The Most-Streamed Rolling Stones Songs

The Rolling Stones grew up and became famous in an era in which finding new music to listen to involved a lot more than it does today.

“Streaming, you know, is…much maligned, but the interesting thing about it is that people of all generations can access music from all periods,” Mick Jagger said to the CBC in 2023. “Before, if I wanted to, you know, buy an old blues record from 1955, that was really difficult. I had to do a mail order; I had to go into a specialist’s shop, even though I had plenty of money. To go and buy it now, I can just – there it is. It’s right there. So what does that mean? Well, that means that kids of 16 can access anything they want.”

We’re not sure of the exact demographic breakdown, but clearly what many millions of listeners want to hear is the Rolling Stones. Below, we’re running down the 20 Most-Streamed Rolling Stones songs. These numbers are taken from Spotify, where the band has over 27 million monthly listeners, and are, of course, subject to change at any given time, but here’s where things stand as of the time of this writing, Oct 22, 2024.

20. “Waiting on a Friend”
From: Tattoo You (1981)
Number of Streams: 59,622,283

“Waiting on a Friend” was one of several songs that was conjured up in the early ’70s, only to be placed on the back burner and revisited for 1981’s Tattoo You. This one is made particularly special with the presence of Nicky Hopkins on piano and Sonny Rollins on tenor saxophone.

 

19. “Anybody Seen My Baby?”
From: Bridges to Babylon (1997)
Number of Streams: 67,134,652

We’ve got to be honest: we weren’t really expecting a Bridges to Babylon track to be this high up on the Stones’ streaming list. Nevertheless, “Anybody Seen My Baby?” comes in at slot 19 — perhaps it has something to do with an actress by the name of Angelina Jolie who starred in the song’s music video.

 

18. “Tumbling Dice”
From: Exile on Main St. (1972)
Number of Streams: 93,474,001

“Tumbling Dice” has a little bit of all of the Rolling Stones’ influences. It’s built, naturally, on a foundation of bluesy-rock, but with a dash of gospel in the background vocals and an air of country thanks to the lyrics about a lone crap shooter who just can’t seem to quit gambling and the women that come with it.

 

17. “Ruby Tuesday”
From: Between the Buttons (1967)
Number of Streams: 113,734,627

Keith Richards probably wouldn’t argue with the idea that he’s a guitar player first, songwriter second. But even from the Stones’ early days, he was penning tracks that would ultimately become staples of the band’s catalog, including “Ruby Tuesday,” which Richards wrote primarily himself with some contributions from Brian Jones.

 

16. “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking”
From: Sticky Fingers (1971)
Number of Streams: 117,384,560

The primary part of “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” — meaning the section with lyrics and a chorus — lasts for less than three minutes. Then it opens up into a captivating jam which started as an accident in the studio and ended up being included on Sticky Fingers in full.

 

15. “She’s a Rainbow”
From: Their Satanic Majesties Request (1967)
Number of Streams: 140,490,107

If you attended the Rolling Stones’ most recent Hackney Diamonds tour, then you may have seen the band performing this number as one of their fan-voted songs. It features a string section arranged by John Paul Jones, future Led Zeppelin bassist.

 

14. “Under My Thumb”
From: Aftermath (1966)
Number of Streams: 150,484,888

“Under My Thumb” has not aged very well. As unique as it is with Jones’ marimba part, the lyrics about controlling one’s partner just do not hold up in 2024. This may be why the Stones have not played it live since 2021, but nevertheless, it’s still a popular Spotify track.

 

13. “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”
From: 1968 Single
Number of Streams: 166,586,925

Out of their entire catalog, “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” is the song the Rolling Stones have played the most in concert. It’s also been used in a number of different films and has been covered by the likes of Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner, Peter Frampton, Johnny Winter and Leon Russell. What can we say? It’s a gas.

 

12. “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”
From: Let It Bleed (1969)
Number of Streams: 200,683,241

They say brevity is the soul of wit, but sometimes you just need some extra time to jam, like in “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” which comes in at number 12 on this list. It makes sense with such a catchy, sing-along chorus and explosive final two minutes.

 

11. “Honky Tonk Women”
From: 1969 Single
Number of Streams: 207,696,274

To be extra clear: coming in at number 11 is “Honky Tonk Women,” the 1969 non-album single. The Stones later recorded an even more country-inspired version, “Country Honk,” for the album Let It Bleed, the same yet different song that has a place much further down the Spotify streaming list.

 

10. “Miss You”
From: Some Girls (1978)
Number of Streams: 237,697,141

Who can resist that four-on-the-floor disco drum beat and smooth walking bass line in “Miss You” from 1978’s Some Girls? Hundreds of thousands of Spotify streamers cannot. Honorable mentions are due for Sugar Blue on harmonica, Ian McLagan on electric piano and Mel Collins on tenor saxophone, whose contributions no doubt helped make the song a No. 5 hit in both the U.S. and U.K.

 

9. “Brown Sugar”
From: Sticky Fingers (1971)
Number of Streams: 256,521,755

Like “Under My Thumb,” “Brown Sugar” has really not aged very well with its racial references, which would explain why the Stones no longer include it in their set lists. But that has hardly stopped the Sticky Fingers song from firmly planting itself in the top 10 most-streamed Stones songs.

 

8. “Wild Horses”
From: Sticky Fingers (1971)
Number of Streams: 290,678,545

The Stones may hail from Great Britain, but there is no denying their knack for interpolating elements of country and blues into their rock ‘n’ roll catalog. “Wild Horses” from Sticky Fingers is arguably one of the best examples of that, right down to the slightly southern twang in Jagger’s vocal.

 

7. “Angie”
From: Goats Head Soup (1973)
Number of Streams: 384,549,963

“Angie” is the only song on this list that comes from 1973’s Goats Head Soup, but to be fair, it was a No. 1 hit in the U.S. and No. 5 in the U.K. Sometimes you just need a tender ballad on a Spotify playlist to slow the room down.

 

6. “Beast of Burden”
From: Some Girls (1978)
Number of Streams: 476,160,715

Here’s another slower number. “I’ve always felt it’s one of my best soul songs,” Richards told Harper’s Bazaar in 2017. “Some of the theories surrounding it are very intriguing, but they’re about as divorced from reality as can be. I find it quite amusing that there are people in the world who spend a lot of their time trying to decode something that is, at the end of the day, completely undecodable. I mean, even I’ve forgotten the code!”

 

5. “Sympathy for the Devil”
From: Beggars Banquet (1968)
Number of Streams: 609,070,232

There were very nearly two Beggars Banquet songs on this list — “Street Fighting Man” just barely missed out by being the 21st most-streamed Stones song. So that left us with “Sympathy for the Devil,” the opening track from the 1968 album and an undeniable crowd favorite at live shows with its “woo woo” vocal chant.

 

4. “Gimme Shelter”
From: Let It Bleed (1969)
Number of Streams: 645,339,927

There’s a lot of words one could use to describe “Gimme Shelter” off 1969’s Let It Bleed: commanding, violent, graphic, apocalyptic, etc. “It was a very moody piece about the world closing in on you a bit,” Jagger said to NPR in 2012. “When it was recorded, early ’69 or something, it was a time of war and tension, so that’s reflected in this tune.”

 

3. “Start Me Up”
From: Tattoo You (1981)
Number of Streams: 710,503,318

There’s really no better way to get a party going than with a song literally titled “Start Me Up.” Richards’ guitar intro alone — which has become something of his signature riff — is enough to get peoples’ attention. For good reason, this was the Stones’ biggest hit of the ’80s in the U.S.

 

2. “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”
From: 1965 Single
Number of Streams: 771,158,120

Even people who don’t know much about the Rolling Stones recognize the central riff in “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” one of the most memorable guitar parts ever recorded in rock music. It famously came to Richards in his sleep and the rest, as they say, was history.

 

1. “Paint It, Black”
From: Aftermath (1966)
Number of Streams: 1,313,396,224

Here we have it: the most-streamed Rolling Stones song. It’s been nearly 60 years since “Paint It, Black” was released on Aftermath, just as Jagger and Richards were really starting to settle into their songwriting partnership. Of course, it’s impossible to overlook the sitar contribution from Jones, an innovative move for ’60s pop rock music.