11

Gimme Shelter
The Rolling Stones
1969

Let me get this out of the way now:  The Rolling Stones were never even remotely close to The Beatles in quality.  They’ve tried to make up for it in quantity and Mick Jagger fathering children into his 70s (seriously, what the heck), but it’s a night and day difference between the Stones and the greatest band to ever walk the planet.

With that said, this is an absolutely phenomenal song.  I think this song captures the 60s, and especially the tumultuous late 1960s , better than just about any song.  That opening riff has almost an eerie, haunting quality to it, like it’s a prelude for something bad that’s about to happen (like maybe someone getting stabbed at Altamont?).  But the highlight of this song, for me, is definitely the backing vocal of Merry Clayton singing “it’s just a shot away!,” and particularly the part toward the end when her voice cracks.  Just so raw and real.

The Rolling Stones have given the world a lot of things — a lot of pop/rock hits; Mick Jagger’s rooster moves; the very legendary, very Mormon tale of Mick Jagger allegedly telling an LDS leader that the Stones’ music was “calculated to drive the kids to sex” (I think I heard this story approximately 76 times growing up) — but the greatest gift they gave to mankind was this song right here.

Other Songs Considered:
Tumbling Dice, Beast of Burden, Start Me Up, Jumpin’ Jack Flash, Honky Tonk Women, Paint It, Black