62. The Rolling Stones - "Hackney Diamonds"

Believe the hype. This is the best thing the Stones have done, to be honest probably in my lifetime. This is the sound of a band totally at one with who they are. They’re not trying to reinvent themselves and they are not trying to keep up with any of the popular beat combos young enough to be their great-grandchildren. 

Instead this is the Stones being the Stones. It is a fabulous blues album made by the best (and undoubtedly the biggest) blues bar band in the world. The Rolling Stones are under no obligation or expectation to create new music. They have, possibly, the most well-known back catalogue in the world and it doesn’t need adding to. Therefore there is no pressure at all and this album is very much created in that atmosphere and environment. 

There is really no financial gain for any of them to make a new album so they’ve done it for fun and that’s why it sounds so invigorating because it is a bunch of mates who know each other inside out making music for the sake of making music.