Music
All-Time High (And Low) Scores
Best of 2009
Best of 2008
Best of 2007
Best of 2006
Best of 2005
Best of 2004
Best of 2003
Best of 2002
Best of 2001
Best of 2000
Best of the Decade
Upcoming &
Recent Releases
75
2562
54
30 Seconds to Mars
62
50 Cent
71
AC/DC
70
The Album Leaf
52
Kris Allen
68
Tori Amos
66
Animal Collective
84
Animal Collective![]()
77
Annie
57
Apse
63
Asobi Seksu
59
Bad Lieutenant
83
Julianna Barwick![]()
82
Beach House![]()
72
Beak>
72
Bibio
65
Justin Bieber
76
Biffy Clyro
74
Blakroc
75
Mary J. Blige
78
Blockhead
52
Bon Jovi
54
Susan Boyle
57
The Bravery
39
Chris Brown
64
V.V. Brown
70
Basia Bulat
79
Chew Lips
74
Citay
65
Clipse
66
Cold War Kids
75
The Cribs
58
Dashboard Confessional
81
Dave Rawlings Machine![]()
70
Delphic
78
The Doors
58
Echo & The Bunnymen
73
Edan
59
Editors
69
Eels
80
Felt
74
First Aid Kit
69
Flyleaf
83
Four Tet![]()
82
Ben Frost![]()
82
Fucked Up![]()
83
Charlotte Gainsbourg![]()
63
The Gilded Palace Of Sin
68
Githead
65
Joe Goddard
58
Good Shoes
72
Gucci Mane
75
Holopaw
82
Jesca Hoop![]()
79
Hot Chip
72
The Hot Rats
88
Ray Wylie Hubbard![]()
54
Hurricane Chris
66
Allison Iraheta
59
Jay Sean
82
Freedy Johnston![]()
57
Nick Jonas And The Administration
73
Norah Jones
49
Juvenile
58
Ke$ha
62
R. Kelly
66
Alicia Keys
68
Kid Sister
81
King Midas Sound![]()
63
Lady Antebellum
76
Lady GaGa
71
Adam Lambert
78
Lawrence Arabia
61
Leona Lewis
74
Lightspeed Champion
36
Lil Wayne
82
Lindstrom & Christabelle![]()
77
Lissie
78
Los Campesinos!
70
Lostprophets
73
Magnetic Fields
72
Massive Attack
64
John Mayer
71
Paul McCartney
58
Katherine McPhee
86
Memory Tapes![]()
72
Midlake
88
Motion City Soundtrack![]()
63
Mr. Hudson
53
Mudvayne
75
Oh No Ono
70
OK Go
72
Ola Podrida
61
OneRepublic
80
Owen Pallett
80
Pantha du Prince
90
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers![]()
80
Phantogram
60
Pit Er Pat
63
Priestess
70
Radian
79
Corinne Bailey Rae
54
Rakim
79
Real Estate
77
Retribution Gospel Choir
76
Rihanna
64
Rjd2
65
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez
77
Sade
77
Gil Scott-Heron
72
Shakira
82
Shining![]()
61
Snoop Dogg
62
Snow Patrol
71
The Soft Pack
80
Spoon
64
Ringo Starr
59
Stereophonics
76
Angie Stone
79
Surfer Blood
74
Switchfoot
75
Them Crooked Vultures
74
Robin Thicke
50
Timbaland
79
tUnE-YaRDs
80
Vampire Weekend
79
Laura Veirs
79
Tom Waits
78
Wale
65
The Watson Twins
66
Kanye West
76
The Whitefield Brothers
64
Robbie Williams
80
Yeasayer
62
Young Money
75
Neil Young
61
Rob Zombie
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
A Bigger Bang
EMAILPRINTby The Rolling Stones

Generally favorable reviews
Based on 22 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 63 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: Virgin
Release Date: 06 September 2005
Discs: 1 disc
Genre(s): Rock
Summary
Don Was co-produced the band's first new studio album in eight years. Keith Richards sings on two tracks.
Also By This Artist: Shine A Light
Also On The Web: Official Artist Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Uncut
There are some outstanding songs here, and Jagger turns in a series of performances that are their match, full of much defiant flouncing, strutting bitchiness, preening arrogance, snarling haughtiness and a typically provocative misogyny. [Album of the Month, Oct 2005, p.92]
Village Voice (Consumer Guide)
Despite its lack of an anthem to replace "Start Me Up," it certainly beats Tattoo You or anything else going back to Exile except Some Girls.
Read Full Review >Rolling Stone
A Bigger Bang is just a straight-up, damn fine Rolling Stones album, with no qualifiers or apologies necessary for the first time in a few decades.
Read Full Review >All Music Guide
A strong, engaging, cohesive Rolling Stones album that finds everybody in prime form.
Read Full Review >musicOMH.com
Though [A Bigger Bang] doesn't dare to place itself in the same hallowed halls as that Jimmy Miller-produced quartet of records between 1968 and 1972, it jostles justly and fairly with the best since.
Read Full Review >Blender
Without playing "best since" games, just say it ranks near the top of the eight [albums] they've manufactured since 1980. [Oct 2005, p.142]
Stylus Magazine
In its no-frills pleasures, A Bigger Bang recalls Some Girls and Emotional Rescue, two great meaningless albums.
Read Full Review >cokemachineglow
Here, they succeed just by doing what they do best, taking few chances, but sounding more comfortable in their own skin than they have in a very long time.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club)
It's the best effort The Rolling Stones have produced in quite a while.
Read Full Review >Mojo
Though not without the odd turkey, it is arguably their most satisfying work since 1978's Some Girls. [Oct 2005, p.100]
The New York Times
On "A Bigger Bang," the Stones actually sound like they're having fun together, live in a studio somewhere. [4 Sep 2005]
Entertainment Weekly
Instead of playing it slick, they've made their dirtiest, most homemade-sounding album since Some Girls.
Read Full Review >PopMatters
Review #1: Perhaps the best thing about the album is that it's the Stones sticking to what they know. [score=70]; Review #2: The riffs are generic, the melodies don't stick, and the lyrics are insipid. [score=50]
The Guardian
There's plenty of spirit here but, sadly, the songwriting runs out of puff long before the performances do, lending a hammy tone to the album's weaker moments.
Read Full Review >New Musical Express
So 'A Bigger Bang' is no masterpiece. As a loss leader to allow them to continue touring, it's not even as good as 'Don't Believe The Truth'. But it's the best record they were going to make, and a world with the Stones is better than one without them.
Read Full Review >Q Magazine
It blows hot and cold. [Oct 2005, p.110]
Drowned In Sound
Unfortunately, by stretching the album to an unnecessarily long 16 tracks, ‘A Bigger Bang’ suffers from its fair share of non-starting filler.
Read Full Review >Austin Chronicle
At 65 rocky minutes, the Stones' first studio album since 1997's Bridges to Babylon, and rootsiest since '94's Voodoo Lounge, could've been whambangthankyoumam at 40.
Read Full Review >Billboard
16 songs of stalwart Stones riffs that almost compensate for generally embarrassing lyrics. [10 Sep 2005]
Paste Magazine
The ideas quickly wear thin. [Dec 2005, p.107]
What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 7.6 (out of 10) based on 63 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
zach m gave it a9:
its good
Stéphanie V gave it a10:
Great album! Definately 1000% STONES, blows your mind! They've done it again the Rolling Stones made a abso-fucking-lutely magnificent album once more ! The lyrics sound great - good old Jagger/Richards teamwork :) - and the RIFFS & MUSIC what can I say bold as ever. Every single 21th century band can wrap up, go home and change their nappies 'cos the Rolling Stones are in town again; LEAN & Mean as ever...
Drew J gave it a10:
Rolling Stones still and will forever have what most bands going today can only dream about...straight through great ablum...The rest of modern rock has just got the shit kicked out of them by seventy year olds
Duck CD gave it a10:
This is a very fine album, heartfelt and fierce like all their best work, but also tender, generous and brave enough to expose wounds that would sound silly in younger mouths. While it's not as darkly bold as "Undercover," which remains way underrated, its songs sneak up on you over time. You don't even realize till Track 4 that you're back in deep Stones territory... and then it keeps going deeper.
Chuck S gave it a4:
Not much to say about this.........lots of songs but .the lyrics are juvenile without much imagination. The drums and guitars let you know right off its the Stones, however.
steve L gave it a6:
I find it a mixed bag. They can still write the riffs but the lyrics are a bit weak. Time to lose Don Was as producer and find someone willing to give orders rather than take them.
Beauforde P gave it a10:
This is the best rock album of 2005. The Stones reclaim the crown. There is some filler toward the end, but the body of this album is stunning in its eclecticism, range, and execution. Simply a breathtaking ride...the kind of album no other band in the world could make any more...or even dare try...except for the Stones.
