Which Sparks More Debate: Goats Head Soup or Black and Blue?

Between these two mid-70s Rolling Stones albums, Goats Head Soup (1973) gets the louder “underrated” defense, while Black and Blue (1976) draws more of the “overrated” groans. Both followed the band’s peak run from Beggars Banquet through Exile on Main St., so fans have spent decades arguing which one deserves more respect—and which one gets too much.

Goats Head Soup had big hits (“Angie,” “Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)”) but was dismissed at the time as a slick, drug-hazed comedown from Exile. Today, many defenders point to its darker R&B textures and Keith Richards’ slide guitar work as signs of a misunderstood gem. It’s the album fans love to champion as secretly great.

*Black and