Even as the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band the world has ever known, you’re going to possess a treasure trove of phenomenal underexposed material. These are the ten best forgotten gems of The Rolling Stones’ mammoth back catalogue. Forgotten maybe, but each and every one is a masterpiece.

10. Sing This All Together

This is the mesmerising, group sung opener on 1967’s Their Satanic Majesties Request, a point at which the Stones-Beatles rivalry had reached boiling point. A little-known number on a seldom visited Stones record, never have Jagger and co. tried to mimic the sound of the fab four so blatantly as on this brief adventure into the realms of psychedelia. For that, it’s undoubtedly one of the group’s most unique songs.

9. When the Whip Comes Down

By the late 70s, The Rolling Stones had begun to cast aside some of the deepest blues elements of their music, and this is one of several tracks on the flawless Some Girls to exhibit signs of at least a slight shift towards a purer rock sound. The infectiously repetitive eponymous chorus and rare presence of a guitar in the hands of Mick Jagger contribute to the all-round charm of this alluring tune, with the whole crew getting in on the act for a rousing outro.

8. Bitch

With a shameless title that would make your granny blush, Bitch is a three-minute thrill ride driven by the fabled Richards-Taylor tandem of the Stones’ early years. Nestled between two comparatively subdued tracks on renowned 1971 LP Sticky Fingers, it flows with the same gritty pomp that punctuates the band’s first two albums of that decade. That is down in no small part to the expert saxophone skills of long-time collaborator Bobby Keys.

7. Stray Cat Blues

If you’re a Guitar Hero player, you might be vaguely familiar with this tune; otherwise, it’s one known only to Stones super fans. Recounting tales of risqué underage sex, it’s as lyrically rock ‘n’ roll as it gets. ‘But it’s no hanging matter, it’s no capital crime’, ardently insists Jagger to a backdrop of the so sadly short-lived guitar pairing of Keith Richards and Brian Jones and some signature Charlie Watts cymbal stroking.

6. Country Honk

You know this one, sort of; Country Honk is an ode to the infinitely better known Honky Tonk Women. Whilst the latter employs the electric guitar brilliance of Richards and Taylor and some good old cowbell, its offshoot sees Keith pick up his acoustic and Mick bring his sensational slide sound to the equation. It is also repeatedly claimed to be the original concept for its much-loved predecessor.

5. Hang Fire

The second track from 1981’s hit Tattoo You album is the only song on this list to have been released as a single, and even then it only charted in Australia and the US with moderate success. That record’s timeless Start Me Up steals the limelight but Hang Fire’s satirical, politically heavy lyrics brilliantly counteract the gleefully upbeat nature of its melody to create an irresistible two minutes of Stones bliss.

4. You Got the Silver

Keith Richards’ rich, impassioned vocals truly make this blues-to-the-core number from 1969’s Let It Bleed. The last Stones release to feature Brian Jones – heard here playing autoharp – it eloquently tells the warming story of one man and his lover. Written by Richards himself, it has been known to feature on setlists down the years, notably at the second of 2013’s 50^th anniversary Hyde Park shows when Keith whipped out the acoustic for an emphatic 65,000-strong sing-along.

3. Before They Make Me Run

Arguably the standout moment of Some Girls, it’s that man Keef at the helm again, guiding us through an absolute belter of a song that tells the tale of his drug-riddled life. It bears all the hallmarks of the legendary Stones co-founder’s indomitable style and the lyric ‘it’s another goodbye to another old friend’ is a classically unashamed Richards nod to his past misdemeanours. This is one hell of a fun ride.

2. Can’t You Hear Me Knocking

Another Sticky Fingers highlight, this seven-minute epic sees the Stones show off some of the very finest craftsmanship of their illustrious career. With all due respect to Mick Jagger, there’s no need for his vocal input here; this song is a non-singing instrumentalist’s paradise. The two axe masters Richards and Taylor complement each other perfectly as well as playing their own distinctive solos. Throw in congas, sax and an organ and you’ve got yourself an unheralded musical work of art.

1. Rip This Joint

Exile on Main St. was the Stones defining moment and this is the horribly underrated jewel in the crown of the record. With a turbo-charged rhythm that verges on rockabilly, it’s a sound unlike anything ever heard in half a century of Stones magic. As Jagger natters away about the USA, Bobby Keys plays two killer sax solos and the late Nicky Hopkins’ ivory tinkling somehow surfaces through the plethora of rock ‘n’ roll mayhem going on around him.