The Rolling Stones fans are at odds with Keith Richards after he suggested Exile on Main St. is the best album to start with the band.
An interview with the guitar legend saw him suggest their 1972 album release was the best place to start for non-Stones fans. He said: “I’d say Exile on Main St.[because] it’s a double album, so there’s more range on it. But it also is the pointer. It’s amazing. We had to fight to put that one out, but eventually, everybody got it.” But fans who only just found his comments have disagreed with the decade-old suggestion and are now sharing their own suggestions on where to start with The Rolling Stones’ discography. Those who have yet to listen to The ‘Stones’ work were told to avoid Exile on Main St. and instead head for an album which released just before it.
One user took to The Rolling Stones subreddit and wrote: “Keith Richards says Exile on Main St. is the best Stones album for people to start with. I disagree. While Exile is my favourite, I think it’s a slow burner of an album that takes a while to understand. It’s great as a collective work that has a certain vibe and atmosphere, rather than one loaded with hits, so I wouldn’t say it’s the best album for a non-Stones fan to start with.
“I got into the Stones through Beggars Banquet myself, but if I was to recommend one for people to start with, I’d say Sticky Fingers as I think it’s the most comprehensive out of the big 4. It’s a solid tracklist with a few hits too.
“What album got you into the Stones? Or what would you recommend to someone who’s starting out?” Plenty of replies to this question were found in the comments below, with many suggesting the likes of Sticky Fingers. One user wrote: “It’s easy to pick the starter albums. Sticky Fingers and Some Girls. If they don’t like those, they’ll never like The Stones.”
Another added: “I would start with Let It Bleed. It has a wide range of accessible styles, plus it opens and closes with two of the absolute best songs.” Other user are suggesting Hot Rocks, a compilation album which features work from Mick Jagger and the band from 1964 to 1971, is the right place to start.
Keith Richards says Exile is the best Stones album for people to start with. I disagree.
byu/danhug68 inrollingstones
One user wrote: “Hot Rocks was my first Stones album and great to start with. Still, I hate that The Last Time was not included. Hot Rocks covers 1964-1971 and every track is good, but I think The Last Time is better than roughly half the songs included on Hot Rocks. I like songs like Play With Fire for instance, but it is not as important a song as The Last Time.”
Others believe starting with Exile on Main St. may be a “turn-off” for those not ready for The Rolling Stones post-Let it Bleed work. They wrote: “Exile on Main St. is an acquired taste, you learn to love it as you get to know it. But someone not familiar with The Stones style and sound I doubt would get it at first and may even be turned off by it.”
Another added: “I think Let it Bleed, then Sticky Fingers, then Exile on Main St. It’s a lot to walk into, you’ll be in a dirty sweaty French basement two songs in going ‘what the fuck is going on here’, you can’t prepare for that ride.”
Tattoo You and Some Girls were my gateway stones albums. It took me awhile to hear the big four albums from ‘68-‘72.
Beggar’s Banquet will always be my favorite Stones album, followed closely by Let it Bleed..
Any album that had Mick Taylor on it would be a great place for a newbie Stones listener to begin , hands down their greatest run , common denominator: Mick Taylor !!
Actually as great as Taylor was he only played substantially on the last two the four. He wasn’t around for Sticky Fingers and played backing parts on two Let it Bleed songs. Can’t remember which ones. That record was nearly done when he joined.
He’s all over SF and Exile and also shines on Goat’s Head Soup, which I think is pretty good.
Where was Taylor during Sticky Fingers? He contributed pretty significantly to that album. Sway, Moonlight Mile, and the second half of Can’t You Hear Me Knocking are clearly due to his direct influence, if not the soundscape of Sister Morphine.
I’ll readily admit that he wasn’t around for much of Let It Bleed, however.
I would start with Let It Bleed and then Some Girls
Get Your Ya Ya’s Out was my first Rolling Stones album.
Same here. When it came out. Jimi was in the audience.
Definitely Sticky Fingers. Not only the best Stones album but also one of the best albums of the 20th century!
Let it Bleed would be my number 2.
Some Girls …I would even recommend Emotional Rescue which many thought was sub standard but I liked it….time and place I guess.
It’s so hard to pick one because that run from 1968-1972 was really exceptional..However if one likes earlier stones music you have to throw in the Aftermath album. For ominous sounding music with a sense of foreboding it’s the Let It Bleed album with Gimme Shelter, Monkey Man and Midnight Rambler on it. Then for real variety it’s Exile on Main Street. Too many tracks to list but Tumbling Dice, Lovin Cup, Sweet Virginia, then with the expanded version of Exile that track Plundered My Soul shows that 40 years later the Stones take an unfinished instrumental track and Jagger adds vocals and lyrics 4 decades after the release date of Exile and it’s a banger!!! Who does that and it sounds like have a 25 year old Mick singing instead of the 60 year old Jagger! You then have Sticky Fingers with Brown Sugar, Wild Horses, Sway, Moonlight Mile,etc.. How can anyone choose!!!
Start with beggars banquet cause it’s their best album
Someone above said the hits collection “Hot Rocks” as a good starting place for people who are not yet into the Rolling Stones and I agree, if they were to go through a couple of times listening to “Hot Rocks” and not become a fan of the band then I doubt if they ever would.
Agreed , that’s where I found The Stones.
Everything you need to hear first , then pick out your albums.
December’s Children.
I was early to the party!
“England’s New Hitmakers – The Rolling Stones.”
I rocked so hard in 1964 behind that LP!
Englands newest hitmakers 1964 !
The album which got me into the Stones, and changed my life, really, was ‘Get yer ya ya’s out’, the live album covering the 1970 (?) USA tour.
Brilliant album !!
For me, I was seventeen when Through the Past Darkly came out. Yes it was early Stones, but that’s the place to start.
Greatest rock and roll album ever. Great from beginning to end.
I’ve been a fan of the Stones since I was in high school, and have had this discussion many times before. Not only do they win the if you were stuck on an island with only one band to listen to and my opinion Exile is the best of the bunch, even though it’s an impossible question to answer. JMHO
The Rolling Stones (1964), Aftermath (66), Beggars’ Banquet through to Exile (68,69, 71, 72), It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (74), Black and Blue (76), Some Girls (78) and Tattoo You (81) are the ten classics. But for starters I would get Hot Rocks (64-71), More Hot Rocks, and Honk (1971-2016).
Their Satanic Majestic, Sticky Fingers, Goat’s Head Soup, Only Rock’n Roll, Black and Blue, Voodoo Lounge. And everyting else!
Always felt Exile was a bit over-rated by music critics. Some good tracks, but many so-so tunes. My opinion is Let It Bleed and Sticky Fingers stand above the rest. Almost every track is a winner and several are absolute rock classics. Only Rock and Roll has always been under- appreciated, but is in the top 4 or 5 Stones albums as is Beggars Banquet. Sympathy For The Devil alone makes Banquet worth mentioning.
Anyway, one man’s opinion.
No, the first albums you should listen to are ’12×5′ or ‘Aftermath’. No collections or live albums to start.
Been a stones person forever, so i would say Hot Rocks, to get an overview. ( and then More Hot Rocks). But if you want an actual album to start with, then i’d agree with Keef. Exile all the way. Then only Rock and Roll. Sticky Fingers is good, but too produced, not ruff enuff. Gimme Shelter on its own makes Let It Bleed stand out, but is a good album. Always preferredthe 45 version of Cant Always Get. cause tge choir is just too overblown. And IMO Tattoo You is crap, otherthan Start Me Up. Get the Deluxe version, for what should have been released.
And i always loved Between The Buttons, both versions.
Let It Bleed is where you start. Keith was really coming to his own with composition and arranging. Not to mention he recorded most of the guitars himself.
To me it has the best bangers AND hits.
Beggars Banquet after that, Sticky Fingers then maybe Goats Head Soup. Definitely Hot Rocks Fazed Cookies ( to listen to the 1 off 60’s/Jones era tracks).
Some Girls and Tattoo You are in there somewhere.
Let it Bleed…start to finish…though not a “concept album”, a perfectly constructed run of songs. 5 stars…won’t stop listening.
I started with sticky fingers and hot rocks. Years later I bought a copy of rolling stones now! What struck me right away was the energy musically compared to the later years. Top notch blues. Really three different bands musically through the years.