The Rolling Stones in Concert: Best Special Guests

The Rolling Stones haven’t exactly been shy about sharing the stage over the past few decades. And that tradition has continued on the band’s latest 50 and Counting tour.

Even if this latest round of shows doesn’t include as many performances as we’re accustomed to seeing from the Stones, the band still managed to pack in a long list of famous friends (including some former band members) to join them for special performances of their classic hits.

But not all guests are created equal, and that’s where we come in. We’ve compiled a list that looks back at some of the many performers who have shared a stage with the Greatest Rock ‘n’ Roll Band in the World, pulling out five of the very best. We’re talking about half a century of Stones cameos, so our choices are bound to differ from yours — and we’re sure you’ll tell us all about it in the comments.


Bonnie Raitt
'Shine a Light'


Bonnie Raitt recently joined the Stones for a performance of 'Shine a Light,' but it wasn't her first time. The two rock legends also shared a stage in 2006, when they tackled the same song in the show captured in this video.




Taj Mahal
'Corinna, Corinna'

He's sold a fraction of the records the Stones have moved over the years, but we're betting Keith Richards would trade a few of those platinum certifications to be able to interpret the blues with Taj Mahal's signature flair. Here, he joins the boys in the band for a run-through of the country-blues standard 'Corinna, Corinna.'





AC/DC
'Rock Me Baby'


Classic rock matchups don't get much heavier than this clip, which captures a performance from the Stones' 2003 tour featuring AC/DC. Some nights, the two titans got together to perform B.B. King's 'Rock Me Baby,' which is exactly what they're doing here.




Eric Clapton and John Lee Hooker
'Boogie Chillen'

The late '80s found the Rolling Stones creatively ascendant again after a few fallow years, and when they hit the road in support of their well-recieved 'Steel Wheels' album, they didn't pass up the opportunity to share a stage with Eric Clapton and the legendary John Lee Hooker. Here, all three acts join together for a performance of the blues standard 'Boogie Chillen.'





Stevie Wonder, / '(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction'
'Uptight (Everything's Alright)'

Just in terms of sheer ticket value, the Stones' 1972 tour with Stevie Wonder would have to rank among the greatest of all time, even if the two acts never got onstage together. The fact that they frequently did, jamming on songs like the 'Uptight' / 'Satisfaction' medley you see here, makes it all the more amazing.