When the Rolling Stones took the stage at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia in 1981, they had a crowd of thousands waiting for them. On September 25, the Stones opened the first night of their 1981 U.S. Tour in support of their new album at the time, Tattoo You. Both nights drew crowds of a whopping 90,000 fans, proving the power of the iconic rock band 20 years into their career.
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For more than two hours, the band rolled through a set of nearly 30 songs, including “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” “Under My Thumb,” Jumpin’ Jack Flash” and several others. The look of the stage was straight out of the ’80s, complete with larger-than-life pink and yellow stage props. A giant pink door displaying the band’s signature tongue logo parted ways as Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood, Charlie Watts, and Bill Wyman entered the stage to the sound of roars from the monstrous crowd.
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Lead singer Jagger can be seen donning a bright yellow jacket as he frolics and dances around the stage on the opening number, “Under My Thumb.” He grabs a guitar for “When the Whip Comes Dow.”
“I must say it’s nice to be back with such a lovely crowd on such a lovely day,” Jagger told the audience, his eccentric stage presence on full display.
Journey and blues guitarist George Thorogood served as the opening act. “I’m older and much gooder,” Jagger said during the press conference announcing the show that came nearly 20 years after the Stones’ debut in 1962. “I’ve never met anyone that’s got older that got worse. They always get sweeter, don’t they?”
The Stones also sprinkled in covers of The Temptations’ “Just My Imagination (Running Away From Me)” and “Time is on My Side” by Kai Winding and his orchestra. The show concluded with a two-song encore of “Street Fighting Man” and their signature hit “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.”
The 1981 tour proved to be one of the highest-grossing tours of the decade, making north of $50 million across 50 shows.
Photo by Paul Natkin/WireImage
