Song of the Day #5,578: ‘Angry’ – The Rolling Stones

When I first decided to do a deep dive on The Rolling Stones, I figured it was safe to assume the band had released its last album. What were the odds that these guys would keep recording rock-n-roll albums as octogenarians?

I found out early on that the band indeed intended to do exactly that, releasing their first album of original material in 18 years — Hackney Diamonds — a week from today. But rather than shift my schedule around to fit the new record in, I decided to give it an honorable mention today.

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Song of the Day #5,577: ‘Dead Flowers’ – The Rolling Stones

Well, that was an epic journey. Twenty-three studio albums, 52 years, and one legendary band.

The Rolling Stones have put their unmistakable stamp on blues, R&B, rock, pop, psychedelic, disco, and country songs, churning out album after album with humor, passion and pathos. Not everything they did worked, but they worked at everything they did. And their discography is remarkably strong — I’d definitely recommend 18 of these 23 releases.

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Song of the Day #5,576: ‘Ride ‘Em on Down’ – The Rolling Stones

The torrid pace of new studio releases by The Rolling Stones early in their career was a distant memory as they settled into the new millennium. Eleven years passed between A Bigger Bang and the band’s next release, 2016’s Blue & Lonesome.

They spent that time capitalizing on their impressive legacy by touring extensively, releasing live albums, and producing a retrospective documentary titled Crossfire Hurricane that commemorated their 50th anniversary.

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Song of the Day #5,575: ‘Laugh, I Nearly Died’ – The Rolling Stones

After 1997’s Bridges to Babylon, The Rolling Stones waited a full eight years to release another studio album, by far the biggest stretch in their career (to that point). They stayed busy, though, touring the world and releasing live and compilation albums.

In 2005, the band dropped A Bigger Bang, a sprawling back-to-basics rock album. While their previous release saw Mick Jagger bringing more “modern” producers into the mix, this one found the whole band on the same page. Working once again with producer Don Was, The Stones wanted to sound like The Stones again.

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Song of the Day #5,574: ‘Anybody Seen My Baby?’ – The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones released only two studio albums in the 90s: 1994’s Voodoo Lounge and 1997’s Bridges to Babylon. While the former hearkened back to the band’s R&B roots, Mick Jagger wanted to take a new direction for its follow-up.

While Bridges to Babylon kept producer Don Was onboard, Jagger brought in a slew of new faces to supplement the recording process, including The Dust Brothers, whose work with Beck and the Beastie Boys he admired.

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