50 & Counting

2012 preliminary rehearsals and recording sessions

In May 2012, the band met up at a studio in Weehawken, New Jersey for some secretive, preliminary rehearsals (their first time playing together since 2007).^[2][3]

On 19 May 2012, Mick Jagger hosted and performed on the season finale of Saturday Night Live.^[4] The Rolling Stones then made their first public appearance in over four years on 11 July 2012 at the Marquee Club in London and the following day at Somerset House^[5] to commemorate the 50th anniversary of their first ever concert.^[6] They also published a book entitled The Rolling Stones: 50 as well as a documentary, Crossfire Hurricane, released on 15 November 2012 on HBO. The documentary included interviews from all six of the living band members.^[7]

In August 2012, the Stones gathered at a studio in Paris to record their first new material since A Bigger Bang.^[8]

2012 tour

In October and November 2012, the Rolling Stones conducted rehearsals for their 50th anniversary concerts. The rehearsals for the 2012 tour took place in Bondy near Paris (in a rehearsal studio named Planet Live) and in London at the Wembley Arena for the 2012 shows. On 12 November 2012, they released GRRR!, a greatest hits compilation album that included the two new songs from the August recording sessions:^[9] "Doom and Gloom" (previously released as a single on 11 October 2012)^[10] and "One More Shot".^[11]

On 15 October 2012,^[12] they announced their first shows: two at the O2 Arena in London on 25 & 29 November 2012, one at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on 8 December,^[13] and two at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on 13 & 15 December. The 15 December 2012 show was broadcast in pay-per-view in the United States and many other countries.

Guests were announced, including former members Bill Wyman and Mick Taylor at the two shows in London.^[14] At the first London show the band was joined by Mary J. Blige and Jeff Beck.^[15] For the second London show, Eric Clapton and Florence Welch^[16] appeared. The guests for the Brooklyn show were Mary J. Blige and Gary Clark, Jr.^[17] Mick Taylor appeared at both Newark shows.^[18] John Mayer performed at the first Newark show,^[19] while Bruce Springsteen, Lady Gaga and The Black Keys^[20] were the guests at the second night in Newark.

The Rolling Stones played two secret shows in Paris in October 2012.^[21][22] They also participated on 12 December 2012 in the 12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief performing a brief set of "You Got Me Rocking" and "Jumpin' Jack Flash".^[23]

2013 tour

On 3 April 2013,^[24] through their website, they announced more concerts as part of the 50 & Counting tour: a Spring 2013 North American tour of 18 arena concerts with the addition of a surprise club show at the Echoplex in Los Angeles, CA on 27 April 2013 where they were rehearsing.^[25] Prior to the announcement, the Associated Press compiled a list of five "reasons to care" about the pending tour by the "legendary band".^[26]

The rehearsals for the 2013 tour took place in Burbank, California, at Center Staging for the 2013 shows.

Katy Perry performed as guest star on May, 11 in Las Vegas,^[27] Carrie Underwood was guest on the 25 may concert in Toronto while Taylor Swift was guest on the 3 June concert in Chicago.^[28] After the last American concert on 24 June at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.,^[29] the Stones returned to England to headline the Glastonbury Festival on 29 June, the band's first time ever participation in the festival.^[30]

On 6 and 13 July, they performed two shows at Hyde Park, 44 years after the 1969 performance and 51 years after their first ever gig (12 July 1962) at the Marquee Club then situated on Oxford Street, only a mile from the Hyde Park venue.^[31][32]

After the second Hyde Park concert, the band had a birthday celebration for Mick Jagger who turned 70 on 26 July 2013. The two Hyde Park shows were used for the live album Hyde Park Live as well as the concert film Sweet Summer Sun: Live in Hyde Park released 11 November 2013.

2014 tour

On 3 December 2013, the Rolling Stones announced the 14 On Fire tour, a follow-up to the 50 & Counting tour,^[33] due to start in February 2014 and visit the Middle East and Asia, Europe in summer 2014, and Australia in later 2014.