10 Classic Rock Songs That Should've Been Singles

In the grand scheme of Rolling Stones' releases, Let It Bleed is one of the emotional experiences they've ever released. Given the loss of the guitarist Brian Jones and the terror going on around them, the pain in these songs feel almost like a catharsis from the hard years the band had weathered. There were still some gems like "Gimme Shelter," but the real potency didn't show its face until the Stones stripped it all down.

Always disciples of the blues, "Love in Vain" is a cover of an old Robert Johnson tune, whose lyric sheet talks about a jilted lover. Since its the blues, the idea of love lost is not necessarily a new topic, but what the Stones do with it is like hearing the genre for the first time. With just an acoustic guitar and a slight pulse, Mick Jagger's vocals are absolutely soul-shredding, almost like he is trying to suppress anger and sadness when he finds himself without his lover.

The Stones had come a long way by the end of the '60s, and this song shows them going from the adolescent kids to the hardened bluesmen they were always meant to be. The British Invasion was fun, but after songs like these, there was no turning back.