"Rock and a Hard Place" by The Rolling Stones

Song#:  4097

Date:  11/04/1989

Debut:  79

Peak:  23

Weeks:  14

Genre:  Rock

Pop Bits:  After a much needed break from each other, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards finally got back together and came up with songs for their first album in four years, Steel Wheels. The first single, "Mixed Emotions," would get to #5 and help the LP reach #2. Next up for single release would be this track. While it would do well at Rock getting to #1, it floundered a bit on the Pop chart and got locked out of the Top 20. It would end up being the Stones' last single to reach the Pop Top 40. A third single from the album, "Almost Hear You Sigh," would hit #1 at Rock, but stall at #50 Pop. Still, the tune would earn the band a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group. Steel Wheels would become a double platinum seller.

ReduxReview:  With an instantly recognizable guitar lick and hooky chorus, I thought for sure this single would make the Top 10. I was even surprised that it stopped short of the Top 20. Although it got an 80s production boost, the track seemed rooted in the Stones' 70s period. Was it as good as their legendary songs? No, but it was a quality track from the Stones that showed they could still rock out and write good material 25 years after their first album. It was an exciting track that ended up being the band's last charting single of the decade and their final Top 40 entry.

ReduxRating:  8/10

Trivia:  The Stones would release two more albums in the 90s. Voodoo Lounge would come out in '94. It would get to #2, go double platinum, and win the Grammy for Best Rock Album. Then Bridges to Babylon would arrive in '97. It would hit #1 and go platinum. It would take eight years before the band would issue out a new album. A Bigger Bang would arrive in 2005 and become a #1 platinum seller. Eleven years later, the Stones would record a straight-up blues album titled Blue & Lonesome. The #1 LP would receive critical acclaim and would win the band a Grammy for Best Traditional Blues Album.

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