10 Overlooked Rolling Stones Songs
he Rolling Stones’ catalogue is full of gems beyond the greatest hits. These ten overlooked deep cuts — underrated songs from Sticky Fingers epics to political oddities — reveal a different side of the world’s greatest rock ’n’ roll band.
The Rolling Stones’ catalogue runs so deep that even some of their finest songs rarely show up on the greatest hits packages. We’re not talking about Satisfaction or Start Me Up but great tracks that get passed over in favour of the obvious classics.
Here are ten overlooked Stones songs worth rediscovering.
Angry (Hackney Diamonds, 2023)
Proof that the Stones can still sound fresh more than sixty years into their career. Angry kicks off Hackney Diamonds with a burst of snarling guitars and Jagger’s trademark strut — a modern rocker that deserves to sit alongside their classics.
Highwire (Flashpoint single, 1991)
A rare Stones song with an explicitly political message, written in response to the Gulf War. Highwire is taut, angry, and direct — and while it never became a live favourite, it stands out as a unique entry in the catalogue.
Can’t You Hear Me Knocking (Sticky Fingers, 1971)
This two-part epic is a highlight of Sticky Fingers, moving from riff-heavy swagger into a free-form Latin jam. Mick Taylor’s guitar soloing is among his finest moments with the band, showing a more expansive side to the Stones than the hits usually suggest.
Monkey Man (Let It Bleed, 1969)
Buried on Let It Bleed, Monkey Man is pure late-60s menace. Nicky Hopkins’ piano cuts through Keith’s riffing while Mick delivers one of his most unhinged vocals. Live versions in the 90s reminded everyone what a powerhouse it is.
Happy (Exile on Main St., 1972)
Keith’s signature song, recorded in the basement of Villa Nellcôte. He cut the vocal in a single take while the others were still asleep upstairs. Happy became a live staple and remains one of the few Stones songs where Keith truly takes centre stage — linking neatly to the band’s French Riviera exile years.
Cocksucker Blues (unreleased, 1970 single)
The Stones’ notorious “contractual obligation” single. Never released officially, it survives in bootlegs and legend. Explicit and tongue-in-cheek, it’s more important for what it represents: the Stones thumbing their nose at Decca Records while moving on to a new chapter.
Mixed Emotions (Steel Wheels, 1989)
The lead single from Steel Wheels, this track helped launch the Stones’ late-80s comeback. Big, bright, and loaded with harmonies, Mixed Emotions was a radio hit at the time but rarely appears on compilations today. It’s the sound of a band reasserting themselves.
Mixed Emotions still sounding great at Desert Trip 2016.
2000 Light Years from Home (Their Satanic Majesties Request, 1967)
The high-water mark of the Stones’ psychedelic era. Where the album often gets written off as a failed attempt to copy the Beatles, this track stands tall on its own. A space-rock epic with phased guitars and Mellotron swirls, it’s as trippy as the band ever got.
Moonlit Mile (Sticky Fingers, 1971)
A hushed, haunting closer to Sticky Fingers, co-written by Mick and Mick Taylor. Where the album is remembered for swagger and sleaze, Moonlit Mile ends it with weary beauty. A song about the loneliness of life on the road, it’s one of the Stones’ most vulnerable moments.
Fingerprint File (It’s Only Rock ’n’ Roll, 1974)
Part paranoia, part disco experiment, Fingerprint File has Jagger rapping into a wah-wah pedal while the band lock into a deep, funky groove. The lyrics about surveillance and suspicion echoed the Stones’ own reality of the time, with constant run-ins at borders and the authorities keeping close tabs on Keith in particular.
Why These Songs Matter
The Stones’ biggest hits will always dominate the airwaves, but their true legacy lies in the deep cuts — the songs that reveal different shades of the world’s greatest rock ’n’ roll band. From basement jams in France to psychedelic voyages and political one-offs, these overlooked tracks remind us just how much there is still to discover.