make sure they got some more attention, the band dragged up for the record sleeve. Lock up your daughters, indeed…
‘Miss You’, reached #3 in 1978
A trio of number threes, now. In the late seventies anybody who was anybody had to try out a disco groove and the Stones were no different, in what was seen as a huge departure for them. The band disagree over whether or not it was originally intended as a disco song – Jagger and Wood say no, Richards says yes – but it certainly ended up as one. (There was an even more disco influenced remix released as a 12″.) Meanwhile, Bill Wyman, whose brilliant bassline holds the whole thing together, has claimed he should have had a writing credit. ‘Miss You’ was their last Billboard #1, and their last UK Top 5 hit.
‘Let’s Spend the Night Together’, reached #3 in 1967
It’s funny – this is one of the Stones’ poppier numbers, and yet one of their most controversial. It’s piano and organ driven, seemingly influenced more by Motown and male vocal groups than the band’s normal R&B touchstones. But lyrics like I’ll satisfy your every need, And now I know you’ll satisfy me… were bound to get folks’ knickers in a twist. Radio stations banned it, and Ed Sullivan insisted that the chorus be changed to ‘let’s spend some time together’, an insistence that the band complied with (though Jagger’s theatrical eye-roll meant they weren’t invited back for a while). In some regions it was twinned with ‘Ruby Tuesday’, though the official records don’t list it as a double-‘A’ in the UK.
‘Not Fade Away’, reached #3 in 1964
Where it all began (almost). This Buddy Holly cover was their 3rd single, and their first Top 10 hit. It’s a lot faster, and beefier, than the original, with a touch of the fuzzy, sloppy sounds of the Rolling Stones in their prime, and Brian Jones’ harmonica acting as lead instrument. It came out in early 1964, right at the start of the British Invasion, when bands like The Beatles and the Stones wore their American rock ‘n’ roll influences loud and proud. It serves almost as a timeline of rock’s rapid development through the fifties and sixties: the Stones covering a Buddy Holly hit, which he’d based on the Bo Diddley riff, which in turn goes all the way back to the dawn of the blues.
‘Brown Sugar’ / ‘Bitch’, reached #2 in 1971
Another all-time Stones classic, this time from ‘Sticky Fingers’, with a great riff, a filthy sax solo, and some famously questionable lyrics. For many years I never paid much attention to the nitty-gritty of the song’s subject matter, because it was such an absolute rocker. But then you actually sit down and read the lyrics about slave ships and whipping women at midnight, and wonder if the song is looking at the matter critically, or just celebrating it. Then again, shouldn’t rock ‘n’ roll be provocative? And they’re far from being the Stones’ worst lyrics (‘Under My Thumb’ and ‘Some Girls’ say ‘Hi’…) As if they knew this song would court controversy, they paired it with a more subtle, reflective number, which they called ‘Bitch’… Some countries also list the record as a triple ‘A’-side, with a live cover of Chuck Berry’s ‘Let It Rock’ as the third track.
’19th Nervous Breakdown’, reached #2 in 1966
Come to think of it, the Stones’ other number two hit is hardly the most sympathetic towards women (Oh who’s to blame, That girl’s just insane…) Lost a little amongst their biggest ’60s hits, ’19th Nervous Breakdown’ is the Stones at their snottiest. The Kinks are always cast as the decade’s social commentators, but songs like this (alongside ‘Satisfaction’, and ‘Mother’s Little Helper’) are just as biting satire. It tells the story of a flighty society girl, running around, getting on everyone’s nerves, always on the verge of yet another breakdown… Though we’re left to ponder how much of that is down to her terrible choice in men. The highlight here is Bill Wyman’s ‘divebombing’ bass in the fade-out…
I hope you enjoyed this little interlude! Back on with the regular countdown next week. Meanwhile, I’m off to give ‘Hackney Diamonds’ a listen…
The UK Number Ones Blog 
I love all of these songs except perhaps “Miss You”, which I think is fine but not great. Given how much you could hear “Angie” and “Start Me Up” on the radio, I’m somewhat surprised none of these songs made it to no. 1.
Let me know how you feel about “Hackney Diamonds”! 🙂
I liked ‘Hackney Diamonds’, without being blown away by it. Some decent songs – the Lady Gaga collab and the track with Paul McCartney on bass stood out – but it sagged in places. Still, not bad for a band in their eighties!
I would agree these two tracks are the highlights, along with “Tell Me Straight”, the song featuring Keith on lead vocals, who sounds surprisingly good.
I feel overall “Hackney Diamonds’”sound is pretty vibrant and classic Stones but not dusty. I think the fact they worked with a young producer (Andrew Watt) who has produced a broad range of artists ranging from contemporary to mature benefitted the album.
It probably benefits it overall in terms of appealing to a younger audience – though I’m not sure many people under the age of 40 are rushing out to buy a new Stones’ album… I do like my Stones a little less polished, though.
That’s probably part of the equation, especially when it comes to Lady Gaga who’s only 37 and could easily be Jagger’s daughter!
As a longtime fan of the Stones, undoubtedly, I also prefer their earlier sound like on “Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out!”
“Hackney Diamonds” won’t change that. I still feel this album a remarkable accomplishment!
Brilliant post! I love every one of the tracks here… it’s amazing to think that such fantastic songs didn’t hit the top of the charts.
With the exception of ‘Angie’ which never really grabbed me, I love all of these too. I hated ‘Fool to Cry’ at first, but after a few listens and drunken nights walking back to my hall of residence at college after a boozy session out with my mates, it hit me. I was always fascinated by ‘Have You Seen…Shadow’ in particular, it sounds like a total mess – apparently something to do with being taped on an early cassette recorder – with the feedback, brass section and unbelievably muffled sound, but I think that’s part of its charm. Interestingly, ‘Top of the Pops’ on BBC TV used a slightly different chart in those days (until early 1969, I think) from the Official Chart online and the source for the Guinness Books of Hit Singles, which placed ’19th Nervous Breakdown’ at No. 1 for three weeks – as this link from the tvdb site shows https://thetvdb.com/series/top-of-the-pops-uk/episodes/281014
Yes, I saw that it was one of the many ‘ghost’ number ones of the time… At least it was kept off by ‘These Boots Are Made for Walkin”, which is probably even more iconic, and worthy of its place at the top.
First of all, Hackney Diamonds was surprisingly good. I thought the first three tracks in particular were really damn good. If this is the Stones’ last album, then it’s a good way to end things. Certainly better than Blue and Lonesome (which I kinda like but don’t really) or A Bigger Bang (which I think is just the definition of middling). I will say though I was not a fan of Andrew Watts production – why he felt the need to slather so much autotune on Mick’s voice, I dunno.
Since we’re considering the UK charts, I generally agree with your list. Maybe I’d remove “Fool to Cry” (which I think is just okay) and substitute it with the outstanding “One Hit (To The Body)” which peaked at a criminally low #80. But if we’re only considering Top 40 hits, your list is very solid overall. “Tumbling Dice” is my favourite Stones song and my pick for the best representation of what good rock and roll is, so that’s my #1. “Brown Sugar” is just a masterpiece of a song (I get the lyrics are problematic, but honestly…who cares?)
“Let’s Spend the Night Together” is a cool song though I prefer “Ruby Tuesday”. “19th Nervous Breakdown” is a bit too long but it’s a great lyric and an underrated rocker from them. “Miss You” is absolutely tremendous (side note: how the hell did “Beast of Burden” not chart in the UK? Maybe it wasn’t released as a single, but that’s a God-Tier song). “Not Fade Away” is fine. “Have You Seen Your Mother Baby, Standing in the Shadow?” is a damn good song with a cool hook. “Start Me Up” I sometimes get sick of, but it’s an infectious rocker with such a good riff. “Angie”, I used to dislike the song and it’s not my favourite song off Goats Head Soup (that’d be the extremely underrated “Dancing with Mr D”) but I’ve grown to enjoy the song a lot now.
I thought the new album was pretty good on first listen, though not brilliant. Definitely needs another listen or two to see how it lands…
The songs are ranked by how close they got to #1, but if it were to do with my personal ranking then ‘Fool to Cry’ would probably be the one to miss out. I’d bring in ‘Only Rock n Roll’ (#10), just because it’s a mantra to live by, and even more Stones-y than ‘Start Me Up’. And ‘Street Fighting Man’, of course, which only made #21.
I think my list of non-chart-toppers would need to bring in US singles, though I see the OCC is broadcasting fake info about Ruby Tuesday. It was a double A side in the UK, and was always listed in every chart book I’ve ever seen, and I’ve got zillions of them (and Wikipedia agrees, not that that necessarily means it true!). Melanie covered it and it was always much-better known than t’other side! A live version also charted decades later in it’s own right
My list of top Stones tunes go: Miss You, Start Me Up, Undercover Of The Night, Ruby Tuesday, She’s A Rainbow, I’m Free, Sympathy For The Devil, Out Of Time, 19th Nervous Breakdown and their Covid song Living In A Ghost Town or It’s Only Rock N Roll or As Tears Go By 🙂
I wanted to include ‘Mother’s Little Helper’, but that was also only a US release… That’s my favourite version of the Stones – the 1965-66 era when they were almost punk poets, satirising modern life: consumerism, prescription drugs, depression… The ’68-’72 albums are great, of course, but that’s hardly an original opinion…
‘As Tears Go By’ is great, and has one of my favourite lyrics ever: Doing things I used to do, They think are new… Sums up growing older just perfectly.
Good post! The Stones built their career off of rude crude lyrics and it works. You know what you are getting when you listen to them.
I prefer their Brian Jones and MIck Taylor eras over the Ron Wood one… the last album that I loved by them was Tattoo You (which contained Wood and Taylor)…and that includes the current album. After Tattoo You they dropped that “sound” that made me like them in the first place…that rocky edgy sound. I like all of the music you have here though!
I shouldn’t say I don’t like Wood…some of the albums were great but with Undercover of the Night…they changed.
My dad likes the Stones, but my mum doesn’t. As a kid I’d song along to Sympathy for the Devil, and she’d get very annoyed. Even now I’ll sing along to ‘Under My Thumb’, even though I know it’s wrong…
Do you like the new album? I think it’s good, but not as wonderful as some reviews have said. I think they’re just glad that there’s a Stones album to review, after all this time.
Well…to me it’s ok and I do like some of it… but seems kinda forced. I don’t like the overall sound…thats my biggest problem. You probably think…that is all Max ever says! but it’s true. The guitars lack edge….
Christian used the term “dusty” but I WANT dusty. I want sound with an edge to it….especially with the Stones! I think if Keith had his way…it would be like that.
I’m real big on sound…maybe it’s being a musician I don’t know. After Tattoo You…they lost it and nothing they did after that sounds as raw anymore…
But I do like The Stones…Take a listen to Exile and take a listen now…not the songs but the sound. Many alternative bands are using that “dusty” sound with analog…and I love them for it.
I agree with some of it sounding forced. I wonder how much it also has to do with their age… They’re wanting to sound like a band much younger than they all are… Not that they shouldn’t do it, fair play to them, but it must be hard to feel that rock n roll energy when you’re 80…
I believe after a point…you run out of what made you…you. It’s not like they have anything to be ashamed of…geez…they last 7 decades I believe. Again though…I hate the sound…they sound like any other indie rock band now.
Hey Paul hasn’t had a song I’ve liked in a long time…I’m talking 90s. I love that he is still out there but I think he has used all of his ideas.
Apparently Mick used autotune too… I can understand the desire to sound ‘modern’, but really, how many kids were going to buy the album, or music channels/radio stations going to play it…? I thought the previous album, ‘Blue and Lonesome’, sounded more like classic Stones
Using autotune is just cheap to me. See I can’t understand that because…Stewart wouldn’t you want to stand out? Why would you want to sound like every other Indie rock band now? I truly believe Keith would do it like they used to…Mick refuses.
I think it was because it was blues covers album. I liked A Bigger Bang…Rough Justice was loud and in your face…but now…it sounds flat.
I’ve been reading on what is different between now and the 20th century. I’ve read where now producers are crazy with compression now….that would explain the flat sound.
I do like the ambition that Mick still has to be relevant… The ‘Angry’ video was a clever move: famous actress, a bit provocative, clips of the band in their prime… But yeah, at the same time, you want classic Stones.
The compression is to do with streaming, right? The fact that most people listen to music with tiny headphones now…
I totally get what you are saying…but is being relevant mean being like everyone else? I didn’t say that to be argumentative. The Beatles came and stood out because they put old timey jazz chords in much to Martin’s displeasure….they stood out. Did new and old things. Elvis and even the Stones stood out also…Dylan also. You get what I’m saying? Be and sound different than The Foo Fighters.
No the compression…I have it…it pushes everything down to sound smooth. I use it in my recordings…but not too much. There IS a compression in streaming though…but I mean the effect they use.