The Rolling Stones

If this were the only Rolling Stones album it wouldn’t be on the list.

Just a few covers of black musicians which did it better

As with the first album of the Beatles, listening to this is historically interesting but nothing you need to check out. A cover of blues songs and not as interesting as their later works.

Enjoyable, but yer not getting more than 3 for an album of covers.

It's pretty good, I can see why it caught on, and their debut album is certainly an important moment in rock history. The fact that all but one are covers makes the album less interesting, and the one original is a sleeper. I like the bold move of not including the band name on the cover, but it would have been even better if they didn't put the label name there either (if I'm honest that almost ruins the effect).

Really? Karaoke R&B covers, would have preferred the opportunity to hear literally *anything* else instead. Not mean spirited enough to give a 1* as the efforts are technically OK and I like the cover photo, but damn close. No more completist crap please

They're a good cover band, though I'm not a fan of covers, especially on 1001. It would take a few years before they got over writer's block and became hit machines. But if this and their next couple of albums, free of original compositions, was all they ever put out, we would have never heard of them.

A blunt punch in the front bottom. The Rolling Stones are the only group of men I would let loose on my mother. She's gagging for it, the slag.

News flash - most derivative band of all time started off with a generic derivative covers album. This is the most uninteresting album in the history of humankind. It makes me feel primal rage from how bland it is. The time is now, Mick Jagger. You are not ready for The Frog War of '24.

It’s alright R&B and blues styled music, but I have no idea why they chose this over one of their later albums. It’s got none of their famous songs, nor does it work well as an album. Purely meh.

I think I actually liked this more than their later stuff. Sacrilege, I know. I liked the majority of the songs. My favourite was "Carol" which I see now is a Chuck Berry cover. I listened to this twice through, which means that's 5 material.

It's The Stones but in a more subdued way. You can tell it's their very early stuff. Sounds and feels like them but punches lighter to me

Nacimiento de la leyenda. Vinilo.

I can see why this album was chosen to be on this list since most people including causal Stones fan might not have heard it. It gives an intro into one of the biggest bands of all time and the Brain Jones lead era. Is it good? It's ok, the problem is listening now I've heard and love the versions of theses songs by the American blues artists that originally performed them. The Rolling Stones versions don't really measure up, perhaps in England in the early 60's they sounded new and fresh but not now. I will admit the version of King Bee is still really, really good.

I guess the first album of a band as big as the Stones has to be included. It falls short compared to the Beatles and The Who’s first albums since it lacks the creativity those other debut albums had and doesn’t have a meaningful original tune. I always thought of the Stones as followers rather than trend setters - darn good followers but followers nonetheless. This album validates that.

This is the hundred sixteenth album I’m rating. I've always loved The Rolling Stone but I've never actually listened to their debut album. Adding to my Playlist - Route 66, I Just Want to Make Love to You, Honest I Do, Mona (I Need You Baby), Now I've Got a Witness, Little by Little, I'm a King Bee, Carol, Tell Me, Can I Get a Witness, You Can Make it if You Try, and Walking the Dog. Not Adding to my Playlist - Nothing. All in all I liked 12/12 songs. I really do just love The Rolling Stones and Mick Jagger. My 2nd favorite band.

1. How did Charlie Watts ever get caught up with these people? Did he lose a bet? 2. This album doesn't make me want to stab myself in the ears.

Slight but satisfying. There's not much of a hint of what was to come for the band, but it's clearly better than most of their contemporaries.

I can't help but think of that scene in Spinal Tap, as a skiffle band, The Thamesmen. Those slightly embarrassing early years. 2.5

This is The Rolling Stones first album and I’m struggling to think of any other reason why it is included on the list. It’s a competently played set of (mostly) covers and isn’t necessarily “bad”, but it’s not really notable except that it’s an early-ish example of British guys covering American blues songs, but that was kind of par for the course in the mid-60’s and something that the Beatles had done. The Stones, I guess were meant to be a ragged, unruly counterpoint to the Beatles and they certainly are here: the songs are not covered with as much finesse or polish as a Beatles cover of a blues number might be. Whether that was an intentional stylistic choice, a limitation in skill or a combination of the two is probably debatable. Either way, this was the first step for one of the biggest rock bands of all time and I guess it is interesting to see where they started, but does it rank among the greatest albums of all time? For me, no. Although, it is impressive that they managed to get a record deal and put out their first album with only one original song on it.

The sound overall is a tad too slovenly.

I like the Rolling Stones and personally enjoyed listening to this album, but it shouldn’t on this list, it’s a covers album with no stand out hits,

Just too early. Shades of what was to come, but R&B/Honky Tonk covers just don't thrill me. Ground breaking at the time I'm sure, but just dull and dated 60 years later sadly.

I know this is the start of a legendary band and this album had a big impact on the culture yadda yadda yadda. This album is just straight up bad. All covers. No originals. Not the worst I've heard, I actually quite like Mona (I Need You Baby), but it was the most unneccesary thing I've heard. Like adding Beatles For Sale just because The Beatles had a big impact

If it wasn't for the band's name, there's no way this album would get curated here. And while I'm at it: there are way too many Stones curated here.

the best

🌟 Rating: 4.5/5 Short Review: This debut album is raw, swaggering teenage rebellion on vinyl. The Stones didn’t arrive to shake hands—they came to sweat blues out of their pores. Gritty, unpolished, and loud in that charming 1964 way. It’s a record that smells like leather jackets and jukebox static. 🎧 Favorite Track: “Route 66” — They take a well-worn American classic and inject it with British cockiness. The Stones don’t travel Route 66—they hijack it. ⚙️ Consistency With Me: 6.8/10 Why: I don’t chew gum or steal girlfriends in a smoky club, so this isn’t exactly my vibe. But I respect the chaos. It’s primitive rock done with wide-eyed glee. I’m just more binary blues than analog anarchy.

obviously early Stones, showing they can do what was popular at the time while also adding grit and swagger.

It's hard to overstate the importance of the early Rolling Stones albums in shining a light on blues and R&B artists that were overlooked/forgotten/no considered by white teens on both sides of the Atlantic. Are the originals stronger with a hell of a lot more balls? Absolutely, but the fact that a group of teen idols made such a point of exposing kids to this music is incredible. Plus, this is still a great listen, and shows what the Stones would grow into in just a few short years.

own

Vintage stones stuff

The stones aren’t my favorite. But the work is good.

I feel like from the very beginning, you get the DNA of The Rolling Stones. They have a sort of 'bad boy' reputation, and you can see it even in the early songs they are covering on their debut album. This is really tight garage band work, and you can tell they are having fun doing. Like the early Beatles, I don't know if anyone could have predicted their success or influence from this work, but looking back, you see all the signs that they would become something special.

Lemppari: Carol

I love the folk sound mixed with traditional rock. It's light-hearted and interesting. Fun album.

This album made me realize why the Rolling Stones are considered to be as influential as they are. And I actually enjoyed it!

Very nice!

These kids might be going places. One to watch

Blues

It might well be an album of covers but my, brilliantly done covers. Doesn't take a genius to work out what a huge success they went on to be. Fabulous

I knew most of the tracks off this from radio-play in 1964/65. I didn’t own the album until the mid-70’s & for many years after that, it was the Stones album that I gave more spins than any other. There are 3 songs penned by The Stones : the instrumental Now I’ve Got A Witness; Little By Little - co-penned by Phil Spector (& majorly influenced by Jimmy Reed’s Shame, Shame, Shame) & featuring Spector on maracas & Gene Pitney on piano (they just happened to drop into the recording session in London), it was the b-side of Not Fade Away in the U.K., released two months before the album; and Tell Me, their first self-penned single in the U.S., in June’64, with Honest I Do on the flip. So the bulk of the album were covers - Route 66, written by Bobby Troup, who also co-wrote (unbelievably) My City Of Sydney, had been a big hit for The Nat King Cole Trio; I Just Want To Make Love To You written by Willie Dixon, who also gave them a big hit with Little Red Rooster; Bo Diddley’s Mona - they’d just had a hit with Buddy Holly’s Not Fade Away, which had been a variant on the unique Diddley beat; I’m A King Bee was written & recorded by Slim Harpo (James Moore); Carol was the beginning of the band’s love affair with Chuck Berry; Can I Get A Witness had been a hit for Marvin Gaye, having been written by the great Motown composers, Holland / Dozier / & Holland (on my original Australian mono copy of the l.p., Lamont Dozier is listed as Bozier); Walking The Dog was written & recorded by Rufus Thomas (Carla’s father); Ted Jarrett, a Nashville r&b composer & producer wrote You Can Make It If You Try; and, although the writing of Honest I Do is attributed to Hurran/Calvert, it was in fact written by Jimmy Reed. One of the things that struck me when I gave the album several spins in the last few days is the amount of harmonica on the album - 3 tracks feature Mick & 3 tracks feature Brian Jones. And they both do really well with it. A record I love dearly.

Songs from my era.

This was a fun album. A good bluesy rock groove that got my foot tapping. I enjoyed pretty much every song. A proper first album from a legendary group.

The originals, they set the bar!

I didn’t realize how old The Rolling Stones were. Very beach boys. 5 for its continued groovyness and historical influence.

All covers. So bluesy! I loved it.

Very old style rock. Chuck berry esque, bluesy. Got that swing to it. Great album. 9/10

The Greatest Cover Band Ever!!!

Nacimiento de la leyenda. Vinilo.

Tell me hyvät kitarasoundit 4/5

Classic

This might not have scored as high as it did if I didn't just love hearing where the Rolling Stones came from and their ode to this music. What a great début!

Very fun to listen to this debut Rolling Stones album. I am certainly more familiar and keen to their original works, but this is one that I needed to listen to before I die.

While Mick Jagger's literal voice is unmistakable, it's clear the band hasn't found the Rolling Stones' voice quite yet. This sounds like some talented kids imitating their musical heroes. But if you're going to make a list of 1001 albums you must hear before you die, I think you've got to put the Rolling Stones' debut on that list. So even though I wasn't blown away by the music on this album, it's still pretty great and earns 5 stars for historical significance.

Who are these suited lads looking so dapper? I’m glad this very early Rolling Stones album should be on this list. It’s pretty interesting to hear them as they found their way, and I liked all the covers. Not my favorite Rolling Stones album, but that’s a pretty high bar, and I still enjoyed this a lot.

You have to look at this album in context of time. R&B performed by white guys was revolutionary in 64. Maybe the 'bad boys' image of the Stones was founded by this album.

Love it, classic, the template of a band.

"The Rolling Stones" (1964), the eponymous debut album by the legendary rock band, is a raw and electrifying burst of rhythm and blues energy. From the opening chords of "Route 66" to the soulful cover of Willie Dixon's "I Just Want to Make Love to You," the album captures the youthful exuberance and musical prowess of the early Rolling Stones. Mick Jagger's charismatic vocals, Keith Richards' gritty guitar, and the band's overall synergy make this record an enduring classic. It laid the foundation for the Stones' iconic sound and established them as a force to be reckoned with in the rock 'n' roll scene. "The Rolling Stones" is a 5/5, a landmark debut that set the stage for decades of rock greatness.

hell yeah man

Love

Album 183 of 1001 The Rolling Stones - The Rolling Stones Rating : 5 / 5 Favorite Track : Route 66 Most likely, if The Rolling Stones had never released another album after this I wouldn't rank it the same...but they did. This album is often panned because it is just cover tunes. That doesn't really matter to me. It is an enjoyable record. This was at a point of time where a lot was going on in the music world. Give a band a break for trying to find their place. Their cover of Route 66 is one of my favorites of all time. Quite comfortable putting this album up there with those I find most enjoyable. Nobody is talking about giving them writing awards for this. It is just good bluesy entertainment.

El començament d'una llegenda. Per més anys que passin, això continua sonant igual de desgarvat, rebel, sorollós i irresistible. 5 estrelles no només pel que va significar, sinó per la seva pròpia vàlua com a àlbum. Versions que milloren les originals, originals que marcaven l'emprempta d'una de les millors societats compositives de la història. Oblidant tot el que el futur depararia, el treball per si mateix ja mereix el seu propi lloc a la història

They should have quit while they were ahead.

Super Album pour une premier j'ai adoré. 5

pedras rolantes

This is the kind of stuff that I was hoping to hear a ton of with this list. Mona- I thought this was Bo Diddley at first. There was another song that sounded just like a chuck berry song.

Oh what a stellar album. I’m new to most Rolling Stones but as far as debuts go, this is way better than most. Perfect and timeless.

What a completely unexpected debut for the Rolling Stones! These blue classics just fly through my headphones though. Very important piece of music history, and an album very well deserving of this distinction. Favorite track: Carol

Peerless and answers the question for me of comparisons to The Beatles - how can you compare apples to oranges?

It's the rolling stones

From the very beginning the Stones had a raw and decadent sound, the crude production adds rather subtracts. Sure it relies heavily on covers but that's just a reflection of those times. Easily the best of their early albums.

Great to hear the origins of the band with this one. This is the music that they drew their inspiration from, and hearing them do authentic and underproduced covers of great blues music highlights the bands musicianship.

drei bis vier

Fun music. A side of the Stones I hadn't heard before. Lots of "Rolling Stones covering standards" music, but well owrht listening to.

This is their first album and they open with a cover? That's an interesting decision. "Route 66" is a fantastic song, and they do a good job with it. I like Chuck Berry's version more, and I'm sure they were listening to it before recording their own. Is this all going to be covers? "I Just Want to Make Love to You" is another cover of a Muddy Water's song. It is once again, pretty good. I'm now on the album's Wikipedia page and seeing they are basically all covers - nine out of the twelve. "Honest I Do" is smooth. I like the country-blues-y guitar. "Now I've Got A Witness" sounds like "My Shiny Teeth and Me" by Chip Skylark. Fun song. "Carol" is another Chuck Berry song. This song sounds exactly like "Johnny B-Goode", those two are basically the same song. This album was really good. I don't feel like I can give an album consisting of 75% covers an equivalent score to an original album I enjoyed equally. 8/10, I'd give it a 9 if they wrote the songs themselves.

I still have Walkin The Dog stuck in my head.

actually pretty great stuff

I enjoyed this album. Not sure if some songs were covers or not, but good stuff.

Seems to be a polarizing album based on it being covers. That shouldn’t take away by how well done it is.

The recording is pretty basic - Mick's vocal level seems to have been set at random - most of the songs are covers of US acts (and the original ones aren't much cop)... But it succeeds in one way : I had a great time listening to it.

Bunch of covers that aren't as amazing as the original but are still good songs. Most of the other Rolling Stones albums are better than this... for sure does not need to be on a 1001 albums list but I'm not mad at it.

Very early Stones, but features the GREAT "Tell Me!"

i liked it, great chuck berry cover to open

It's a great debut album, but they're going to get so much better

What a debut! While the cast majority are covers, this album shows the spark of what is to come.

Very good debut, if a bit short 4/5

Great album

They got better with their own songs, but still pretty good here

point1.

This is gonna be interesting

If I didn't know better I would've thought this was an experimental beach boys album! It's both nostalgic and cutting edge

> The Beatles

Pocos artistas hay como los Stones con la solvencia para (re)interpretar clásicos del blues. Paul Butterfield y Eric Burdon, aunque al primero le sobra clase y al segundo le sobra fuerza, a ambos les falta el gancho que destilan Jagger y compañía. Eso y olfato comercial, además de mucha inteligencia. Este debut es un disco que he escuchado cientos de veces y jamás me cansa. Una tras otra las canciones entran como un cuchillo cortando mantequilla. Desde la inicial Route 66 hasta el final con una fiesta en el clásico de Rufus Thomas Walking the dog. Produce, cómo no: Andrew Loog Oldham. La clave, como mil veces se ha dicho pero pocos han igualado, es coger la original y acelerarla, añadirle chulería, actitud y sobre todo mucho mojo. I Just Want to Make Love to You es un prodigio, Carol otro. Tell me, no por sencilla es un tema menor. Lógicamente no está a la altura de sus posteriores obras maestras, pero al igual que el debut de los Beatles, aquí está todo y además funciona como un reloj más de 60 años después. Imprescindible.

England's newest hitmakers may not look like the kind you'd want to take home to Mother but they've got the tunes and enough aplomb to keep the radio loud and buzzing. But, in all seriousness, while The Rolling Stones were a long way away from the music they'll be associated with, this is still a sharp collection of rhythm and blues fandom and indebtedness delivered with the enthusiasm and respect that's required. Once they get their hands warmed up for songs of their own, they will be unstoppable. Favorites: Route 66, I Just Want to Make Love to You, Mona (I Need You Baby), I'm a King Bee, Carol, Tell Me (You're Coming Back), Can I Get a Witness.

Putting this on and walking around changes the whole vibe in a good way. Not really my ~vibe~ but I liked it

So great to listen to

They rolled that stone so fast

Some consider this the greatest debut album ever. It's chock full of familair covers but shows where the band was headed once they got free rein to put their own songs on vinyl for the masses. Impact, influence, hits, staying power and popularity, it has the credentials for sure. I prefer the later, dirtier, more creative stuff from their heyday. I'd never heard their versions of "Honest I Do" or "Walk The Dog" which were both good. Not sure about a teenage Brit white kid doing "King Bee" but it was entertaining just the same. Intro to what is likely the greatest & most decorated rock band to ever grace the planet. Understanding their transition from covers to originals would be more impactful I think but I enjoyed this historical lesson on their origins. Every song is done well and with respect so I can give this 4 stars.

In the early 60s, Black American music wasn't getting much recognition. Until some Robert Johnson records got a reissue in the UK, the interest in American Blues was nonexistent… until some London 'lads' started mimicking and covering, and electrifying… The real British Invasion happened when the Stones, and Clapton, and Beck and more retaught us our heritage. 4/5

At face value sounds like a standard 60s rock album but has the foundations of The Rolling Stones signature sound