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April 13, 1981: Release of Sucking in the Seventies
Released at a moment of reflection rather than nostalgia, this Rolling Stones compilation isn’t about playing it safe. It’s a lean, knowing look back at a chaotic decade, framed by confidence, control, and the unmistakable sense of a band defining its own legacy.
This release marked another Rolling Stones’ official compilation, issued in 1981 on their own Rolling Stones Records label as catalog number COC 16028. Rather than functioning as a simple greatest-hits package, the album acts as a sharp, self-aware reflection on the band’s turbulent 1970s, mixing familiar singles with lesser-known tracks and subtle revisions. It captures the Stones taking control of their own narrative, curating a decade often defined by excess, experimentation, and survival. Most of the material is credited to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, underscoring the enduring strength of the band’s core songwriting partnership, while a handful of exceptions acknowledge outside influences and collaborators. In that sense, the compilation feels less like a retrospective for casual listeners and more like a statement of authorship, resilience, and continuity from a band keenly aware of its own history.
SIDE ONE 1. Shattered – 3:46 From Some Girls (1978) 2. Everything Is Turning to Gold (Jagger, Richards, Ronnie Wood) – 4:06 Original B-side to Shattered 3. Hot Stuff – 3:30 Edited version from Black and Blue (1976) 4. Time Waits for No One – 4:25 Edited version from It’s Only Rock’n Roll (1974) 5. Fool to Cry – 4:07 Edited version from Black and Blue (1976)
SIDE TWO 1. Mannish Boy (Ellas McDaniel, Mel London, McKinley Morganfield) – 4:38 Edited version from Love You Live (1977) 2. When the Whip Comes Down (Live) – 4:35 Recorded live in Detroit on 6 July 1978 3. If I Was a Dancer (Dance Pt. 2) (Jagger, Richards, Wood) – 5:50 Previously unreleased, from the Emotional Rescue sessions (1980) 4. Crazy Mama – 4:06 Edited version from Black and Blue (1976) 5. Beast of Burden – 3:27 Edited version from Some Girls (1978)
More about The Rolling Stones’ Sucking in the Seventies compilation
*By Marcelo Sonaglioni
Beneath its irreverent title, Sucking in the Seventies reveals something deeper than a mere collection of leftovers. While it’s often brushed aside as a makeshift release, this 1981 compilation captures the Rolling Stones at a turning point—wrestling with the chaos of fame, evolving musical currents, and their own internal storms. With tracks drawn from sessions spanning late 1973 to the end of the decade, the album becomes a collage of survival, grit, and reinvention. It reflects a band constantly pushing forward, even as the ground beneath them shifted. Rather than a tidy best-of, it’s a snapshot of the messy, electric pulse that kept the Stones alive through the decade.
Far from being a random bundle of B-sides and studio scraps, this record pulses with the raw urgency of a group forging through uncertainty. It’s scrappy, imperfect, and unfiltered—just like the era it represents. That’s what makes it essential.
The Rolling Stones’ Grit and Groove: Inside Sucking in the Seventies
Forget polished perfection—Sucking in the Seventies thrives on its raw charm and restless energy. The collection doesn’t chase chart-toppers but embraces deep cuts, reworks, and live performances that pulse with personality. Take the live tracks, for example: a fiery, no-holds-barred rendition of When the Whip Comes Down recorded in Detroit in ’78, or the swaggering strut of Mannish Boy, a tribute to Bo Diddley with just the right amount of grit. These aren’t crowd-pleasers—they’re character pieces, capturing the Stones in their wildest, most unfiltered form.
What really sets the album apart is its spotlight on underappreciated gems. The moody elegance of Time Waits for No One—even in its shortened form—lets Mick Taylor’s ethereal guitar work shine. Meanwhile, Crazy Mama, Hot Stuff, and Fool to Cry offer glimpses into the band’s stylistic detours: swampy rock, disco flirtations, and soulful introspection. As a whole, the album is less a compilation and more a scrapbook of a band refusing to stand still.
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