How the Stones' '50 & Counting' tour turned deep cuts into crowd pleasers

The Rolling Stones’ 2012 “50 & Counting” tour wasn’t just a victory lap — it was the first time in decades the band consistently reached past the hits for tracks like “Emotional Rescue,” “All Down the Line,” and “Doom and Gloom.” Fans who had spent years complaining about setlist predictability suddenly had reasons to show up early. The new willingness to pull out rarities (they even played “Factory Girl” for the first time since 1976) showed the band was listening.

That tour also sparked some of the most creative fan campaigns in Stones lore. A group called “Setlist Stones” started an online petition to get “She’s a Rainbow” played live — and it actually worked when the band debuted it in London in 2013. There were also smaller pushes for “Moonlight Mile” and “Ventilator Blues,” though those didn’t break through. The message was clear: if you made enough noise on Twitter or picketed outside the venue with a sign, there was a real chance Mick would nod at Keith during soundcheck.