10 Most Hated Classic Rock Songs (From Great Bands)
2. Harlem Shuffle - The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are so integral in the development of rock and roll that they may as well be on the cover on the Great Story of Rock. The band built upon their foundations as a British Invasion to become one of the most enduring bands of all time, with great blues rock albums like Beggars Banquet and Let it Bleed. While the blues always suited them best, the quality was a bit more questionable once they ventured outward.
Sure, the band had great experimental stuff in the 60's with songs like "Paint It Black," but later disco songs on Some Girls started to give the band some bad habits. By the time they stumbled into the 80's, their attempts at following trends led to some of their most off-putting material on "Harlem Shuffle."
Taken from the maligned album Dirty Work, the song doesn't come close to matching the swagger of the other singles in the Stones' catalog. Whereas other songs felt dangerous and carnal, this song sounds like it should be played on your grandpa's new boombox to show that he's with the times. The Stones have definitely done wonders for the rock genre, but that doesn't mean this song automatically gets a pass.