(Credits: Far Out / Bent Rej)
Sat 18 April 2026 20:03, UK
At the start of the British invasion, The Rolling Stones brought a sinister edge to rock and roll.
Although the likes of Chuck Berry made the entire genre feel like a non-stop party, The Stones were indebted to the blues, playing tunes with a carnal edge to them, playing the anti-hero equivalent of The Beatles. With the benefit of hindsight, though, not every one of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards’ songs holds up in retrospect.
Although some might be considered classics for a reason, there are occasionally Stones tunes that hit an ugly note when taken out of context. The rock world in 2023 looks a lot different from that in 1973, and most of the tunes tend to get into uncomfortable territory, from casual misogyny towards women to some risque claims that could send a chill down listeners’ spines.
Granted, it was always a part of The Stones’ character to be slightly grimy. From the first time Mick Jagger snarled the lyrics to ‘Satisfaction’, fans were already in for a bit of smut from them. Even though some of the problems in these songs were more widely accepted then, the rock world has spent decades taking them to task for this gross behaviour.
So as much as fans might want to rock out to every riff that comes out of Keef’s guitar, just pay attention to what the lyrics are saying underneath everything. Sometimes it might be harmless rock and roll fun, but on the rare occasion, chances are the track has aged like milk.
Five Rolling Stones songs that haven’t aged well: ADD AS A PREFERRED SOURCE ON GOOGLE 