How 'Between the Buttons' Went from Puzzling Critics to a Cult Favorite

When Between the Buttons hit shelves in early 1967, British reviewers were split. NME called it “a very good LP” but noted the band had “gone all clever,” while Melody Maker praised the variety but admitted some tracks sounded like “parodies of themselves.” Across the Atlantic, Rolling Stone gave it a dismissive three-star review, complaining that the Stones had abandoned their R&B roots for “cute” music-hall tunes and Dylan-esque wordplay. Even the band later downplayed it—Keith Richards said they were “trying to be too clever,” and the album was often skipped in live sets.

But as the decades passed, critics began hearing what they’d missed. Between the Buttons is now hailed as one of the Stones’ most adventurous records—a bridge between the raw Aftermath and the decadent Their Satanic Majesties Request. Songs like “My Obsession” and “Who’