Greatest Fake Rolling Stones Songs

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Inspired by Chuck's response to the "unheralded Stones songs" thread: actual deliberate fake Stones that we like. I propose:

Band of Susans, "Pardon My French"
The Soft Boys, "Rock 'n' Roll Toilet"
The Upper Crust, "Everyone's Equal" (their vicious variation on "Salt of the Earth")

others?

― Douglas (Douglas), Friday, 2 May 2003 03:25 (twenty-two years ago)

New York Dolls and G'n'f'n'R to thread

― James Blount (James Blount), Friday, 2 May 2003 03:31 (twenty-two years ago)

"I Can't Get No Nookie" - The Masked Marauders
"Sweet Young Thing" - Chocolate Watchband
"Let Me Up (I've Had Enough)" - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Friday, 2 May 2003 03:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Mick Jagger solo output!

― Millar (Millar), Friday, 2 May 2003 03:35 (twenty-two years ago)

The Strokes - "Last Night"

― Evan (Evan), Friday, 2 May 2003 03:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Abba, "Does Your Mother Know"

― Burr (Burr), Friday, 2 May 2003 03:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Cornershop - "Lessons Learned From Rocky I Through Rocky III"

― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Friday, 2 May 2003 04:12 (twenty-two years ago)

loads of Bowie songs -- "rebel rebel," "jean genie," or even "diamond dogs" would not have been that out of place on a stones album!

― Tad (llamasfur), Friday, 2 May 2003 04:33 (twenty-two years ago)

"Rocks Off" owns this thread

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 2 May 2003 04:48 (twenty-two years ago)

that Roots/Cody ChestnuTT song

― Al (sitcom), Friday, 2 May 2003 05:42 (twenty-two years ago)

the stairs - when it all goes wrong
bobbyteens - rock and roll show (in the blatant ripoff category)
pretty things - the whole floogin' early catalog

― Richard Hung Himce Elf, Friday, 2 May 2003 07:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Strangely, nobody has mentioned Primal Scream's "Moving On Up". The ultimate fake Stones song.

And, yes, everything Black Crowes have ever made sounds like Exile-era Stones, only with Mick Jagger having been replaced by Rod Stewart.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 2 May 2003 09:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Another one: "Way Down Now" by World Party

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 2 May 2003 09:20 (twenty-two years ago)

The entire Dandy Warhols back catalogue not to thread!

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Friday, 2 May 2003 09:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Kiss, "Mr Speed"

― dave q, Friday, 2 May 2003 09:29 (twenty-two years ago)

David Kilgour - Today is gonna Be Mine this is kind of a satanic majesties request pastiche, but better!

― pulpo, Friday, 2 May 2003 09:54 (twenty-two years ago)

in fact it might be the best pop song I've heard all year

― pulpo, Friday, 2 May 2003 09:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Chocolate Watchband, c'mere a minute!

Cheryl Crow, git the fuckoutta here!

― dave225 (Dave225), Friday, 2 May 2003 10:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Bohemian Like You - the Dandy Warhols. They actually had to have a musicologist examine it and certify that it was not an exact copy of the Stones in order for their record company to release it as a single, so they wouldn't be open to lawsuits!

― kate, Friday, 2 May 2003 11:08 (twenty-two years ago)

There was this song in the 80s which sounded exactly like a Rolling Stones song: "Coming On Strong" by Modern English. Surprisingly enough, it was their only hit.

― Old Fart!!! (oldfart_sd), Friday, 2 May 2003 11:14 (twenty-two years ago)

I didn't realize that "Melt With You" wasn't a hit!?

― dave225 (Dave225), Friday, 2 May 2003 11:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion's "Magic Colors" fo shizzle.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Friday, 2 May 2003 11:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Liz Phair-"6'1"

― Charles McCain (Charles McCain), Friday, 2 May 2003 13:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Replacements-"Little Mascara"

― Charles McCain (Charles McCain), Friday, 2 May 2003 13:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Abba, "Does Your Mother Know"

If the Rolling Stones had ever played anything like this, they'd have been jumped after the show.

― dleone (dleone), Friday, 2 May 2003 13:32 (twenty-two years ago)

"Hermaphroditos" and a bunch of other songs on Frank Black's Dog in the Sand.

― o. nate (onate), Friday, 2 May 2003 13:38 (twenty-two years ago)

For a while there, the Brian Jonestown Massacre WERE a fake Rolling Stones (and considerably more entertaining than the original).

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 2 May 2003 14:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Most Iggy Pop & James Williamson's "Kill City" album - the best Rolling Stones album after 1973.

― Dadaismus (Dada), Friday, 2 May 2003 14:27 (twenty-two years ago)

superstitous always seemed stonesish to me.
dress sexy at my funeral-smog(actually bill has a few that qualify)

― thomas de'aguirre (biteylove), Friday, 2 May 2003 14:47 (twenty-two years ago)

"superstition"..i meant

― thomas de'aguirre (biteylove), Friday, 2 May 2003 14:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Jonestown still is a great Stones!

Anyway, the right answer to this question is the Flaming Groovies' Flamingo and Teenage Head records.

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Friday, 2 May 2003 14:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Jonestown still is a great Stones!

Actually, based on last night's mighty fine performance, they're now back to being a great drone/fuzz/psych/gaze act.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 2 May 2003 14:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Replacements-"Little Mascara"

YOO R ONN CRAKK

― jm (jtm), Friday, 2 May 2003 14:56 (twenty-two years ago)

fvuck yancey!..otm

― thomas de'aguirre (biteylove), Friday, 2 May 2003 14:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Boo to that, Ned! The last time I saw them I was drunk right be the stage and I kept antagonizing Anton, asking him to play "Dead Flowers." He said to me, "I'd love to play it. Fuckin' A! But these fuckers [motioning to his band] can't play shit." One of the guitarists heard him say that, and then it turned into a screaming match. The night before I saw them and Anton yelled, "Yalls haters, not lovers! You remember Kurt, Jimi and Jim? Well guess who's next?" And then he walked off stage. I love that man.

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Friday, 2 May 2003 15:04 (twenty-two years ago)

(and anyway, me telling anton stories ist dumb cuz the next 20 posts will consist of much better ones)

Another great Stones record: Verbena's "Souls for Sale"

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Friday, 2 May 2003 15:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Anton had his stroppy moments last night, bless him. I did like the fact he flatly called one song "Johnny Marr is Dead."

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 2 May 2003 15:11 (twenty-two years ago)

(okay, two more anton moments: one of my best friends spent a day with anton in cleveland trying to procure him some heroin (my friend finally gave up and just gave anton his own stash, bless his heart). another: anton supposedly beat the shit out of one of his bandmates recently using the old soap in a pillowcase trick. cuz the dude threatened to quit the band. way to convince him to come back, anton!)

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Friday, 2 May 2003 15:22 (twenty-two years ago)

All I am going to say is that almost NOTHING mentioned on this thread sounds anywhere near as much like the Rolling Stones (or anywhere near as good, for that matter) as almost all of the second Faster Pussycat album, *Wake Me When It's Over.*

― chuck, Friday, 2 May 2003 15:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Taime Downe should be some kinda genius, but. Then again that Newlydeads album didn't help his cause much.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 2 May 2003 15:30 (twenty-two years ago)

You best not be steppin' on the Groovies, Chuck!!!

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Friday, 2 May 2003 15:32 (twenty-two years ago)

The first album is a total classic. I couldn't get into the second one.

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Friday, 2 May 2003 15:32 (twenty-two years ago)

(Faster Pussycat that is).

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Friday, 2 May 2003 15:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Sex Pistols, "Did You No Wrong"

― Burr (Burr), Friday, 2 May 2003 18:00 (twenty-two years ago)

entire (double) album (includes cover of "Child of the Moon")
http://graphics.ink19.com/issues/march1998/covers/cheater_slicks.jpeg

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Friday, 2 May 2003 18:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Van Morrison - "Brown Eyed Girl"

― zaxxon25 (zaxxon25), Friday, 2 May 2003 18:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Jesus and Mary Chain - "Nine Million Rainy Days"

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Friday, 2 May 2003 21:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Abba, "Does Your Mother Know"
If the Rolling Stones had ever played anything like this, they'd have been jumped after the show.

More seriously, they'd look like hypocrites. I mean: Did Bill Wyman react the same way Bjorn does in those lyrics when he got to know Mandy Smith? :-)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 2 May 2003 21:54 (twenty-two years ago)

The Berlin Brats-"Tropically Hot"

― Arthur (Arthur), Saturday, 3 May 2003 00:07 (twenty-two years ago)

a whole slew of early elvis costello songs could've been great Stones songs -- "you belong to me," "pump it up," "miracle man," "waitin' for the end of the world," "i'm not angry," goodly portions of get happy!!. with some exceptions, the more EC got away from sounding stones-y, the more he began to suck.

― Tad (llamasfur), Saturday, 3 May 2003 06:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Skipping 54 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgzYMF6T0VE
try again!

― Dr X O'Skeleton, Tuesday, 19 March 2013 20:18 (twelve years ago)

Came to post "Whiskey Woman" but Yancy got here a decade before me.

― Johnny Too Borad (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 19 March 2013 21:14 (twelve years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjkGCVXMSnU

― your fretless ways (Eazy), Tuesday, 19 March 2013 21:24 (twelve years ago)

A lot of Reigning Sound track, but this one gets the Brian Jones years down

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz44VU2KyuQ

and I'm pretty sure this is how they'd have arranged this Stax record, too

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXotMusTin4

I love how the murk mimics a horn section

― bendy, Tuesday, 19 March 2013 22:06 (twelve years ago)

Also this Alejandro Escovedo song, more in the late-Seventies mode

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NArdXSzO9Ew

― bendy, Tuesday, 19 March 2013 22:09 (twelve years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mq8rCYRENq4

― gentle german fatherly voice (President Keyes), Tuesday, 19 March 2013 22:11 (twelve years ago)

Reigning Sound is a good choice.

― Johnny Too Borad (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 19 March 2013 23:00 (twelve years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wP5eEH-a4JY

― i guess i'd just rather listen to canned heat? (ian), Tuesday, 19 March 2013 23:05 (twelve years ago)

Lenny Kravitz - Mr. Cab Driver

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZ8V-FktUNk

first one that pops to mind, surprised no one picked this up

― cock chirea, Wednesday, 20 March 2013 00:29 (twelve years ago)

The Only Ones - Lovers of Today

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PIaK0FwMos

― cock chirea, Wednesday, 20 March 2013 00:29 (twelve years ago)

Mink DeVille - Venus Of Avenue D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhaG-pqh-5Q

― cock chirea, Wednesday, 20 March 2013 00:30 (twelve years ago)

The Soft Boys - He's a Reptile

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAmoPyovyLE

― cock chirea, Wednesday, 20 March 2013 00:32 (twelve years ago)

Sounds a hell of a lot like the Stones, and is great in its own right:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MRm-GcwgGQ

― dlp9001, Wednesday, 20 March 2013 00:33 (twelve years ago)

Kingmaker - Hard Times

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nusyN4kC83k

― cock chirea, Wednesday, 20 March 2013 00:35 (twelve years ago)

Dogs D'Amour - Billy Two Rivers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkXEZjn5QGc

― cock chirea, Wednesday, 20 March 2013 00:36 (twelve years ago)

k, last one for now

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM6Roy62NTg

some people might disagree but the main riff and the maracas keeping the beat are totally stonish imo

― cock chirea, Wednesday, 20 March 2013 00:39 (twelve years ago)

Television, especially the early bootlegs when Richard Hell was still in the band, is pretty Stonesy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zY6qIMMWcYE

― brio, Wednesday, 20 March 2013 14:02 (twelve years ago)

incidentally - looks like Richard Lloyd really digs YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/lloyd206

― brio, Wednesday, 20 March 2013 14:06 (twelve years ago)

New Radicals - Mother we just can't get enough

Heard it on the radio today and reminded me of the stones. The song's a bit of a mess and it overstays its welcome but I always had a soft spot for it back in the day.

― Moka, Tuesday, 2 April 2013 05:22 (twelve years ago)

one year passes...

Hearing Ryan Adams for the first time today and "Tina Toledo's Street Walkin' Blues" is an obvious attempt to sound like the RS. It's a rocking song but also pretty stupid.

― Moka, Monday, 1 December 2014 05:48 (ten years ago)

My oh my, Sad Cafe

― Mark G, Monday, 1 December 2014 07:51 (ten years ago)

four years pass...

Iggy Pop: "Fall In Love With Me"

― a bevy of supermodels, musicians and Lena Dunham (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 24 October 2019 05:26 (six years ago)

MJ & MJ "State of Shock" (and it sucks)!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Co_xk00Q3lY

― AlXTC from Paris, Thursday, 24 October 2019 08:29 (six years ago)

Been keeping track of songs like this here. Side one is more 70s/80s, second half more 60s

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4ruR5qnI2ewAPw4HxxLGiv?si=UDayfk5GSmyAJuTIieebAQ

― file of unknown origin (bendy), Thursday, 24 October 2019 11:48 (six years ago)

Paul Revere & The Raiders: "Ups and Downs"

― a bevy of supermodels, musicians and Lena Dunham (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 24 October 2019 14:24 (six years ago)

It's been ages since I played it, but DFX2's Emotion--a mid-'80s EP that Christgau give in an A, I believe--is very Rolling Stones-like.

― clemenza, Thursday, 24 October 2019 14:39 (six years ago)

http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=dfx2

― clemenza, Thursday, 24 October 2019 14:40 (six years ago)

Arc Angels: "Paradise Cafe"

― a bevy of supermodels, musicians and Lena Dunham (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 24 October 2019 15:12 (six years ago)

four years pass...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tw_hbYYbbE-

Alarm: "Sold Me Down The River"

― an icon of a worried-looking, long-haired, bespectacled man (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 11 July 2024 13:50 (one year ago)

Paul Revere & The Raiders: "Ups and Downs"

― a bevy of supermodels, musicians and Lena Dunham (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, October 24, 2019 9:24 AM (four years ago) bookmarkflaglink

also, "Time after Time"

― budo jeru, Friday, 12 July 2024 03:45 (one year ago)

B-52s “Love Shack” is everything a later era Stones song should be.

― Western® with Bacon Flavor, Friday, 12 July 2024 04:42 (one year ago)

Another Paul Revere one -- "The Great Airplane Strike"

Listening to "Time After Time" rn -- It's a rewrite of their Pontiac GTO Judge jingle!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUSg2WoX2XA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukOm8AuxLEY

― an icon of a worried-looking, long-haired, bespectacled man (C. Grisso/McCain), Friday, 12 July 2024 05:42 (one year ago)

B-52s “Love Shack” is everything a later era Stones song should be.

Well, Fred Schneider is only a skosh more camp than Jagger

― Bad Bairns (Boring, Maryland), Friday, 12 July 2024 12:13 (one year ago)

The Tommy Stinson songs that were tacked onto the Pleased to Meet Me box set are fake Keef Stones songs.

― henry s, Friday, 12 July 2024 12:20 (one year ago)

zz top - "it's only love"

― the defenestration of prog (voodoo chili), Friday, 12 July 2024 15:02 (one year ago)

one year passes...

Alarm: "Sold Me Down The River"

TIL this was kept out of the #1 position on the US Mainstream Rock chart by..."Rock and A Hard Place"--The Alarm went fake Stones and were still bested by The Stones themselves doing an equally credible fake Stones song.

― Lithium Just Madison (C. Grisso/McCain), Wednesday, 29 October 2025 00:42 (three weeks ago)

ZZ Top - She's a Heartbreaker

― il lavoro mi rovina la giornata (PBKR), Wednesday, 29 October 2025 00:56 (three weeks ago)

It's been ages since I played it, but DFX2's Emotion--a mid-'80s EP that Christgau give in an A, I believe--is very Rolling Stones-like.

Real good record. Down to the Bone is my favorite but the title song is the most Stones-like.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DQlkTKsg5U

― kornrulez6969, Wednesday, 29 October 2025 01:47 (three weeks ago)

Elton John "The Bitch Is Back"

― Hideous Lump, Wednesday, 29 October 2025 05:20 (three weeks ago)

Georgia Satellites - “Keep Your Hands To Yourself” is like an actual Southern guy’s homage to Mick’s homage to Southern guys

― Tracer Hand, Wednesday, 29 October 2025 09:07 (three weeks ago)

Can't believe no one has mentioned World Party "Ship of Fools", a song so Stonesy that I thought it was them the first time I heard it. It's the bluesy guitar + the woo hoo hoo + "save me from tomorrow"

the most obvious Stones ripoff beyond the various Nuggets comps

― Piggy Lepton (La Lechera), Wednesday, 29 October 2025 17:50 (three weeks ago)

i still like it though -- it's a good song about not wanting to sail with this ship of fools

― Piggy Lepton (La Lechera), Wednesday, 29 October 2025 17:50 (three weeks ago)

i feel like Lucinda Williams is a good Stonesy choice, her vocals are frequently pretty Jagger-esque and her best rockers are as tough as any Stones.

― omar little, Wednesday, 29 October 2025 18:47 (three weeks ago)

I was actually just thinking about adding "Ship of Fools" to the list! The kind of Stones-Pop hybrid Jagger was shooting for & failing to nail during the Poppy Bush Interzone.

― Lithium Just Madison (C. Grisso/McCain), Wednesday, 29 October 2025 20:26 (three weeks ago)

Led Zeppelin: "Ozone Baby" is like Zep doing a Mallrat-era Stones song

― Lithium Just Madison (C. Grisso/McCain), Wednesday, 29 October 2025 21:35 (three weeks ago)

Lucinda Williams did an entire cover album of Exile on Main St iirc!

good call on World Party

― Tracer Hand, Wednesday, 29 October 2025 21:58 (three weeks ago)

At least half of INXS' Full Moon, Dirty Hearts sounds like the best later-day Stones album that never was

Gonna nominate the opener

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlfFvVc0JgI

― you can see me from westbury white horse, Wednesday, 29 October 2025 22:52 (three weeks ago)

groovies' "yesterday's numbers" down to the brittle jjf/stray cat guitar distortion.

― Thus Sang Freud, Thursday, 30 October 2025 12:33 (three weeks ago)

Buju Banton - Fake Smile

not a joke

― Rory DelayRepay (Noodle Vague), Friday, 31 October 2025 13:57 (three weeks ago)

two weeks pass...

Foreigner: "Women"

― Lithium Just Madison (C. Grisso/McCain), Monday, 17 November 2025 05:19 (one week ago)

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