3 Country Songs by The Rolling Stones That Proved They Could Play With the Best of Them

“I love country music, but I find it very hard to take it seriously,” was what Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones once said. Can this comment be read as patronizing and intellectually ostracizing to the country music community and all of its fans? Yes, but what it does not diminish is the quality of The Rolling Stones’ country music catalog. The Stones’ couple of country songs did not fit into the genre archetypes neatly; like most of their music, they are a reinterpretation. Nevertheless, on these three country singles, The Rolling Stones proved they could play and write with the best of them.

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“Dead Flowers”

When stripped of Mick Jagger’s voice and Richards’ guitar playing, “Dead Flowers” seems as if it were written by an old Kentucky country musician. The writing is a sort of miming act, but it still presents qualities that rival some of country music’s finest.

Again, on this tune, Jagger and Richards act as borderline impostors, but what writer writing fiction isn’t? While both country and Stones fans have praised this song, the biggest badge of honor slapped upon this song’s legacy is that arguably the greatest country songwriter of all time covered it, Townes Van Zandt.

“Sweet Virginia”

“I also think a lot of country music is sung with the tongue in cheek, so I do it tongue-in-cheek,” Jagger also once stated. That tongue-in-cheek vocal attitude comes in full force on “Sweet Virginia”, as Jagger sings with a hyperbolic southern accent. Though, that hyperbolic accent has graced many playlists over the years.

Released in 1972, this Rolling Stones country-inspired single helped their album Exile On Main St. land at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Even if The Rolling Stones’ country catalog holds a pretentious English undertone, would it hurt one to forget about it and take the music for what it is: good.

“Honky Tonk Women”

When it comes to The Rolling Stones insincerely leaning into the tropes of country music, “Honky Tonk Women” is likely the most overt example. Though again, who and why should we care? It is a great song and puts one of their feet similarly to George Jones’ “The Race Is On”.

Following its release in 1969, this Stones single peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. While it didn’t land on any country charts, it has become a classic in the country-adjacent catalog. Above all, it’s an entertaining song, and do we think the Stones created it for another reason? Seemingly not, as the music in this single articulates a clear mission.

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