The ageing Rolling Stones hadn't released an album of new material since 2005's middling A Bigger Bang so expectations for 2023's Hackney Diamonds weren't -- to put it euphemistically -- exceptionally high.

One could be forgiven for holding out some hope that there might yet be glimmers of greatness left in the Stones after a 50-year reign as probably the most beloved extant rock-'n'-roll band on the planet, however, since the band sounded like it was rather enjoying being a band again on 2016's album of blues covers, Blue & Lonesome, and was sharper than it had been in years on the tour that followed. The death of founding drummer Charlie Watts in 2021 might have been impetus to finally get some stuff done in the studio, too, because years of false starts on a new record suddenly hardened into something concrete when producer Andrew Watt was brought in to help the band finish what would eventually become Hackney Diamonds. And, hey, the thing wasn't bad. Reviews were kind, sales were strong and suddenly the Rolling Stones -- aided by such guests as Elton John, Paul McCartney, Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder and even long-departed OG bassist Bill Wyman -- had a respectable record on their hands again, even though Mick Jagger was already 80 when the thing came out in October of 2023 and Keith Richards would follow him over the octogenarian line that December. These guys don't have a retirement plan. They'll do this until they drop.