10 Most Underrated Classic Rock Albums
3. Between the Buttons - The Rolling Stones
Most people think of the Rolling Stones as rock and roll's first dangerous band. Even though rock and roll as a genre has always been heralded as dangerous, these guys actually looked like a bunch of street urchins that came together like a gang who happened to play guitars. So how does rock and roll's most lowdown and dirty band switch up their formula? Get cleaned up.
As if the band's fanbase weren't completely sold on the posh stylings of "Ruby Tuesday," Between the Buttons is one of the Stones' more eclectic releases, pulling from more nostalgic sounds like the dancehall styles of the Pre-Rock and Roll era. The British Invasion's resident bad boys may have gotten pretty, but their songwriting was still intact, with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards pumping out everything from beautiful ballads to uptempo rockers.
While it might not be their best album, Between the Buttons is one of the band's more well-balanced records, with songs like "Back Street Girl" being upended by Chuck Berry fury on tracks like "Miss Amanda Jones." The album's varied style also gave musical mastermind Brian Jones the opportunity to throw everything and the kitchen sink into the mix, playing everything from organ to recorder to a marimba. Though they had honored their bluesy roots on their previous albums, Between the Buttons showed that the Stones were ready to expand beyond the three-chord model.