The Rolling Stones Bring ‘Hackney Diamonds’ Tour To ‘Sweet Home Chicago’

The Rolling Stones launched a two-show stand at Chicago’s Soldier Field on Thursday after a week off their Hackney Diamonds Tour. Mick Jagger and the band nodded to the Windy City’s rich blues history with a taste of “Sweet Home Chicago” during “Midnight Rambler.”

While they are arguably the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band of all time, The Rolling Stones, like many groups of their generation, were heavily influenced by Black blues artists. Rock ‘n’ roll itself is heavily influenced by the blues. Nearly every single popular song can be traced back to the blues. American music starts there.

Chicago is the storied home of electric blues, with artists like Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Big Bill Broonzy and Willie Dixon bringing the Delta Blues to Chicago and plugging it in. Titans of the Delta blues include legendary players like Son House and Robert Johnson.

All the artists mentioned above, many of them recording on Chicago’s famed Chess Records, had a huge influence on The Rolling Stones. Frontman Mick Jagger has been nodding to Robert Johnson throughout the Hackney Diamonds Tour, inserting lyrics from his songs into The Stones classic “Midnight Rambler,” including “Come On in My Kitchen” and “Hellhound on My Trail.”

Apropo for Chicago, Mick interpolated “Sweet Home Chicago” during “Midnight Rambler” on Thursday. Johnson adapted “Sweet Home Chicago” from earlier songs and recorded it in 1936. It has since become a blues standard and an anthem for Chicago.

Watch The Rolling Stones perform “Midnight Rambler” with “Sweet Home Chicago” below:

Elsewhere in the concert, the fan-voted song was the psychedelic ‘60s favorite, “She’s a Rainbow.” Classics included opener “Start Me Up,” “It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (But I Like It),” “Wild Horses,” Keith Richards on lead vocals for “Happy” and set closer “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.” The concert came to a close with the usual encore of Hackney Diamonds standout “Sweet Sounds of Heaven,” featuring vocalist Chanel Haynes, and “Satisfaction.”

The Stones return to Soldier Field on Sunday. Scroll down for their itinerary and ticket info.