What Are the ‘Big 4′ of Rolling Stones Albums?

Let's pretend you have a friend who has never heard any of the Rolling Stones' music.

Such a person probably doesn't exist in your life, but for the sake of example, it's interesting to think of how an innocent individual like that should be introduced to the music of what many describe as the "world's greatest rock 'n' roll band."

What direction would you point this friend? With over 30 studio albums to choose from, the answer might not be so simple – over the course of decades, the Stones have reached into just about every corner of rock music there is and each era of their career offers a listener something different.

Below, we've come up with what we feel are the "Big 4" of Rolling Stones albums. These are the releases we feel are quintessential to the band's listening experience, the main LPs that show people what the Rolling Stones are all about.

1. Let It Bleed (1969)

We're not saying that the earlier portion of the Rolling Stones' discography should be skipped over, but if you want to hit the ground running, we'd suggest starting with 1969's Let It Bleed. This was, after all, a new chapter for the band, as Let It Bleed was Brian Jones' final appearance on a Stones album and the first for guitarist Mick Taylor.

Here you'll get an immediate sense of how vast the Stones' influences are, from the blistering opening track "Gimme Shelter" to more languid, country-inspired songs like "Let It Bleed," the Delta blues-oriented "You Got the Silver" or the gospel-esque closer "You Can't Always Get What You Want."

Let It Bleed isn't over the top rock 'n' roll, refusing to be too flashy and opting instead for sheer, unbridled emotion — exhibit A: Merry Clayton's desperate vocal in "Gimme Shelter." Not that the songs are particularly joyful. Rape and murder is merely "a kiss away" while junkies and serial killers run rampant. But it can certainly be argued that that darkness and cynicism was nothing if not reflective of the times, when the Vietnam War raged on, among other violent global conflicts. You won't find the flower power of the '60s in Let It Bleed.

"Well, I hope we're not too messianic or a trifle too satanic," Mick Jagger sings in "Monkey Man." "We love to play the blues."

2. Sticky Fingers (1971)

Aside from their world famous tongue and lips logo, is there an image more closely associated with the Stones than a bulging, front-and-center crotch complete with a working zipper? Probably not. Sticky Fingers was one of the most successful albums up to that point in the band's career — it was their first to reach No. 1 in both the U.K. and U.S. — and it remains many fans' favorite record.

Like Let It Bleed, there's a range to Sticky Fingers. Tracks like "Bitch" and "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" rock harder than others, like "Wild Horses" or "Moonlight Mile." Would we describe it as entirely groundbreaking? Not exactly. But it does offer the raunchiness, grit and unapologetic arrogance that became a hallmark of the Rolling Stones' style, both in terms of songwriting and record production. And we mean that in the most positive sense. For nearly 10 years, the Stones worked to hone their craft, and as the '60s gave way to the '70s, the sweet spot was hit.

As with countless other '70s rock albums, some parts of Sticky Fingers haven't aged well. (We're looking at you, "Brown Sugar.") But there is no denying its authority as one of rock's most important releases. Here is proof that being messy, vulgar and brash can and will put you at the top of the charts.

3. Exile on Main St. (1972)

In many ways, Let It Bleed and Sticky Fingers walked so that Exile on Main St. could run. It's seen by many as a culmination of sorts, the ultimate conclusion to a string of albums that cemented the Stones as titans of rock 'n' roll record-making.

Back in 1972 when Exile on Main St. was released, Lenny Kaye – yes, from Patti Smith's band — wrote about it for Rolling Stone magazine. He bemoaned what he felt was some element of inconsistency: "There are songs that are better, there are songs that are worse, there are songs that'll become your favorites and others you'll probably lift the needle for when their time is due."

One could argue, however, that unevenness is an asset to the Stones, particularly on Exile. The first quarter of the double album has get-on-your-feet tracks like "Rocks Off" and "Rip This Joint," then things settle down a bit with songs like "Sweet Virginia" and "Torn and Frayed." Tumbling back and forth between rock, gospel and country, Exile is a trip of the most real kind. Life's not even or consistent, neither is rock 'n' roll.

Looking backward, Exile is a classic Stones album for the same reasons they became popular in the first place. Wrote Kaye: "The Stones have never set themselves in the forefront of any musical revolution, instead preferring to take what's already been laid down and then gear it to its highest, most slashing level."

4. Some Girls (1978)

When you exist for long enough in the music industry, as the Rolling Stones have, you are inevitably faced with moments where you must either embrace the times or be left behind. We'd argue that the Stones did an awfully good job of pivoting in the late '70s without fully losing sight of their roots.

This is evidenced on 1978's Some Girls. As disco grew more and more popular, the Stones utilized some of its elements, married them with rock 'n' roll tendencies and created something irresistible — Charlie Watts, a self-proclaimed jazz drummer at heart, deftly plays a highly danceable, four-on-the-floor drum part on songs like "Respectable" and "Miss You." These songs in particular prove something Jagger knew all along: rock music is meant for dancing.

There's a polished feel to the album, a bit more organized than Sticky Fingers or Exile, but not so much so that the Stones' inherent tenacity gets lost; their cover of the Temptations' "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)" and the Keith Richards-sung "Before They Make Me Run" are looser, sexier and more classic Stones arrangements. "It's very brass-edged," Jagger would say of Some Girls in 1995. We agree.

Some Girls showed that the Stones were capable of absorbing others' sounds while still showcasing their own. "Love and hope and sex and dreams are still surviving on the street."