#5 - The Rolling Stones

Knowing What You Like

The 55 Stones tunes I know well enough to rank--presented in chronological order--with #1 their best ever:

Rank    Title               Year

(bonus #56--songs written by others): It's All Over Now, and Carol - 1964

#36.  Heart of Stone - 1964

#27.  Play with Fire - 1965 

#48.  The Last Time

#50.  Satisfaction

#54.  Get Off of My Cloud

#47.  As Tears Go By

#13.  19th Nervous Breakdown

#43.  Paint it Black - 1966

#29.  Mother's Little Helper

#31.  Lady Jane

#24.  * Under My Thumb***

#12.  Have you Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow

#22.  Let's Spend the Night Together - 1967

#26.  Ruby Tuesday

#44.  Dandelion

#21.  She's a Rainbow

#15.  2000 Light Years from Home

#49.  Jumpin' Jack Flash - 1968

#23.  Street Fighting Man

#42.  Sympathy for the Devil - 1969

#33.  Midnight Rambler***

#18.  * Monkey Man

#37.  * Honky Tonk Women

#52.  You Can't Always Get What You Want

#38.  Brown Sugar*** - 1971

#55.  Wild Horses

#6.  Can't You Hear Me Knocking

#4.  Bitch

#32.  Sister Morphine

#30.  Dead Flowers

#2.  * Moonlight Mile

#19.  Gimme Shelter

#10.  Rip This Joint  - 1972

#11.  Tumbling Dice 

#53.  Sweet Virginia***

#35.  Sweet Black Angel

#28.  Happy

#45.  Rocks Off 

#41.  Dancing with Mr. D - '1973

#14.  Angie

#3.  Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)

#9.  It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It) - 1974

#8.  Time Waits for No One

#16.  Fool to Cry - 1976

#5.  Miss You - 1978

#46.  When the Whip Comes Down

#34.  Some Girls

#7.  Beast of Burden

#39.  Shattered

#17.  Emotional Rescue - 1980

#40.  She's So Cold

#20.  Start Me Up - 1981

#1.  Waiting On A Friend

#25.  Hang Fire - '82

#51.  Rock and a Hard Place - 1989

* notable intro.s

*** lyrics that detract

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Each band or performer is graded on four things:
  1.  Innovation
  2.  Influence in my life--as a typical American
  3.  Integrity: the band's approach to music (just making a buck or honing a craft?)  
  4.  Immortality--am I, a typical American--still eager to hear their music

9/9/8/9 = 35 out of a perfect 40

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Overall: Judged solely by how long they've lasted, maybe 'the greatest' title is appropriate.