Song · The Rolling Stones
“Rock and a Hard Place” by The Rolling Stones
From the album Steel Wheels (1989)
“Rock and a Hard Place” by The Rolling Stones appears on 3 radio countdowns from 2 stations between 1989 and 2012. It was first released in 1989 on the album Steel Wheels. Its best result is #43 on the 91X Top 91 Songs of 1989. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #124 alternative song of 1989.
Watch
Video from YouTube (The Rolling Stones). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube
"Rock and a Hard Place" was the second single off Steel Wheels in 1989, and it is the sound of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards back in the same room. Richards later said making it felt like the pair's early days, pre-Exile, when they lived a few doors apart in London. Four years had passed since Dirty Work without the two of them meeting up, but a fortnight in Barbados with some guitars and pianos put things right.
It was cut that spring at AIR Studios on Montserrat and Olympic in London, with the Glimmer Twins and Chris Kimsey producing, Chris Potter recording and Michael Brauer mixing. Jagger sings lead and sold it as a floor-filler in the "Start Me Up" mould. It peaked at 23 on the Hot 100 and still stands as the band's last American top-40 hit.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
Classic Rock
All Rock Formats
Year-end countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 43 | 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana | 91X Top 91 Songs of 1989 | 90 |
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 715 | 100.7 WZLX | 100.7 WZLX Top 1100 Countdown (2011) | 1100 |
| 2012 | 735 | 100.7 WZLX | 100.7 WZLX Top 1200 Countdown (2012) | 1200 |
Comments
Log in or create a free account to join the conversation about "Rock and a Hard Place" by The Rolling Stones.
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.