How Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder, and Paul McCartney Shaped the Sound of ‘Hackney Diamonds’

The Rolling Stones’ first album of new material in 18 years, Hackney Diamonds (2023), didn’t just lean on legacy—it pulled in three generational icons to push the sound forward. Lady Gaga brought raw gospel fury to “Sweet Sounds of Heaven,” trading verses with Mick Jagger like she was born in the same blues dive. Stevie Wonder, on the same track, threw in harmonica lines that feel less like a cameo and more like a conversation, plus his Hammond B3 organ work that anchors the whole song in a sweaty, Sunday-morning revival.

Paul McCartney’s contribution is quieter but crucial: on “Bite My Head Off,” he plays bass with a punk-pop snap that recalls his own mid-70s roughness—think Wings at their scrappiest. The Stones originally cut the track with Darryl Jones, but McCartney’s take gave it a different, more angular drive. Together, these guests didn’t overshadow the band; they unlocked sides of the Stones that had been dormant—gospel ambition, harmonic sophistication, and raw garage energy—proving the album’s vitality wasn’t just nostalgic.