Before the Rolling Stones were a great album band, they were a great singles band. So the values placed on the more than a dozen records on our list of the Rolling Stones Compilations Ranked Worst to Best, for the most part, depends on the eras they represent.

Either way, we're talking about one of the greatest rock 'n' roll groups of all time, so even the worst of the LPs here – mostly the quickly assembled collections designed to tide over fans waiting for new studio albums – aren't terrible.

There's a lot of material to choose from. That happens when you've been making records for more than 50 years. The best and smartest Rolling Stones compilations found ways to repackage old songs in new formats. From the early, standard greatest-records to the monumental box set that summed up a significant period of the band's long history, these reissues, especially those overseen by the band members, rarely disrespected their legacy. (Even the worst compilation on our list includes a couple of tracks you couldn't find anywhere else.)

It should be noted that Decca Records released a ton of compilations in the first part of the '70s, not long after the Stones left the label. Most of these records never made it to the U.S. and were never reissued on CD. They range from the lazy Rolled Gold (oh, look, "Satisfaction" again!) to the rarities-stuffed No Stone Unturned. These long out-of-print LPs aren't included on the following list of Rolling Stones Compilations Ranked Worst to Best.