Gimme Shelter (track)
by The Rolling Stones

Album
Gimme Shelter by The Rolling Stones
Year: 1969
From the album Let It Bleed (track #1)
Average Rating: 
93/100 (from 1,030 votes)
  Ratings distribution   Average rating history

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Love In Vain

Gimme Shelter appears on the following album(s) by The Rolling Stones:


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Gimme Shelter ratings

Average Rating: 
93/100 (from 1,030 votes)
  Ratings distribution Help Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AV
where:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
AV = the site mean average rating.

Showing latest 5 ratings for this track.  | Show all 1,030 ratings for this track.

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RatingDate updatedMemberTrack ratingsAvg. track rating
 
95/100
 !		08/07/2026 18:36 Siromynian  Ratings distribution  18,36571/100
 
100/100
 !		07/30/2026 15:51 HoldenM  Ratings distribution  9,69390/100
 
85/100
 !		07/24/2026 20:18 Exist-en-ciel  Ratings distribution  169,64771/100
 
95/100
 !		07/08/2026 21:22 turbottski  Ratings distribution  84085/100
 
100/100
 !		04/30/2026 15:23 billyboy66  Ratings distribution  5291/100

Rating metrics: Help Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some tracks can have several thousand ratings)
This track is rated in the top 1% of all tracks on BestEverAlbums.com. This track has a Bayesian average rating of 93.3/100, a mean average of 92.5/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 93.5/100. The standard deviation for this track is 11.7.


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Gimme Shelter comments

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Rating:  
100/100
From 03/05/2023 22:41 | #294748
I can merely attempt to echo a previous comment from user garycottier. Gimme Shelter is the auditory death of the 1960’s Dream. As well a sonic companion to a world in newfound disarray at the close of a decade.

Musically, the Stones were seldom ever this catchy. Not only is the chorus (legendarily) huge, but Mick’s swaggered delivery of the verse melody is what comes to mind for me first. Especially the final verse sung in harmony with Mary Clayton.

This is the best and most meaningful song in the Rolling Stones’ catalog, one of the most profoundly pertinent tracks of the era, and one of rock and roll’s greatest recordings. (Edited)
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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Rating:  
100/100
From 10/22/2022 13:02 | #290685
I love this song. Merry Clayton with her pure soul poured into the singing. 10/10 (Edited)
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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Rating:  
100/100
From 02/23/2021 01:49 | #266626
If someone said to me, "You can only have Gimme Shelter or every Beatles album," I would choose this song.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | -1 votes (0 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
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From 10/23/2020 02:34 | #259602
This song sounds like what I think the end of the world would sound like. It also has the second best guitar intro of all time (second only to Paint It Black)
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Rating:  
100/100
From 05/28/2020 15:24 | #252400
Great song perfect. The riff is iconic and the shouting from Merry Clayton is genius. The best song from The Rolling Stones. (Edited)
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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100/100
From 04/17/2019 12:12 | #235117
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Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | -3 votes (1 helpful | 4 unhelpful)
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100/100
From 12/28/2018 11:48 | #228187
Genial, arrepiante de início ao fim!
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (1 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
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100/100
From 12/01/2017 04:42 | #202422
I used to not be so crazy about this one, but this one really is a stone cold classic, and it really grows on you over time, easily their greatest song. (Edited)
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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Rating:  
80/100
From 06/28/2017 23:04 | #193381
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100/100
From 09/20/2016 10:27 | #175390
Along with Jimi Hendrix's blistering version of Bob Dylan's, all along the watchtower, the Stones, gimme shelter, is the ultimate sound of the sixties coming to a chaotic close. An apocalyptic post summer of love anthem, informing us the dream is over in the era of Vietnam and race riots and even possibly a premonition of the soon to come tragedy at Altamont. Everything about this song is perfection, from Keith Richards' iconic guitar riff to Merry Clayton's unforgettable backing vocals that all help to make Gimme shelter one of the most iconic of all Rolling Stones tracks. Absolutely brilliant. (Edited)
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +7 votes (7 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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