Are the Rolling Stones the greatest rock and roll band ever?

RobDavies

Depends if you count The Who as a Rock n a Roll band.....

Brize

Zoolooter said:

Freebird said:

not_the_dj said:
I’d put Springsteen at the top of my personal list. Watch those legendary late 70s and early 80s shows and he was captivating back then (and still is).

Bloody brilliant.

Until you get to the pathetic jumping at 3:35.

Stuckfast

I love the Dolls, but they could never have existed without the Stones.

Don't get Brucie at all, he makes rock and roll sound like such hard work.

Gagaryn

No. They should have done the decent thing and packed it in about 1973. They have been an excellent business since then - a bit like Kiss but less fun.

Nunogilberto

No.

punchesjudy

I hope not 

Fretwired

They were back in the day .... just a parody of themselves these days. I still listen to their albums .. Keef can write a foot tapping riff .. a great band. They should retire ..

monkey42

No

horse

I think probably yes

merciful-evans

No band can sensibly make that claim.

I 1st heard it on the opening intro to 'GetYerYaYasOut'. Sounds like their marketing people may have coined it. Say something for long enough and it grows credible.

I like them though

Veganic

Their songs say nothing to me about my life.

Eartrumpet

thumpingrug said:

No.

+1

mli3

Freebird said:

not_the_dj said:
I’d put Springsteen at the top of my personal list. Watch those legendary late 70s and early 80s shows and he was captivating back then (and still is).

Wow. That’s got me going !

quarky

I wouldn't even consider The Rolling Stones and The Who in the same league (Rolling Stones and Aerosmith perhaps, maybe), which means I probably need to listen to more Who. I have Who's Next, but what is the best album to go for after that? Tommy I guess?

octatonic

It is hard to deny their legacy but if all of their music disappeared overnight I'd shrug and move on.

I'd argue that King Crimson are a much more significant band. /ducks.

TheMarlin

No. Never understood the appeal.  

The Kinks are the best of all time. 

stickyfiddle

They've been around forever and have massive live shows but the main driver of that success is fantastically strong marketing. They're a good band, and were a great one, but at this point I suspect most people are going "because it's the Rolling Stones" rather than because they're. 

But if I never hear King Crimson again I'll be a happy man.

Teyeplayer

It’s got to be a yes. 

From a musical perspective that classic run of albums from Beggers Banquet to Goats Head Soup were great rock’n’roll albums and a run that has been hard to surpass for other bands.

Likewise, the band have been fantastic myth creators and self promotors -much of the ‘legend’ of what is perceived to be rock’n’roll stems from the Stones. It is true to say that may not be what most of us aspire to now but it would be ridiculous for most of us to not admit that Keith was a significant influence on a good chunk of us picking up a guitar in the first place. Even now, with teens starting out and learning to play, how many still really just want to be Mick and Keith, the pout, the swagger -it’s all the Stones. 

The final piece of the Stones jigsaw has to be the draw they still maintain, the broad demographic that attend their shows and the kind of sell-out tours few artists can still manage, let alone seventy year olds. 

Are they my favourite act ever / best bunch of musicians / the artist(s) I would most like to see live? No.
However, are they the greatest rock’n’roll band of all time? It’s an undeniable yes.

McSwaggerty

Around Sticky Fingers & Exile on Main Street years they were untouchable.... 
All things considered, l would have to say yes.....

fretmeister

This is about as useful as the "Top 10 Guitarists" lists that NME does.

But even so - no. The stones wouldn't make my top 50.