16. The Rolling Stones, Now! (1965)

The Rolling Stones’ third studio LP released in the States is apiece with its predecessors — well-executed covers from the band’s idols and a small representative sample of what the Jagger-Richards hit factory was capable of producing. The record also captures the undeniable incandescence of a young band on the verge of superstardom. Their reimagining of Willie Dixon’s “Little Red Rooster” and “Mona (I Need You, Baby)” by Bo Diddley both exude a powerful intensity — particularly in Jagger’s reading of the lyrics — that abets the band’s obvious reverence for their idols. And then, they do the listener one better by providing some of their own exciting offerings — the highlight of the bunch here is the slow burning “Heart Of Stone,” which has the ability to fit in perfectly in this mix of R&B standards and simultaneously sounds completely unique.