3 of The Rolling Stones’ Saddest Songs To Date

The Rolling Stones have released countless rock and roll hits through the years, many of which are high-energy bangers that are still loved to this day. While their biggest hits are certainly catchy, the band has also produced a few heartfelt ballads that are considered some of The Rolling Stones’ saddest songs to date.

1. “Paint It Black”

This 1966 track is certainly darker in theme when compared to their more upbeat hits like “Satisfaction” and “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”. “Paint It Black” is intense, complete with a hypnotic sitar riff and Mick Jagger’s recognizable vocal prowess. The song explores grief and despair in a very interesting way, and it can be interpreted in many different ways.

2. “Time Waits For No One”

This introspective song is haunting in a way, as it explores how quickly time goes by and how inevitable change is. The instrumentation of the song is rich and features the soul-packed guitar work of Mick Taylor, complete with Jagger’s soaring vocals. The track evokes a sense of longing and existential dread, in a way.

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3. “As Tears Go By”

This is by far considered The Rolling Stones’ saddest song. In fact, Keith Richards said in his autobiography that he hated the song, calling it “a terrible piece of tripe” and lamented its sappiness. 

Sappiness aside, it is a pretty huge bummer of a song. The lyrics explore the sadness of being wealthy and rich in material possessions while lacking connection with other people. Whether or not you’re a fan of the song, it certainly is The Rolling Stones’ saddest track to date. So much so that it doesn’t quite sound like it came from them, specifically.

Photo by MJ Kim

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