''Hackney Diamonds'' is the twenty-fourth studio album by the English rock band

the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...

, released on 20 October 2023 on

Polydor Polydor Limited, also known as Polydor Records, is a British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in ...

. It is the first album of original material by the Rolling Stones since 2005's ''

A Bigger Bang ''A Bigger Bang'' is the twenty-second studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released through Virgin Records on 5 September 2005. It was the band's last album of original material recorded entirely with Charlie Watts on drum ...

'' and their first since the 2021 death of drummer

Charlie Watts Charles Robert Watts (2 June 1941 – 24 August 2021) was an English musician who was the drummer of the Rolling Stones from 1963 until his death in 2021. Originally trained as a Graphic designer, graphic artist, Watts developed an interest i ...

, who contributed to some tracks in 2019. Produced by Andrew Watt, it features guest contributions from

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris (; Judkins; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American and Ghanaian singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th c ...

, and former Rolling Stones bassist

Bill Wyman William George Wyman ( né Perks; born 24 October 1936) is an English musician who was the bass guitarist with the rock band the Rolling Stones from 1962 to 1993. Wyman was part of the band's first stable lineup and performed on their first 19 ...

. ''Hackney Diamonds'' received positive reviews, with some critics considering it the band's strongest album in decades. It was promoted by the singles "

Angry Anger, also known as wrath ( ; ) or rage, is an intense emotional state involving a strong, uncomfortable and non-cooperative response to a perceived provocation, hurt, or threat. A person experiencing anger will often experience physical ef ...

", " Sweet Sounds of Heaven", and "Mess It Up". The album was backed by an extensive marketing campaign that included publicity stunts and merchandise, amongst other promotions. ''Hackney Diamonds'' reached number one in 20 countries, including the UK, Austria, Australia, Greece, Argentina, the Netherlands and Germany. It was the 14th Rolling Stones album to top the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...

, in its first week and again on 22 December, making it the first Rolling Stones Christmas number one album. It was

certified gold Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

in several countries and

certified platinum Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

in Austria, France, and Germany. The Rolling Stones embarked on the Hackney Diamonds Tour in support of the album in 2024. The album won the award for

Best Rock Album The Grammy Award for Best Rock Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality albums in the rock music genre. Honors in sever ...

at the

67th Annual Grammy Awards The 67th Annual Grammy Awards honored the best recordings, compositions, and artists from September 16, 2023, to August 30, 2024, as chosen by the members of the Recording Academy, on February 2, 2025. In its 22nd year at Crypto.com Arena in L ...

Recording

The Rolling Stones last released a studio album in 2016 with the

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

covers album '' Blue & Lonesome'', which began with new material recorded with

Don Was Don Edward Fagenson (born September 13, 1952), known professionally as Don Was (), is an American musician, record producer, music director, film composer, documentary filmmaker and radio host. Since 2011, he has also served as president of the ...

but stalled. Some mitigating factors identified by guitarist

Keith Richards Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943) is an English musician, songwriter, singer and record producer who is an original member, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-principal songwriter of the Rolling Stones. His songwriting partnership wi ...

include vocalist

Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English musician. He is known as the lead singer and one of the founder members of The Rolling Stones. Jagger has co-written most of the band's songs with lead guitarist Keith Richards; Jagge ...

's lack of enthusiasm for making new music and Richards being forced to adapt his playing style due to

arthritis Arthritis is a general medical term used to describe a disorder that affects joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness. Other symptoms may include redness, warmth, Joint effusion, swelling, and decreased range of motion of ...

. The band's last album of original material was ''

'' in 2005; however, they continued to release occasional tracks, such as "

Doom and Gloom "Doom and Gloom" is the lead single taken from '' GRRR!'', the 50th anniversary compilation album by the Rolling Stones. It was premiered on BBC Radio 2 on 11 October 2012. The song's recording marked the first time that Mick Jagger, Keith ...

" and "

One More Shot "One More Shot" is the second single taken from '' GRRR!'', the 50th anniversary compilation album by the Rolling Stones. It was premiered on BBC Radio 6 Music on 8 November 2012. The song marks the first time that Mick Jagger, Keith Richar ...

" for the compilation ''

GRRR! ''GRRR!'' is a greatest hits album by the Rolling Stones. Released on 12 November 2012, it commemorates the band's 50th anniversary. The album features two new songs titled " Doom and Gloom" and " One More Shot", which were recorded in August ...

'' in 2012 and the 2020 single " Living in a Ghost Town". For years, they toured, but when they met up as a group, it was only to rehearse for future performances, not record. The group again recorded sessions for a new album starting in 2020, but these were interrupted by the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. Studio work in 2021 yielded several completed songs as well, but the band lost momentum and focus in the studio. Jagger was frustrated with the slow process of recording and proposed to Richards after their touring ended in August 2022 that they would choose 14 February 2023 as a due date for their new album. Richards credits drummer

's 2021 death as the impetus to become more serious about finishing an album's worth of material. In mid-2022,

suggested to guitarist

Ronnie Wood Ronald David Wood (born 1 June 1947) is an English rock musician, best known as a member of the Rolling Stones since 1975, and a member of Faces and the Jeff Beck Group. Wood began his career in 1964, playing lead guitar with several Brit ...

the band look to Andrew Watt to continue their album and Jagger agreed, appreciating Watt's approach to producing new music from long-time acts. The band invited Watt to see them perform in

Electric Lady Studios Electric Lady Studios is a recording studio in Greenwich Village, New York City. It was commissioned by rock musician Jimi Hendrix in 1968 and designed by architect John Storyk and audio engineer Eddie Kramer. It was completed by 1970. Hendrix ...

in late 2022 and he took over recording at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles by November of that year. Further recordings in late 2022 and early 2023 with Watt included McCartney playing bass guitar on two new Stones songs. Altogether, principal recording was about four weeks, followed by two weeks of overdubs, and Jagger's vocals recorded separately, only after the guitar work was finished. In June 2023, former bassist

announced that he had recorded with the band for the first time in 30 years based on a recommendation by Watt, and additional recordings with

are included on the release. The album includes 2019 sessions that have the last studio work by Watts and the band's first studio work with drummer Steve Jordan. Final recording for the album began in December 2022, with 23 total tracks finished in January 2023 and mixing done in late February or early March. At the end, the band had enough material for a follow-up album, which vocalist

estimated was 75% done by the time that ''Hackney Diamonds'' was released. The recording process included multiple studios across the world and was captured by a

documentary A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...

crew for the television special ''The Stones: Still Rolling''. News reports have indicated that the album's name is London slang for the shattered

glass Glass is an amorphous (non-crystalline solid, non-crystalline) solid. Because it is often transparency and translucency, transparent and chemically inert, glass has found widespread practical, technological, and decorative use in window pane ...

left behind after burglars have smashed a window to break in, Hackney being an

inner-city The term inner city (also called the hood) has been used, especially in the United States, as a euphemism for majority-minority lower-income residential districts that often refer to rundown neighborhoods, in a downtown or city centre area. Soc ...

area of London historically associated with a high crime rate. Richards stated it refers to broken glass left over in the morning after "a good Saturday night that went bad". Long-time Stones bass guitarist

Darryl Jones Darryl Jones (born December 11, 1961) is an American bassist. He has been recording and touring with the Rolling Stones since 1993. He has also played in bands with Miles Davis and Sting, among others. Career Darryl Jones was born on Decemb ...

was reported to have worked on these sessions but does not appear on the final album, making ''Hackney Diamonds'' the first studio album since 1989's ''

Steel Wheels ''Steel Wheels'' is the nineteenth U.K. and twenty-first U.S. studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released on 29 August 1989 in the US and on 11 September in the UK. It was the final album of new material that the band re ...

'' not to feature any recorded contributions from him.

Promotion and release

''Hackney Diamonds'' has been promoted with an extensive, worldwide advertising campaign coordinated by

Universal Music Enterprises Universal Music Enterprises (UME, stylized as UMe) is the catalogue division of Universal Music Group. It includes Hip-O Records, Universal Chronicles, and UM3 or UMC (which is the international division of the company). Under various divisions, ...

in London. On 17 August 2023, an advertisement appeared in the ''

Hackney Gazette Archant Limited is a newspaper and magazine publishing company with headquarters in Norwich, England. The group publishes four daily newspapers, around 50 weekly newspapers, and 80 consumer and contract magazines. The company is a subsidiary of ...

'' teasing the album, referencing several Rolling Stones song titles and displaying their tongue logo. On 22 August, social media profiles posted new artwork by Paulina Almira, and

Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as Universal Music Group or Universal Music) is a Netherlands, Dutch–United States, American multinational Music industry, music corporation under Law of the Netherlands, ...

debuted a website to promote the release, on which a countdown appeared and solicited questions for the band. The group posted links to the site on their social media accounts on 29 August and showed photos of their lip logo projected on various monuments around the world. These projections continued to 2 September, when the band previewed a short snippet of "Angry" on the website dontgetangrywithme.com, which experienced instability and frequent errors that some interpreted as being intentional. On 4 September, the album was officially announced, as were the plans for a

livestream Livestreaming, live-streaming, or live streaming is the streaming media, streaming of video or Digital audio, audio in real-time communication, real time or near real time. While often referred to simply as ''streaming'', the real-time nature ...

with television host

Jimmy Fallon James Thomas Fallon (born September 19, 1974) is an Americans, American comedian, television host, actor, singer, writer, and producer. Best known for his work in television, Fallon's breakthrough came during his tenure as a cast member on the ...

where more information would be revealed and the

lead single A lead single (or first single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. A similar term, "debut ...

would be premiered. On 6 September, the livestream was broadcast on the Rolling Stones' official

YouTube channel YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in San B ...

while being filmed at the Hackney Empire Theatre in London. Fallon interviewed the band, who revealed the album's track list and release date, as well as alluding to various guest musicians, and answered questions sent in from fans. The music video for "Angry" premiered after the interview concluded, which features actress

Sydney Sweeney Sydney Bernice Sweeney (born September 12, 1997) is an American actress. She first gained attention in 2018 for appearing in the television series '' Everything Sucks!'' and ''The Handmaid's Tale'', and in the limited series '' Sharp Objects'' ...

being driven through

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

in a red convertible, with the band members singing to her from large billboards along the way. "Sweet Sounds of Heaven" was teased by the band via an

Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...

post on 25 September 2023, which played a short snippet of the track and revealed its release date; the single was released three days later. In early October, a fashion line designed by

Paul Smith Paul Smith is the name of: Music * Paul Smith (composer) (1906–1985), American film music composer * Paul Smith (pianist) (1922–2013), Los Angeles jazz pianist * Paul Smith (English singer) (born 1979), vocalist and songwriter of British in ...

was announced that would promote the album, and retail stores in London and Tokyo opened to sell Rolling Stones merchandise ahead of the album. The single "Mess It Up" also came out in October. Shortly after the newspaper advertisement implying the album release, 12 songs were registered to the

American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadc ...

under the names of

Jagger–Richards Jagger–Richards (spelled Jagger–Richard from 1963 to 1978) is the songwriting partnership between English musicians Mick Jagger and Keith Richards (both born 1943), founder members of rock band the Rolling Stones. They are one of the most suc ...

, with three tracks co-written by Andrew Watt. The final track listing was released on 6 September and included " Rolling Stone Blues", a

Muddy Waters McKinley Morganfield (April 4, 1913April 30, 1983), better known as Muddy Waters, was an American blues singer-songwriter and musician who was an important figure in the post-World War II blues scene, and is often cited as the "father of moder ...

song that gave their band their name; they had never covered it previously on a release and this was the sole recording for this album recorded to tape. It was also one of the songs that Jagger and Richards bonded over when connecting as youths, when Richards spotted Jagger carrying a copy of ''

The Best of Muddy Waters ''The Best of Muddy Waters'' is a greatest hits album by Muddy Waters released by Chess Records in April 1958. The twelve songs were originally issued as Single (music), singles between 1948 and 1954 and most appeared in Billboard (magazine), ''Bi ...

'' on a train. The limited edition vinyl LP cover art has a mass of eyeballs and tongues, and a retailer-exclusive edition has the cracked diamond heart surrounded by red limbs. Additional covers are made for every

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

team, featuring the

tongue and lips logo The tongue and lips logo or alternatively the lips and tongue logo, also known as the Hot Lips logo, or the Rolling Stones Records logo, or simply the Rolling Stones logo, is a logo designed by the English art designer John Pasche for the rock b ...

in each team's colors and a limited edition by KidSuper featuring the lips logo with red fingerprints around it. The day before the album release,

FC Barcelona Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly known as FC Barcelona and colloquially as Barça (), is a professional Football club (association football), football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of ...

announced a

football kit In association football, kit (also referred to as a strip or uniform) is the standard equipment and attire worn by players. The sport's Laws of the Game (association football), rules specify the minimum kit which a player must use, and also proh ...

designed to promote it. As the release date drew near, the band began rehearsing for a supporting tour, and raised the possibility of

virtual reality Virtual reality (VR) is a Simulation, simulated experience that employs 3D near-eye displays and pose tracking to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video gam ...

avatars for future performances. While no tour dates were announced by the time of the album release, the band played a seven-song set on 19 October 2023 at the 650-capacity Racket (fka Highline Ballroom) in New York City with

as they made promotional television appearances. The Rolling Stones are due to tour in support of the album in 2024. On 15 December 2023, The Rolling Stones released via Polydor an expanded live edition of ''Hackney Diamonds''. The limited edition 2CD version includes the standard album on CD 1 paired with ''Live at Racket, NYC'' on CD 2 which features the seven tracks the band performed at the launch event on 19 October 2023 at the Racket in New York, including debut live performances of "Angry", "Bite My Head Off", "Whole Wide World" and "Sweet Sounds of Heaven" (the latter song with Lady Gaga). Also included is a 24-page booklet with photos from the performance by Kevin Mazur.

Critical reception

Editors at AnyDecentMusic? aggregated the scores from 20 outlets and rated ''Hackney Diamonds'' 7.7 out of 10. Several critics described it as the best Rolling Stones album in decades. Tim Cumming (''

The Arts Desk ''The Arts Desk'' (theartsdesk.com) is a British arts journalism website containing reviews, interviews, news, and other content related to music, theatre, television, films, and other art forms written by journalists from a variety of tradition ...

'') gave ''Hackney Diamonds'' 5 out of 5, for being "a bravura performance benefiting from the level of focus and detail the band". Alan Woodhouse (''

The Big Issue ''The Big Issue'' is a United Kingdom–based street newspaper founded by John Bird and Gordon Roddick in September 1991 and published in four continents. ''The Big Issue'' is one of the UK's leading social businesses and exists to offer ho ...

'') wrote that "the impression this record gives is of a strident sense of purpose". Robin Murray ('' Clash'') gave it 7 out of 10, writing that it "presents a group whose virility, ambition, and desire to connect remains undimmed". Ian Fortnam (''

Classic Rock Classic rock is a radio format that developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, it comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the early-1990s, primarily focusing on comm ...

'') rated the album 4.5 out of 5 stars, stating " he bandhaven't delivered an album this quintessentially Stonesy in 40 years".

Neil McCormick Neil McCormick (born 31 March 1961) is a British music journalist, author and broadcaster. He has been the chief music critic for ''The Daily Telegraph'' since 1996, and presented a music interview show for Vintage TV (TV channel), Vintage TV i ...

(''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...

'') rated this album 5 out of 5 stars, as "a raucous and dirty modern rock classic".

Alexis Petridis Alexis Petridis (born 13 September 1971) is an English journalist. He is the head Rock music, rock and pop music critic for ''The Guardian'', and a regular contributor for ''GQ''. In addition to his music journalism for the paper, he has written ...

(''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'') scored ''Hackney Diamonds'' 4 out of 5 stars with music that "suggest the presence of someone who knows how to make contemporary hits". Mark Beaumont (''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'') scored ''Hackney Diamonds'' 4 out of 5 stars, opining that the combination of older pop musician guest stars gives this release "a sense of career closure". James McNair (''

Mojo Mojo may refer to: * Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in Hoodoo Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * ''Mojo'' (2017 film), a 2017 Indian Kannada drama film written and directed by Sreesha Belakvaadi * '' ...

'') gave ''Hackney Diamonds'' 4 out of 5, calling it "a self-aware, historically mindful party". John Murphy (''

musicOMH ''MusicOMH'' (stylized as ''musicOMH'') is a London-based online music magazine which publishes independent reviews, features and interviews from across all genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B. History ''MusicOMH'' was founded an ...

'') called ''Hackney Diamonds'' an "astonishingly fresh album" and gave it a 4.5 out of 5. Alex Flood (''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...

'') gave the album 4 out of 5 stars, calling it "an absolute barnstormer" that is " enjoyable".

Kitty Empire Kitty Empire (born 1970) is a British writer and music critic, currently writing for ''The Observer''. Early life Empire says that she was born in Montreal, Quebec, in 1970 and brought up in Canada, Italy and Egypt before arriving in Britain in ...

(''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...

'') gave the album 3 out of 5 stars, stating it "is packed with convincing echoes of the band in its pomp".

Will Hodgkinson Will Hodgkinson is a journalist and author from London (born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne), England. He is the chief rock and pop critic for ''The Times'' newspaper and contributes to ''Mojo (magazine), Mojo'' magazine. He has written for ''The Guardian ...

(''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

'') called ''Hackney Diamonds'' "unquestionably the Stones' best since 978's''

Some Girls ''Some Girls'' is the fourteenth studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released on 9 June 1978 by Rolling Stones Records. It was recorded in sessions held from October 1977 to February 1978 at Pathé Marconi Studios in Paris ...

''" and gave it 5 out of 5 stars. Dan Cairns (''

The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British Sunday newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of N ...

'') drew parallels with many releases in the band's catalogue, particularly from the 1970s. Edna Gundersen ('' AARP: The Magazine'') called ''Hackney Diamonds'' the best Rolling Stones album since 1981's ''

Tattoo You ''Tattoo You'' is the sixteenth U.K. and eighteenth U.S. studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released on 24 August 1981 by Rolling Stones Records. The album is mostly composed of studio outtakes recorded during the 1970 ...

'', in part due to the guest stars. (The

AARP AARP, formerly the American Association of Retired Persons, is an interest group in the United States focusing on issues affecting those 50 and older. The organization, which is headquartered in Washington, D.C., said it had more than 38 ...

later sponsored the ''Hackney Diamonds'' Tour.) Jocelyn Noveck of the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...

said that it continued the partying vibes of Stones music. Claire Harvey (''

The Australian ''The Australian'', with its Saturday edition ''The Weekend Australian'', is a broadsheet daily newspaper published by News Corp Australia since 14 July 1964. As the only Australian daily newspaper distributed nationally, its readership of b ...

'') characterized this as "astoundingly good". Jonah Kreuger (''

Consequence Consequence may refer to: Philosophy, science and social sciences * Logical consequence, also known as a ''consequence relation'', or ''entailment'' * Consequent, in logic, the second half of a hypothetical proposition or consequences * Consequent ...

'') considers this "solid, if inessential", but also notes that there is "genuine excitement on a few choice cuts".

Alan Light Alan Light (born August 4, 1966) is an American journalist who has been a rock critic for ''Rolling Stone'' and the editor-in-chief for '' Vibe,'' '' Spin,'' and ''Tracks''. Early life Light grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he attended Cincin ...

(''

Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentleman ...

'') called the album "a startling and unlikely triumph... from a group still stretching the limits of what’s possible in rock n' roll". Daniel Sylvester (''

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly ''Exclaim!'' print magazine publishes seven ...

'') gave this album a 7 out of 10, stating that the band are "better than they need to be". Jackson Maxwell (''

Guitar World ''Guitar World'' is a monthly music magazine for guitarists and fans of guitar-based music and trends. The magazine has been published since July 1980. ''Guitar World'', the best-selling guitar magazine in the United States, contains original a ...

'') praised the interplay between guitarists Keith Richards and

, as well as Richards' choice of vintage musical gear for recording. Pat Carty (''

Hot Press ''Hot Press'' is a monthly music and politics magazine based in Dublin, Ireland, founded in June 1977. The magazine has been edited since its inception by Niall Stokes. History ''Hot Press'' was founded in June 1977 by Niall Stokes, who cont ...

'') comparing the work to several of the band's previous albums, and wrote that "it might be the best olling Stones albumsince Keith Richards' ''

Talk Is Cheap ''Talk Is Cheap'' is the debut solo album by English musician Keith Richards, the guitarist of the Rolling Stones, released in 1988. Recorded and released during a long-standing falling out with Mick Jagger, ''Talk Is Cheap'' received positive ...

''". John Meagher (''

Irish Independent The ''Irish Independent'' is an Irish daily newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray backgrou ...

'') wrote that the band's "mojo has been awakened spectacularly" by Watt. Mikeal Wood (''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'') called the music "punchier" and catchier than recent releases. Michael Elliott ('' No Depression'') called the star of the album vocalist Mick Jagger, who "sneers, growls, and draws out syllables to make his point". Editors at ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...

'' rated the album 4.5 out of 10 and Grayson Haver Currin stated that "these titans of industry flail as they try to act their image rather than their age". David Browne (''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'') called it an album "worthy of multiple listens" and praised Steve Jordan's drumming. Kenneth Womack (''

Salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon A beauty salon or beauty parlor is an establishment that provides Cosmetics, cosmetic treatments for people. Other variations of this type of business include hair salons, spas, day spas, ...

'') who called it "pure rock 'n' roll" that could serve as an appropriate final album. Jeremy Winograd (''

Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yor ...

'') wrote that the "crisp, booming drums, hooky choruses, and livewire vocals have a radio-ready sheen without feeling forced, or compromising the Stones's essential traits". Gerrod Harris (''Spill Magazine'') gave the album 5 out of 5, calling it "a defining moment" for the band. Chris DeVille (''

Stereogum ''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine. ''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several awar ...

'') called this a good and "genuinely enjoyable" release. Nick Krewen (''

Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part of Torstar's Daily News Brands (Torstar), Daily News Brands division. ...

'') called it "a return to form". ''

Ultimate Classic Rock Townsquare Media, Inc. (formerly Regent Communications until 2010) is an American radio network and media company based in Purchase, New York. The company started in radio and expanded into digital media toward the end of the 2000s, starting wit ...

'' stated the band "step up for the occasion, delivering their most committed set of songs and performances in years". On the day of release,

Steven Hyden Steven Hyden (born September 7, 1977) is an American music critic, author, and podcast host. He is the author of the books ''Your Favorite Band Is Killing Me'' (2016, on rivalries in pop music history), ''Twilight of the Gods'' (2018, on the his ...

of ''

Uproxx Uproxx Studios (stylized as ''UPROXX'') is an American music, entertainment and popular culture website and content studio. It was founded in 2008 by Jarret Myer and Brian Brater. The website was acquired in 2014 by Woven Digital (which later ...

'' compared ''Hackney Diamonds'' to several latter-period Stones studio albums, comparing it favorably to '' Dirty Work'' (1986), ''

'' (1989) and ''

'' (2005). ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' called this the band's "liveliest work in 40 years", due to Watt. Mark Richardson (''

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...

'') called the album "genuinely fresh" and praised the innovative mixing and sound that separated it from previous Stones albums. Chris Richards (''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'') stated that the Stones have "wisely found a way to be themselves" without excessively updating their sound.

Track listing

All songs written by

, except where noted. #"

" (Jagger–Richards, Andrew Watt) – 3:46 #"Get Close" (Jagger–Richards, Watt) – 4:10 #"Depending On You" (Jagger–Richards, Watt) – 4:03 #"Bite My Head Off" – 3:31 #"Whole Wide World" – 3:58 #"Dreamy Skies" – 4:38 #"Mess It Up" – 4:03 #"Live by the Sword" – 3:59 #"Driving Me Too Hard" – 3:16 #"Tell Me Straight" – 2:56 #" Sweet Sounds of Heaven" – 7:22 #" Rolling Stone Blues" (

) – 2:41

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes. The Rolling Stones *

– lead vocals (except "Tell Me Straight"), backing vocals, guitar, percussion, harmonica on "Dreamy Skies" and "Rolling Stone Blues" *

– backing vocals, guitar, bass guitar on "Angry", "Dreamy Skies", "Tell Me Straight", and "Sweet Sounds of Heaven"; lead vocals on "Tell Me Straight" *

– backing vocals, guitar, bass guitar on "Driving Me Too Hard" Additional musicians *

Ron Blake Ron Blake (born September 7, 1965) is an American saxophonist, band leader, composer, and music educator. Born in the Virgin Islands, he attended Northwestern University, and now lives in New York City. Blake began studying guitar at age 8 and ...

– trumpet on "Get Close" and "Sweet Sounds of Heaven" * David Campbell – string

arrangement In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orchestr ...

*Matt Clifford – keyboards on "Whole Wide World"; piano on "Angry", "Depending on You", "Bite My Head Off", "Whole Wide World", "Dreamy Skies", "Driving Me Too Hard";

Wurlitzer electric piano The Wurlitzer electronic piano is an electric piano manufactured and marketed by Wurlitzer from 1954 to 1983. Sound is generated by striking a metal reed with a hammer, which induces an electric current in a pickup. It is conceptually similar to ...

on "Get Close";

Rhodes electric piano The Rhodes piano (also known as the Fender Rhodes piano) is an electric piano invented by Harold Rhodes, which became popular in the 1970s. Like a conventional piano, the Rhodes generates sound with keys and hammers, but instead of strings, th ...

on "Whole Wide World", "Mess It Up", "Driving Me Too Hard", "Tell Me Straight"; organ on "Driving Me Too Hard";

Hammond B3 organ The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert, first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding #Drawbars, drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, sound was created ...

on "Sweet Sounds of Heaven" *Karlos Edwards – percussion *

– piano on "Get Close" and "Live by the Sword" * Steve Jordan – drums (all tracks except "Mess It Up", "Live By the Sword" and "Rolling Stone Blues") * James King – saxophone on "Get Close" and "Sweet Sounds of Heaven". *

– vocals on "Sweet Sounds of Heaven" *

– bass guitar on "Bite My Head Off" *

Benmont Tench Benjamin Montmorency "Benmont" Tench III (born September 7, 1953) is an American musician and singer, and a founding member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Early years Tench was born in Gainesville, Florida, the second child of Benjamin M ...

– Hammond organ on "Depending On You" and "Dreamy Skies" * Andrew Watt – bass guitar on "Get Close", "Depending On You", "Whole Wide World", "Mess It Up", and "Sweet Sounds of Heaven"; guitar on "Depending On You" and "Mess It Up"; percussion on "Angry", "Depending On You", "Whole Wide World", and "Driving Me Too Hard"; keyboards on "Mess It Up"; backing vocals on "Angry", "Get Close", "Depending On You", "Whole Wide World", "Driving Me Too Hard", and "Sweet Sounds of Heaven"; string arrangements *

– drums on "Mess It Up" and "Live by the Sword" *

– piano, Rhodes electric piano,

Moog synthesiser The Moog synthesizer ( ) is a modular synthesizer invented by the American engineer Robert Moog in 1964. Moog's company, R. A. Moog Co., produced numerous models from 1965 to 1981, and again from 2014. It was the first commercial synthesizer a ...

(all on "Sweet Sounds of Heaven") *

– bass guitar on "Live by the Sword" Production and technical staff *Paulina Almira – illustration *

Matt Colton Matt Colton (born 30 March 1975) is an English mastering engineer and member of the mastering group of the Music Producers Guild. He has mastered recordings for artists such as Muse, Coldplay, James Blake, George Michael, Hot Chip, Gary Nu ...

– mastering at Metropolis Studios *Matt Clifford – vocal engineering and recording ("Live By the Sword") *

Serban Ghenea Serban Ghenea () is a Canadian audio engineer and mixer. He has been nominated for a Grammy Award a total of 45 times and has won 21 times. Early life and education Ghenea was born in Romania, and in 1976 he moved to Montreal with his family. H ...

– mixing at MixMaster Studios, Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States (except "Rolling Stone Blues") *Paul Lamalfa – mixing on "Rolling Stone Blues" *Studio Fury –

art direction Art director is a title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, live-action and animated film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to super ...

and design *Pierre de Beauport - guitar technician, crew chief, studio assistant *Marc VanGool – guitar technician, studio assistance *Trace Foster - guitar technician, studio assistant *Don McAulay - drum and percussion technician, studio assistant *

– drum recording and production ("Live by the Sword") *Andrew Watt – producer, mixing on "Rolling Stone Blues"

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications and sales

Accolades

''Hackney Diamonds'' won the award for

at the

Release history

References

External links

* * * *
The Rolling Stones after six decades: "We've got to keep going. When you've got it, flaunt it, you know?"
on ''

CBS Sunday Morning ''CBS News Sunday Morning'' (frequently shortened to ''Sunday Morning'') is an American television newsmagazine that has aired on CBS since January 28, 1979. Created by Robert Northshield and E.S. "Bud" Lamoreaux III, and originally hosted by Ch ...

'' {{Authority control 2023 albums Albums produced by Andrew Watt (record producer) Albums produced by Don Was Albums recorded at A&M Studios Albums recorded at Electric Lady Studios Geffen Records albums Grammy Award for Best Rock Album Hackney, London Polydor Records albums The Rolling Stones albums