Song #140 - "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction

Recorded - May 12, 1965

Released - June 6, 1965 (US), August 20, 1965 (UK)

#1 for weeks of July 10, 17, 24, and 31, 1965.

     The Stones make their long overdue appearance with what is perhaps their first truly timeless classic, "I Can't Get No Satisfaction". This song has been hailed as one of the top rock songs ever recorded. Rolling Stone Magazine even ranked it at #2 in their list of the 500 greatest rock songs of all time. It is also a song that if you play just a few bars of the intro, most people will know what song you are playing. Clearly, "Satisfaction" has ascended into something more than a simple British Rocker. 

     The Rolling Stones formed in 1961 and were signed to Decca records the following year, reportedly via a recommendation by George Harrison. There was, in fact, a very prefabricated rivalry between The Stones and The Beatles during 1964. The former were marketed as the bad boys of The British Invasion, both in image and in personality. However, this rivalry is pure fiction as the two groups were good friends. In fact, it is because John and Paul wrote "I Wanna Be Your Man" on the spot to give to The Stones, that Mick and Keith were inspired to write songs of their own. 

     While most of their 1963 and 4 discography featured covers of American blues standards, (The Stones' early specialty), 1965 saw them release "The Last Time", which was their third #1 in Britain and it was a Jagger/Richards original. However, it was their next single, "I Can't Get No Satisfaction", that was a #1 on both sides of the Atlantic for the first time. 

     That opening fuzz guitar riff, which came to Keith in his sleep, remains so ingrained in the minds of music lovers. It's a simple riff, but it ties the song together in such an exciting way. Not that the rest of the instrumentation or band are any slouch: Bill Wyman gives us a steady precise bassline, Charlie Watts has an equally steady drum part. This is put on display during the "No-No" part of the song where everyone but Charlie drops out briefly. Then, we have Brian Jones, who gives us a slightly buried but nonetheless essential acoustic guitar track. 

     Lastly, we have the lead vocals, by one of the most recognizable voices in rock and blues music. Mick Jagger ranges from pleading to borderline shouting in "Satisfaction" and the contrast works wonderfully. The lyrics in this song may deal with the frustrations experienced by a 20-something male, but I'm sure everyone can at least relate to the song's simple yet effective chorus. 

     The influence that "Satisfaction" had on the then-underground American garage rock scene was tremendous. The Stones meanwhile continued to put out classic material throughout 1965. In fact, we have one more song of theirs to cover before this year is up, so stay tuned!

Final Verdict - A massively influential and highly resonant masterpiece by one of the top bands of the British Invasion. "Satisfaction" was a deserving #1 hit then, and now it's fully deserving of being considered one of the top songs of all time. Even though this song is permanently stuck in my head, I always love hearing it again. 

        Coming Up Next - "I'm Henry VIII, I Am" by Herman's Hermits. 

        Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock, and I'm actually quite satisfied -