The Rolling Stones
– Sticky Fingers
If Let It Bleed was the end of the ’60s, Sticky Fingers was the morning after—hungover, strung out, and still reeking of last night’s excess. This was the Stones fully stepping into the ’70s, and they weren’t trying to clean up their act. With a now fully established outlaw persona, a new label (their own, of course), and Mick Taylor’s fluid guitar adding fire to their bluesy core, they crafted an album that’s dark, dirty, and undeniably brilliant.
Where earlier records had flashes of country and soul, Sticky Fingers fully embraces them. There’s aching twang, greasy blues, and even an orchestral ballad that somehow fits. Keith Richards is still slashing out some of the nastiest riffs of his life, but there’s also a new level of depth—regret and exhaustion creeping into even the most swaggering tracks. And then, of course, there’s Mick Jagger, delivering some of his best vocals, whether he’s sneering, pleading, or straight-up howling.
This is the sound of a band at its peak, but also one that knows how fast the ground beneath them is shifting. Drugs, fame, and personal wreckage are everywhere in these songs, and yet, they still sound loose and alive. Sticky Fingers is the Stones at their filthiest and finest, capturing a moment when they were still untouchable, even as the walls were starting to close in.
Choice Tracks
Brown Sugar
If there’s a riff that defines rock excess, this might be it. A sleazy, stomping anthem with lyrics so outrageous that even Jagger admitted they wouldn’t fly today. Keith’s guitar slices through like a rusted-out switchblade, and the whole thing sounds like it was recorded at the end of an all-night bender—which it probably was.
Sway
One of the great deep cuts. Mick Taylor’s bluesy lead playing is all over this one, giving it a weary, drunken sway that fits the lyrics perfectly. Jagger’s delivery is raw, almost desperate, as the song builds to a climax that feels like everything falling apart at once.
Wild Horses
A ballad, but not the kind meant for wedding playlists. This is heartbreak at its most resigned—no theatrics, no pleading, just quiet devastation. The acoustic guitars shimmer, Gram Parsons’ influence is all over the arrangement, and Jagger sings it like he’s too tired to fight anymore.
Can’t You Hear Me Knocking
What starts as a tight, riff-driven rocker turns into a full-on Latin-tinged jam session. Keith kicks things off with one of his nastiest licks, and then, just when you think the song is winding down, the band stretches out into an extended groove, with Mick Taylor’s soloing and Bobby Keys’ sax stealing the show.
Dead Flowers
A country song, but done the Stones way—meaning it’s as sarcastic as it is heartfelt. The twang is there, but so is the sneer. Jagger sounds like he’s having the time of his life mocking the genre while also nailing it completely.
Moonlight Mile
The perfect closer. All sweeping strings, wistful lyrics, and a melody that feels like it’s watching the sun rise after a long, lost night. It’s weary, beautiful, and strangely hopeful—like the Stones acknowledging, just for a second, that there might be more to life than excess.
Sticky Fingers isn’t just one of the best Stones albums—it’s one of rock’s defining moments. Dark, reckless, and impossible to ignore, it cemented their reputation as the ultimate bad boys of rock. And after more than 50 years, it still sounds just as dangerous.