You think? I have associations to most covers, and mine for B&B is all positive. Not sure O'd rank that anywhere near the Top 10 though. That photographer is excellent. Thanks for the comment!
@ Agreed! I wish the US version had kept Mona on debut and cut something else. But Not Fade Away is nice addition. Perfect starter. In general I like the US versions a lot. Unlike Beatles US versions, and covers! Thanks for the comment
A little-known fact about Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out -- the title was adapted from "Get Your Yas Yas Out", a song by Durham (North Carolina) blues musician Blind Boy Fuller (1904 - 1941). In the original title, "yas" was actually pronounced to rhyme with "ass", and the intended meaning of "get your yas yas out" was approximately "get your butt out of here".
@@michaelprice7213 Thank you! I didn't know this until recently. Andcenjoyed listening to it. You're right about pronunciation. I wonder if Mick had different interpretation, based on Charlie's shirt?
@@RobertsRecordCorner Odd, useless factoid: My cassette copy of Ya-Yas, purchased in the late 80s, actually says "YAS-Yas" on the spine, a rather official-looking typo. I bought it back when I was still a new fan (and actually chose that tape because, from looking at the track list, I saw it had lots of songs I knew, I wasn't even aware it was live) so I spent a few years confused about what it was actually called. Hope we get another video soon!
My dads favorite band is the stones and they ostensibly one of my absolute favorites. As a young musician and music enjoyer i wish more people my age gave the stones their flowers. Glad to see youre providing the stones content ive always wanted!!! Cheers!
Took me a second to remember who Morton Downey Jr is. That's hilarious. A lot of people wondered if Don Knotts and Mick Jagger were the same person. In truth, I don't believe they were ever in the same room at the same time. So it's certainly possible!
I actually have the inside of the “Beggars Banquet” cover hanging unfolded on my wall. Looks like a renaissance painting, and catches the band right when they were moving from being pop stars to being a genuine rock band…
Cheers Robert , nice one incidentally you could probably argue that Ya Ya's is the Stones at their best , it certainly has stood the test of time .....for me the worst is Dirty Work , and the best Exile , both equating to the lows of the Band and the Highs.......(I actually think Kieths Voodoo cover is perfect too)
Yeah! Another Stones-centric analysis! Love ‘em. I applaud your picks (Ya-Yas!) as well as your pans (Security). But may I offer this: No matter what the list is, whenever I find myself asking the question, “Have I put Exile too low…?” the answer is usually “Yeah….”
@@Harvey1138 The more I talked about it, the more I realized how powerful it is. I thought about adding a coda. It can only be understood when you holding your hands. You don't really need to "hold" Let It Bleed or Abbey Road. This opens up when you pour over the images I think. Should have had it about 5. Thanks for the comment!
Your channel is among the best. Im lucky to have found it! i am releasing a solo project thats Dylan-esque on Friday. “Villain” by Konstantin Polyakov. I figure id share the name in some music loving dpaces
It's always amused me how on Black & Blue they lined up Mick's eye right on the spine. You can make him look even more stoned by holding the cover open at a slight angle. For this reason alone I'd bump it up a couple spots :P
Sticky Fingers is THE ICONIC cover... Let It Bleed, Get Yer Ya Ya Out, Exile on Main St., Tatoo You are great... It's Only Rock & Roll is really underrated...Their Satanic Majesty Request is also really cool...even if It's a Sgt Pepper lookalike. Love Black & Blue too
I thought that live album with the tattoo artist and guy with Tongue logo was from the QVC channel selling shirts!! I didnt buy that or Undercover of the Night- sorry lads.. I remember Andrew Loog Oldhams remarks- " The Title goes between the buttons ". I remember stuff like this. BTW " Their Satanic....." LP cover was shot in Mt Vernon NY a few miles from the Hudson River. Thanx man!! BTW- I always found that in poor taste on the Let it Bleed cover Brian was face down in the cake. . 2:03
I’d add Through the Past Darkly to the top 10. That was my first Stones album (I was 13, so I could only afford a greatest hits album). I could always easily find it in my collection when looking at the spines. Of course with 8 corners and a 4” spine means that it’s pretty trashed now.
Ya, Ya''s has always been my favourite RS cover, Charlie and the mule always make me smile. I also love Beggars Banquet, but I'd go for the loo photo, with "Bob Dylan's dream" graffiti pointing to the flusher, haha. The worst cover I think is Emotional Rescue - it put me off buying the album for years which is a shame 'cos it's a pretty decent album. Good rankings!
Thanks for watching! I have never found a clear answer about why Charlie got nod for Ya Ya's. I find it charming how invested Mick is in getting shot right in that scene from Gimme Shelter
Everything is so confusing between US/UK from 1963 to 1966 or 1967. Beatles' US albums are really unsatisfying. Instrumentals on Help? Ack. Thanks for the comment.
Oh, and whatever you might think of the Sticky Fingers cover, you gotta knock it down a few points for actively damaging the album within, pretty much the opposite of a record sleeve’s whole purpose to begin with.
Some of my favorite album covers were complications Through the past darkly is my all time favorite cover. I also liked big hits. High tide The import gimme shelter cover with a band on stage photo. Both Hot Rocks A cover I dislike is flowers but I would have listed it. In hindsight it's a compilation but it was released and marketed as a regular stones album These are some of my least favorite Made in the shade Metamorphosis Sucking in the 70s
I always liked the cut corners of Past Darkly. And the smashed glass on back. In a way, that was sort of the same concept they had with Let It Be. The image, the destruction.
Wasn't there a US Stones LP whose jacket was an octagon rather than a square? I forget the title but if it was in your video I must have blinked and missed it. Or perhaps the original octagonal jacket was squared by the time you got a copy? IAC enjoyed the vid. I'd probably put Some Girls or Exile #1 (PS you also missed the US great hits comp Hot Rock as well as its odds and sods sequel More Hot Rocks
Dave Matthews did ruin Memory Motel on No Security. I never saw his appeal. The rest of No Security is actually pretty good, I love the version of Out Of Control on there.
I'd give Goat's Head Soup a little more love. And I never cared for Let It Bleed's cover. It always looked a little like something K-tel would put out.
I do like the yellow. I always associate the album's tone and mood and effect to that yellow cover. I do find it odd conceptually. Never had a satisfactory explanation why they went after Katherine Hepburn veils?
I watched the whole thing because I'd never thought about it before -- the Rolling Stones REALLY have a lot of very bad album covers. Now I admit that I haven't picked up and handled (or even listened to, except by accident) any Stones records since Some Girls, but I think that has something to do with the choices the band made (or declined to make) about the cover art. Early on, Andrew Loog Oldham probably made most of those decisions). I agree with most of your ratings, although I think Beggar's Banquet sucks in either of its iterations, and would have been better with the insides out. I still have my copy of the first record, British version, all shiny, as their jackets were. It makes me happy in my declining years.
That's true. Egg is clearer to comprehend. I always found Bang so underwhelming. Kinks are coming. I never know when. Likely before Christmas! Thanks for watching.
Eliminating the greatest hits/compilation albums you also eliminate my personal favorite cover, Through the Past Darkly with the original octagon design. Also wondering what you think of Flowers and Hot Rocks?
Maybe I should have included? I thought it would get too long. I doubt the Stones had any input on Hot Rocks cover, from 72. That was my second Stones album and I enjoyed the inside montage as a way to "get to know" the band. I didn't realize at the time Ron Wood wasn't always a Stone so got confused. Darkly is my favorite of those. I find it funny/sad that they gave Brian no pedals on his stem on Flowers.
In defense of the Stones about the Let it Bleed title, the Glyn Johns project with the Beatles was always until the last minute called "Get Back". I am not familiar with the bootlegs, but i assume they would be "Get back" oriented. The only reason they changed it to Let it Be was because the single with that name was released in March 1970 two months before the album and they wanted to use it as a marketing strategy to boost sales. Bad decision. Get back was so much better. So i doubt the Stones would call their album copying an yet unreleased song by The Beatles from an unreleased album with a completely different name.
Disagree about the wisdom of the name change. “Get Back” perfectly embodies the original theme & philosophy of the product, yes, but by the time the album, yes, but by the time the album was finally released The Beatles were no more, everyone knew it, and everyone was hugely upset about it. “Let It Be” was the perfect title for the moment, a plea to the fans to accept the inevitable.
Thanks for this. The bootleg did have the song Let It Be on it. I bet the Stones knew the song was coming? I have always wondered about this. Doesn't particularly matter I guess. Thanks for the comment
Yes, "Hackney Diamonds" is maybe the chintziest album cover I have seen since the 1980s heyday of hair metal and K-Tel records -- and it's even worse when you see how they wasted the gatefold. I took it as a spit in the face to fans. How could one of the richest bands in the world associate themselves with the cheapest album art this side of an amateur velvet painting you might have found at Goodwill 30 years ago? P.S. Joe Dallesandro was a famous Warhol "superstar" in the '60s and '70s, in such notable Paul Morrissey-directed films as "Trash," "Heat," "Flesh," "Andy Warhol's Frankenstein" and "Blood For Dracula." He's the "Little Joe" who "never once gave it away" in Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side."
That is EXACTLY the reaction I had when I opened Hackney Diamonds' Gatefold: "This has got to be the biggest waste of an interior gatefold in the history of albums" is precisely the though that popped into my head.
Dirty Work at #29? No kidding, it may not be a very good album; recorded at the time they hated each others guts, but the covers should be in the early teens, just look at Mick's right leg and Keith's left knee position, this picture worth a thousand words!
Technical correction: although they share a cover photo, 12X5 is not the U.S. version of Rolling Stones No. 2. 12X5 is a straight compilation of the material from the UK 5X5 ep and other non-album tracks. The U.S. version of No. 2 is Rolling Stones Now, whose track listing it actually follows fairly closely. Simple as it is, I always found Flashpoint’s cover very effective and rather striking. (Ok, that was cheesy, but I genuinely do think striking is an apt description in both senses) Satanic Majesties’ cover does indeed perfectly reflect its contents in that it tries way too hard yet ends up an incoherent mess, as well as an obvious pale imitation of a certain other work.
True reg No 2. I only meant covers are of same shot. The early albums are so confusing to keep straight. I wrote down all the tracks of each in my notebook to get a sense of how they diverge between US and UK. The Beatles situation is even harder. Thanks for the comment!
The toilet cover! I'm not sure if it's the toilet that bothered them or the joke to Dylan? Pretty grimy. I think the invitation letter couple with the banquet inside works so perfectly, so I don't mind the change. Thanks for the comment!
I have a weird soft spot for that album. I like it. It's where, to my ear, Mick becomes... funny. The falsetto, the Melody riffing. No more sympathy for the devil, or spilling your guts on the stage. The cover works for me as well, I don't mean to rag on it, but that photographer was definitely skilled enough to get something more clearly arresting, I'd think? Thanks for the comment!
@@RobertsRecordCorner The Black & Blue cover photo reminds me of Boz Scaggs' "Silk Degrees" cover photo. Both albums came out in 1976. Perhaps the same photographer?
Excellent video I love all your stones rankings. In my opinion all the stones studio album covers pushed some boundary-Interesting about the rubbish live album covers like no security. Even the grateful dead dicks daves picks covers are better. They had a skull theme.
I bet it's tough to get up the energy to care about all the new greatest hits compilations and DVD covers and live albums after 30-some years. Mick clearly was invested more in the '70s than now. Seems? You might be onto something having a single designer you like/trust to keep things consistent, though I like the variety the Stones gives you. Each album sort of has a new character as evident in the look/feel of the cover itself? I just wish they'd work a little harder at picking one. Thanks for the comment!
Harvest is such a perfect album cover. I like the quality of the cardstock too -- feels vintage itself. December is same as Out of Our Heads (UK)! It's a great shot. Sometimes I wonder if he should have shot it from a lower angle. But he is the pro! Thanks for the comment.
Maybe I should have included greatest hits and collections like that? There are so many after awhile. And some unofficial so I just scrapped them all! Thanks for the comment
Not sure how you can discuss the cover or contents of Their Satanic Majesties Request without using the word "psychedelic" or mentioning hallucinogenic drugs.
You couldn't be more RIGHT about these covers. That "Hackney" image of that London neighborhood would have been excellent. In defense of The Rolling Stones (possibly), not all artists have a say in what the cover will be. They don't even get that involved. Even Paul McCartney admitted in an interview that The Beatles didn't have a lot of final input either. The corporate record company's art department decides for marketing reasons. Songs released as singles are often not the artist's choice either 100%. Oh, they're consulted, but they are & have been overruled. Excellent assessment Robert & you explained why you feel the way you do about the covers quite clearly.
@@RobertsRecordCorner - Yes. I used to work at ABC-TV in NYC which at the time (in the 70s) also had ABC-Dunhill/Probe & Impulse Record labels. Almost all the covers were assigned to the art department designers. However, the same two names always appeared on the album cover credits (the art director & his primary designer -- I don't want to list their names here they may still be alive). Some of those covers were so schlocky for the great music that appeared (both rock & jazz) that it was obvious the artists didn't have much of a say. Too bad, because many had great albums but the covers were not conducive to the music. Keep up the good work.
Maybe so. I sort of like some plenty. Black and Blue in particular. But I'm not sure I'd say it is iconic are all that notable? Actually Black and Blue's insert, with track sheet for recording, is underrated. Tx for comment
Hackney Diamonds, for me, is not only the worst cover, but the worst album. Fake rock 'n' roll. Just awful. And what... Robert Frank's "Exile On Main Street" cover #10. #10? Seriously? Warhol's "Sticky Fingers" #6. #6? Seriously. Those are two of the most iconic cover not only by the Stones but in all of rock 'n' roll!
@@mountart2 I think they are incredibly iconic. Partly because of the music. I tried to evaluate separate from the music, if possible. I never cared for SF's cover terribly much tbh. Tx for the comment
@@axxellein Ha! Sort of random that I have it. I am in a temporary home at the moment so put it up to have something up. But vive Quebec! I do love Quebec too. And Montreal bagels are better than NyC bagels in my book.
Sorry i disagree with most of these Rankings!! Emotional Rescue is an awful cover,cool idea that didn’t work. Love You Live is a great Live Album, But the Cover is awful! As is Still Life, awful cover to a Live Album that is badly recorded Black and Blue is a Fantastic Photo & a great listen Always loved Big Hits (High Tide & Green Grass) UK Killer Photos all through for the first Compilation…
Not just with the stones, I dislike album covers that only feature one or just a few of the band members with the others relegated to the back even if it's a gatefild. Tattoo You Goats Black blue To name a few One of the worst was an album collaboration with Cass Elliot and Dave Mason but only dave is on the front cover Cass on the back.
@ I understand. Cheap Trick is sort of thematic. "The cool guys" on front, the less cool guys on back. Did it a few times I think. I admire when "secondary" member, like Charlie, is on cover alone. I can't quite think of another example offhand.
Flashpoint, Bridges to Babylon, Blue and Lonesome are all just HORRIBLE!! Stones are sometimes experts in making bad covers, sometimes so bad that I can't even hear the music. Is'nt every cover after Steel Wheels bad, including Steel Wheels? I don't think Dirty Work is that bad, it's just a photo. And just a photo is pretty acceptable when it comes to The Stones. Like Black & Blue, Nice Cover, especially the fold out. Goats head soup wouldn't be that good cover if it wasn't for allt that bad covers that was made in the later years
Hackney is way better artwork than Match Point, dirty work, bridges to babylon, bigger bang and a few more. Yeah it could have had a better cover but there's no reason for you to rank it that low.
Maybe so. I have recency bias, perhaps, on how good the album is (I have it as best since 1981), and how unsatisfying the album cover is. Maybe? It feels like TikTok art to me. Too.... young? Btw I thought the promotions for the album -- the cheeky ads put into English newspapers -- were more fitting for this than what we have. Thanks for the comment.
Robert, you’re a diamond. I hope you never tire of making Rolling Stones videos.
Thank you!!
I think he really knows what he is talking about and I often agree about his analysis.
@ why thank you!
Woooahhh. Hold your horses, champ. That Black and Blue album cover is one of their best.
You think? I have associations to most covers, and mine for B&B is all positive. Not sure O'd rank that anywhere near the Top 10 though. That photographer is excellent. Thanks for the comment!
American version of Aftermath is pretty cool
@ Agreed! I wish the US version had kept Mona on debut and cut something else. But Not Fade Away is nice addition. Perfect starter. In general I like the US versions a lot. Unlike Beatles US versions, and covers! Thanks for the comment
A little-known fact about Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out -- the title was adapted from "Get Your Yas Yas Out", a song by Durham (North Carolina) blues musician Blind Boy Fuller (1904 - 1941). In the original title, "yas" was actually pronounced to rhyme with "ass", and the intended meaning of "get your yas yas out" was approximately "get your butt out of here".
@@michaelprice7213 Thank you! I didn't know this until recently. Andcenjoyed listening to it. You're right about pronunciation. I wonder if Mick had different interpretation, based on Charlie's shirt?
@@RobertsRecordCorner Odd, useless factoid: My cassette copy of Ya-Yas, purchased in the late 80s, actually says "YAS-Yas" on the spine, a rather official-looking typo. I bought it back when I was still a new fan (and actually chose that tape because, from looking at the track list, I saw it had lots of songs I knew, I wasn't even aware it was live) so I spent a few years confused about what it was actually called. Hope we get another video soon!
@ Thanks! Have one for tomorrow. Tx for watching!
Great video, more please!
The debut has a fantastic cover. They emerge from a foggy darkness.
Good way of putting it!
Robert you get so much right and so much wrong. I would love to debate you. Love you and keep it coming.
@@markknopfler1984 Ha! That's part of the fun. Thanks for watching
My dads favorite band is the stones and they ostensibly one of my absolute favorites. As a young musician and music enjoyer i wish more people my age gave the stones their flowers. Glad to see youre providing the stones content ive always wanted!!! Cheers!
Thank you! Go Rush too!
Mick looked like Morton Downey Jr on the insert of the Steel Wheels insert. Great video, Robert.
Took me a second to remember who Morton Downey Jr is. That's hilarious. A lot of people wondered if Don Knotts and Mick Jagger were the same person. In truth, I don't believe they were ever in the same room at the same time. So it's certainly possible!
Someone needs to make an album cover showing Joe Dalessandro from the knees down.
@@michaelpdawson Excellent idea. Smiths/Stones... Snoop Dogg maybe?
I actually have the inside of the “Beggars Banquet” cover hanging unfolded on my wall. Looks like a renaissance painting, and catches the band right when they were moving from being pop stars to being a genuine rock band…
@@kjeldpedersen666 My favorite inside artwork by anyone, Inthink!
I love the covers of Still Life and Emotional Rescue.
I love the debut album's cover
As well Sticky Fingers, get Yer Yaya's out and Lei it Bleed
Cheers Robert , nice one incidentally you could probably argue that Ya Ya's is the Stones at their best , it certainly has stood the test of time .....for me the worst is Dirty Work , and the best Exile , both equating to the lows of the Band and the Highs.......(I actually think Kieths Voodoo cover is perfect too)
3:23 Nailed it. 6:50. The last 40 years of album covers are all Mick (thinking he’s hip). I did all the Brian Jones covers
Ha!!
Yeah! Another Stones-centric analysis! Love ‘em. I applaud your picks (Ya-Yas!) as well as your pans (Security).
But may I offer this: No matter what the list is, whenever I find myself asking the question, “Have I put Exile too low…?” the answer is usually “Yeah….”
@@Harvey1138 The more I talked about it, the more I realized how powerful it is. I thought about adding a coda. It can only be understood when you holding your hands. You don't really need to "hold" Let It Bleed or Abbey Road. This opens up when you pour over the images I think. Should have had it about 5. Thanks for the comment!
Your channel is among the best. Im lucky to have found it!
i am releasing a solo project thats Dylan-esque on Friday.
“Villain” by Konstantin Polyakov.
I figure id share the name in some music loving dpaces
@@kostyapolykova9879 Thank you! I don't know Villain! Will be interested to watch!
It's always amused me how on Black & Blue they lined up Mick's eye right on the spine. You can make him look even more stoned by holding the cover open at a slight angle. For this reason alone I'd bump it up a couple spots :P
@@unicornpower Ha! Good point.
Sticky Fingers is THE ICONIC cover... Let It Bleed, Get Yer Ya Ya Out, Exile on Main St., Tatoo You are great... It's Only Rock & Roll is really underrated...Their Satanic Majesty Request is also really cool...even if It's a Sgt Pepper lookalike. Love Black & Blue too
@@user-ef1qm2gy1t i was never a fan of sticky album design.
The Rolling Stones High Tide and Green Grass is my favorite album cover. I love the outdoor pictures at Franklin Canyon Park in California.
One day I will go there. Have you visited the spot? When I first moved to NyC years ago, I visited the Waiying on a Friend video site first thing!
@ I haven’t visited Franklin Canyon Park yet but it’s near Beverly Hills, CA. Maybe the next time that I go down there I will visit.
I thought that live album with the tattoo artist and guy with Tongue logo was from the QVC channel selling shirts!! I didnt buy that or Undercover of the Night- sorry lads.. I remember Andrew Loog Oldhams remarks- " The Title goes between the buttons ". I remember stuff like this. BTW " Their Satanic....." LP cover was shot in Mt Vernon NY a few miles from the Hudson River. Thanx man!! BTW- I always found that in poor taste on the Let it Bleed cover Brian was face down in the cake. . 2:03
@@familydogg1234 Had no idea about the Vernon shot. Always had figured it was in London!
I’d add Through the Past Darkly to the top 10. That was my first Stones album (I was 13, so I could only afford a greatest hits album). I could always easily find it in my collection when looking at the spines. Of course with 8 corners and a 4” spine means that it’s pretty trashed now.
Ya, Ya''s has always been my favourite RS cover, Charlie and the mule always make me smile. I also love Beggars Banquet, but I'd go for the loo photo, with "Bob Dylan's dream" graffiti pointing to the flusher, haha. The worst cover I think is Emotional Rescue - it put me off buying the album for years which is a shame 'cos it's a pretty decent album. Good rankings!
Thanks for watching! I have never found a clear answer about why Charlie got nod for Ya Ya's. I find it charming how invested Mick is in getting shot right in that scene from Gimme Shelter
Great video thanks! I think you meant to say Satisfaction was included on Out Of Our Heads (US version), not December's Children
@@michaelprice7213 Yes. I was referring to album cover shots principally. It all gets confused. Thanks for watching!
Great ranking
The us and uk versions get so confusing so thankfully you didn’t include those
Everything is so confusing between US/UK from 1963 to 1966 or 1967. Beatles' US albums are really unsatisfying. Instrumentals on Help? Ack. Thanks for the comment.
@ no problem
Definitely the stones and the Beatles share confusing uk vs us releases
Oh, and whatever you might think of the Sticky Fingers cover, you gotta knock it down a few points for actively damaging the album within, pretty much the opposite of a record sleeve’s whole purpose to begin with.
The opposite of Durutti Column’s first album on Factory. The cover made out of sandpaper destroyed any records slid next to it.
The banned covers from Beggars Banquet (toilet) and Sticky Fingers (fingers in a tin) are great.
I believe the zipper cover was actually the one that was banned (in Spain) and the fingers-in-a-tin cover was the substitute.
Some of my favorite album covers were complications
Through the past darkly is my all time favorite cover.
I also liked big hits. High tide
The import gimme shelter cover with a band on stage photo.
Both Hot Rocks
A cover I dislike is flowers but I would have listed it. In hindsight it's a compilation but it was released and marketed as a regular stones album
These are some of my least favorite
Made in the shade
Metamorphosis
Sucking in the 70s
I always liked the cut corners of Past Darkly. And the smashed glass on back. In a way, that was sort of the same concept they had with Let It Be. The image, the destruction.
I preferred the Spanish version of sticky fingers which had three fingers coming out of a tin of treacle but looked more like blood
I always found it funny that that was OK in Spain but not the official cover!
Wasn't there a US Stones LP whose jacket was an octagon rather than a square? I forget the title but if it was in your video I must have blinked and missed it.
Or perhaps the original octagonal jacket was squared by the time you got a copy?
IAC enjoyed the vid. I'd probably put Some Girls or Exile #1
(PS you also missed the US great hits comp Hot Rock as well as its odds and sods sequel More Hot Rocks
@@carmaigdeforest7284 Thrpugh the Past Darkly! It's a greatest hits album. (I didn't include those to keep this video from breaking an hour!)
Bigger bang cover is based a Wright of Derby a victorian British painter who captures shadow and light in his paintings
I read they wanted it to be like a Caravaggio painting. Somehow? I don't quite see it
Dave Matthews did ruin Memory Motel on No Security. I never saw his appeal. The rest of No Security is actually pretty good, I love the version of Out Of Control on there.
Decembers Children is a CLASSIC album cover, the U.S cover for Aftermath is way cooler, IMO
I'd give Goat's Head Soup a little more love. And I never cared for Let It Bleed's cover. It always looked a little like something K-tel would put out.
I do like the yellow. I always associate the album's tone and mood and effect to that yellow cover. I do find it odd conceptually. Never had a satisfactory explanation why they went after Katherine Hepburn veils?
I watched the whole thing because I'd never thought about it before -- the Rolling Stones REALLY have a lot of very bad album covers. Now I admit that I haven't picked up and handled (or even listened to, except by accident) any Stones records since Some Girls, but I think that has something to do with the choices the band made (or declined to make) about the cover art. Early on, Andrew Loog Oldham probably made most of those decisions). I agree with most of your ratings, although I think Beggar's Banquet sucks in either of its iterations, and would have been better with the insides out. I still have my copy of the first record, British version, all shiny, as their jackets were. It makes me happy in my declining years.
The album cover of "Bigger Bang" kinda reminds me of "Back to the Egg" album cover.
P. S. Are you still planning videos about the Kinks? ❤
That's true. Egg is clearer to comprehend. I always found Bang so underwhelming. Kinks are coming. I never know when. Likely before Christmas! Thanks for watching.
Eliminating the greatest hits/compilation albums you also eliminate my personal favorite cover, Through the Past Darkly with the original octagon design. Also wondering what you think of Flowers and Hot Rocks?
Maybe I should have included? I thought it would get too long. I doubt the Stones had any input on Hot Rocks cover, from 72. That was my second Stones album and I enjoyed the inside montage as a way to "get to know" the band. I didn't realize at the time Ron Wood wasn't always a Stone so got confused. Darkly is my favorite of those. I find it funny/sad that they gave Brian no pedals on his stem on Flowers.
In defense of the Stones about the Let it Bleed title, the Glyn Johns project with the Beatles was always until the last minute called "Get Back". I am not familiar with the bootlegs, but i assume they would be "Get back" oriented. The only reason they changed it to Let it Be was because the single with that name was released in March 1970 two months before the album and they wanted to use it as a marketing strategy to boost sales. Bad decision. Get back was so much better. So i doubt the Stones would call their album copying an yet unreleased song by The Beatles from an unreleased album with a completely different name.
Disagree about the wisdom of the name change. “Get Back” perfectly embodies the original theme & philosophy of the product, yes, but by the time the album, yes, but by the time the album was finally released The Beatles were no more, everyone knew it, and everyone was hugely upset about it. “Let It Be” was the perfect title for the moment, a plea to the fans to accept the inevitable.
Thanks for this. The bootleg did have the song Let It Be on it. I bet the Stones knew the song was coming? I have always wondered about this. Doesn't particularly matter I guess. Thanks for the comment
Yes, "Hackney Diamonds" is maybe the chintziest album cover I have seen since the 1980s heyday of hair metal and K-Tel records -- and it's even worse when you see how they wasted the gatefold. I took it as a spit in the face to fans. How could one of the richest bands in the world associate themselves with the cheapest album art this side of an amateur velvet painting you might have found at Goodwill 30 years ago?
P.S. Joe Dallesandro was a famous Warhol "superstar" in the '60s and '70s, in such notable Paul Morrissey-directed films as "Trash," "Heat," "Flesh," "Andy Warhol's Frankenstein" and "Blood For Dracula." He's the "Little Joe" who "never once gave it away" in Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side."
Did not know that about Wild Side. Flesh is the movie on the Smithe cover, I believe. Thanks for that background on Little Joe!
That is EXACTLY the reaction I had when I opened Hackney Diamonds' Gatefold: "This has got to be the biggest waste of an interior gatefold in the history of albums" is precisely the though that popped into my head.
@ Same! I used to be so excited to see the big gatefold reveal. There are some deflating ones. None quite competes with that though, I agree
Dirty Work at #29? No kidding, it may not be a very good album; recorded at the time they hated each others guts, but the covers should be in the early teens, just look at Mick's right leg and Keith's left knee position, this picture worth a thousand words!
Technical correction: although they share a cover photo, 12X5 is not the U.S. version of Rolling Stones No. 2. 12X5 is a straight compilation of the material from the UK 5X5 ep and other non-album tracks. The U.S. version of No. 2 is Rolling Stones Now, whose track listing it actually follows fairly closely.
Simple as it is, I always found Flashpoint’s cover very effective and rather striking. (Ok, that was cheesy, but I genuinely do think striking is an apt description in both senses)
Satanic Majesties’ cover does indeed perfectly reflect its contents in that it tries way too hard yet ends up an incoherent mess, as well as an obvious pale imitation of a certain other work.
True reg No 2. I only meant covers are of same shot. The early albums are so confusing to keep straight. I wrote down all the tracks of each in my notebook to get a sense of how they diverge between US and UK. The Beatles situation is even harder. Thanks for the comment!
Beggars Banquet had an other cover, but the company cancelled it.
The toilet cover! I'm not sure if it's the toilet that bothered them or the joke to Dylan? Pretty grimy. I think the invitation letter couple with the banquet inside works so perfectly, so I don't mind the change. Thanks for the comment!
@@RobertsRecordCorner i own both of them, the toilet on CD, the other is the vinyl. The Beatles had the same problem with their butcher Cover.
I actually love the cover for "Black & Blue", even though I feel the music contained within is somewhat mediocre.
I have a weird soft spot for that album. I like it. It's where, to my ear, Mick becomes... funny. The falsetto, the Melody riffing. No more sympathy for the devil, or spilling your guts on the stage. The cover works for me as well, I don't mean to rag on it, but that photographer was definitely skilled enough to get something more clearly arresting, I'd think? Thanks for the comment!
@@RobertsRecordCorner The Black & Blue cover photo reminds me of Boz Scaggs' "Silk Degrees" cover photo. Both albums came out in 1976. Perhaps the same photographer?
Actually kinda like the steal wheels cover
Excellent video I love all your stones rankings. In my opinion all the stones studio album covers pushed some boundary-Interesting about the rubbish live album covers like no security. Even the grateful dead dicks daves picks covers are better. They had a skull theme.
I bet it's tough to get up the energy to care about all the new greatest hits compilations and DVD covers and live albums after 30-some years. Mick clearly was invested more in the '70s than now. Seems? You might be onto something having a single designer you like/trust to keep things consistent, though I like the variety the Stones gives you. Each album sort of has a new character as evident in the look/feel of the cover itself? I just wish they'd work a little harder at picking one. Thanks for the comment!
1- Afternsth UK, 2- out of Our Heads US, 3- Exile, 4- Debut UK, 5- Sticky
I need to get UK versions of Aftermath and the debut. Next time I'm over there. Thanks for the comment!
Are you in Canada? Dig the Quebec flag. I wanna land the French Ontario Flag in green with the trillium and fleurs @@RobertsRecordCorner
@ I'm not. I used to collect flags and am in a temp setup right now so just put it up !!
You just have that Cdn wit@@RobertsRecordCorner
@ Ha! I always have considered myself a Closet Canadian
Majesties Request # 1 no other is close …
It's a lot of fun, for sure
Sad how my favorite Stones album "Steel Wheels" has a very boring cover. People shouldn't ignore listening to it b/c of it's dull cover.
When the Harvest cover came up it just showed how poor most Stones covers were. December’s Children has to be my favourite.
Harvest is such a perfect album cover. I like the quality of the cardstock too -- feels vintage itself. December is same as Out of Our Heads (UK)! It's a great shot. Sometimes I wonder if he should have shot it from a lower angle. But he is the pro! Thanks for the comment.
My favourite Stones' cover is not elegible for this list as it is a compilation. "Sucking In The Seventies"!
Maybe I should have included greatest hits and collections like that? There are so many after awhile. And some unofficial so I just scrapped them all! Thanks for the comment
My favourite is let it bleed, it's only rock n roll and out of our heads.. I'm in the minority as far as I find sticky fingers a really cringe cover.
I've never particularly cared for Sticky Fingers cover as much either. But it's certainly iconic. Thanks for watching
For some the reason the debut UK cover reminds me of mini chocolate covered donuts
I wish it came with mini chocolate covered donuts
Not sure how you can discuss the cover or contents of Their Satanic Majesties Request without using the word "psychedelic" or mentioning hallucinogenic drugs.
You couldn't be more RIGHT about these covers. That "Hackney" image of that London neighborhood would have been excellent.
In defense of The Rolling Stones (possibly), not all artists have a say in what the cover will be. They don't even get that involved. Even Paul McCartney admitted in an interview that The Beatles didn't have a lot of final input either. The corporate record company's art department decides for marketing reasons. Songs released as singles are often not the artist's choice either 100%. Oh, they're consulted, but they are & have been overruled.
Excellent assessment Robert & you explained why you feel the way you do about the covers quite clearly.
Thank you! I know Mick used to play a big role in covers, along with Charlie. I imagine it gets tiring to do after 20, 30, 40, 50 years!
@@RobertsRecordCorner - Yes. I used to work at ABC-TV in NYC which at the time (in the 70s) also had ABC-Dunhill/Probe & Impulse Record labels. Almost all the covers were assigned to the art department designers. However, the same two names always appeared on the album cover credits (the art director & his primary designer -- I don't want to list their names here they may still be alive).
Some of those covers were so schlocky for the great music that appeared (both rock & jazz) that it was obvious the artists didn't have much of a say. Too bad, because many had great albums but the covers were not conducive to the music. Keep up the good work.
I don’t mind the order, but I think that a lot of the ones above number twelve are better than you give them credit for.
Maybe so. I sort of like some plenty. Black and Blue in particular. But I'm not sure I'd say it is iconic are all that notable? Actually Black and Blue's insert, with track sheet for recording, is underrated. Tx for comment
Hackney Diamonds, for me, is not only the worst cover, but the worst album. Fake rock 'n' roll. Just awful. And what... Robert Frank's "Exile On Main Street" cover #10. #10? Seriously? Warhol's "Sticky Fingers" #6. #6? Seriously. Those are two of the most iconic cover not only by the Stones but in all of rock 'n' roll!
@@mountart2 I think they are incredibly iconic. Partly because of the music. I tried to evaluate separate from the music, if possible. I never cared for SF's cover terribly much tbh. Tx for the comment
@@RobertsRecordCorner To each their own. Me, I think both EOMS and SF covers belong in the MOMA!
@ Actually I do too. Both of them. As art. More so than Ya Ya or Some Girls or BB, though I prefer those as album covers if that makes sense?
:Le Fleur-De-Lysee du Quebec???
@@axxellein Ha! Sort of random that I have it. I am in a temporary home at the moment so put it up to have something up. But vive Quebec! I do love Quebec too. And Montreal bagels are better than NyC bagels in my book.
Sorry i disagree with most of these Rankings!!
Emotional Rescue is an awful cover,cool idea that didn’t work.
Love You Live is a great Live Album, But the Cover is awful!
As is Still Life, awful cover to a Live Album that is badly recorded
Black and Blue is a Fantastic Photo & a great listen
Always loved Big Hits (High Tide & Green Grass) UK
Killer Photos all through for the first Compilation…
Agree to disagree.
Yes, B&B is great... ER is the WORST. Also BtB is great. Favorite? IORR
Agree emotional rescue is a horrible cover
That's OK! I like the concept of Emotional though agree it didn't work out the way they hoped.
Not just with the stones, I dislike album covers that only feature one or just a few of the band members with the others relegated to the back even if it's a gatefild.
Tattoo You
Goats
Black blue
To name a few
One of the worst was an album collaboration with Cass Elliot and Dave Mason but only dave is on the front cover
Cass on the back.
@@seanjockel43 How about Born to Run, or Cheap Trick?
@RobertsRecordCorner born ok. It's bruce and the e Street
Cheap trick. No they are a band .
It's just a peeve of mine
@ I understand. Cheap Trick is sort of thematic. "The cool guys" on front, the less cool guys on back. Did it a few times I think. I admire when "secondary" member, like Charlie, is on cover alone. I can't quite think of another example offhand.
Flashpoint, Bridges to Babylon, Blue and Lonesome are all just HORRIBLE!!
Stones are sometimes experts in making bad covers, sometimes so bad that I can't even hear the music.
Is'nt every cover after Steel Wheels bad, including Steel Wheels?
I don't think Dirty Work is that bad, it's just a photo. And just a photo is pretty acceptable when it comes to The Stones. Like Black & Blue, Nice Cover, especially the fold out. Goats head soup wouldn't be that good cover if it wasn't for allt that bad covers that was made in the later years
I find Dirty Work sort of funny. Sometimes it's hard to disassociate the songs with the cover!
Hackney is way better artwork than Match Point, dirty work, bridges to babylon, bigger bang and a few more. Yeah it could have had a better cover but there's no reason for you to rank it that low.
Maybe so. I have recency bias, perhaps, on how good the album is (I have it as best since 1981), and how unsatisfying the album cover is. Maybe? It feels like TikTok art to me. Too.... young? Btw I thought the promotions for the album -- the cheeky ads put into English newspapers -- were more fitting for this than what we have. Thanks for the comment.
The worst cover is SUCKING IN THE 70'S.
I didn't include because I decided to stick with live albums and studio albums. Another commenter here said it was their fav Stones cover! Tx!