The Rolling Stones' 'GRRR!' and 50th Anniversary: A Celebration, Not a Goodbye

The 2012 compilation GRRR! wasn’t just another greatest hits cash grab—it was a deliberate capstone for the band’s 50th year, packaged with two new songs (“Doom and Gloom” and “One More Shot”) to prove they weren’t done yet. The title itself plays on the band’s name and the growl of satisfaction, a wink at their own longevity.

The accompanying “50 & Counting” tour, which hit a handful of cities starting in late 2012 and stretching into 2013, was heavy with speculation that it might be their last big run. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards both publicly waved off the “farewell” label, though—they treated it as a victory lap, not a funeral. In fact, they’d keep touring well into the next decade, with shows in 2014, 2015, 2017, and beyond. So while GRRR! and the tour honored half a century on the road, it was never meant as a final curtain call—just a loud, well-timed reminder that the Stones still owned the stage.