4 Underrated Rolling Stones Songs From Their 80s Era

The Rolling Stones certainly endured their share of ups and downs during the 80s. That rollercoaster ride pertained to both the music they released and the interpersonal relationships within the band.

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But, as always, when these guys pulled it together, magic generally ensued. These unheralded tracks from the 80s provide excellent evidence of that.

“Down In The Hole”

It’s not too difficult to find underrated tracks from Emotional Rescue, because that album is underrated as a whole. Some folks felt like The Rolling Stones were getting too involved in the disco scene after they’d enjoyed success with “Miss You” in 1978. But only a few tracks, notably the title song, from Emotional Rescue fit that description. When you listen to a song like “Down In The Hole”, you might be surprised to hear how gritty and bluesy it is. In fact, it would have sounded out of place on one of The Stones’ early 70s classics. Mick Jagger not only gives a standout performance on vocals, but his harmonica work also shines among the instrumental contributions.

“Tops”

The Stones stumbled onto a goldmine when they released Tattoo You. Granted, it was a goldmine of their own making. When strained personal relationships dissuaded them from writing a new album, they went back into their vaults to find a wealth of unreleased material. All that most of these tracks needed were a few instrumental overdubs here and there and fresh lyrics. For example, “Tops” goes all the way back to the sessions for Goats Head Soup, The Stones album released in 1973. As a result, guitarist Mick Taylor, who’d long since left the band, can be heard on this track. The song features Mick Jagger getting in character as a lecherous movie producer making unfulfilled promises to starlets.

“It Must Be Hell”

The battle for the right to determine The Rolling Stones’ artistic direction raged on during the making of Undercover. On the one hand, there was Mick Jagger, trying to ensure that the band stayed modern. Compare that to Keith Richards, who was more than happy to relive The Stones’ blues-rocking glory days for as long as possible. It’s not all that surprising that the album came out a bit disjointed. Nor was it shocking that several songs were angrily aggressive, both in musical tone and lyrical subject matter. “It Must Be Hell” seems to be the band getting it all out of their system. A pummeling guitar attack accompanies sneering lyrics. As harsh as the tone might be, it packs a wallop anyway.

“Slipping Away”

Steel Wheels found Mick Jagger and Keith Richards achieving détente after years of infighting. More importantly, they both seemed genuinely enthusiastic about extending The Stones’ legacy. As a result, the album came out sounding quite triumphant. Not that there aren’t several bluesy moments, including the after-hours lament “Slipping Away”. This song continues the late-period Stones tradition of letting Richards have the last word on an album. Maybe it’s wrong to call this beauty underrated, since most Stones fans know it well and regard it highly. But casual fans who only know the singles should check this out. You’ll get a taste of Richards’ winning style as a frontman.

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