The 1972 tour featuring The Rolling Stones was designed to be a statement of dominance. At the peak of their powers, the band was filling massive venues, delivering the kind of swaggering rock performances that defined an era. To elevate the show even further, they brought in a rising force to open the concerts—Stevie Wonder.
On paper, it made perfect sense. Wonder would add depth, soul, and credibility to the lineup. What no one fully anticipated was just how overwhelming his presence would become.
According to Mick Jagger, watching Wonder from backstage quickly turned into a nerve-wracking experience. Hidden in the shadows before his own set, Jagger could see the crowd transform in real time. What started as anticipation for the headliners shifted into something else entirely.
Stevie Wonder didn’t just warm up the audience—he took control of it.
Armed with his clavinet and an unstoppable energy, Wonder pushed his 45-minute opening set to its absolute limit. Songs like “Superstition” weren’t just performed; they were unleashed. He threw his whole body into the music, whipping his head back and forth, driving rhythms that felt both precise and explosive. Every note landed with force, and every transition kept the crowd locked in.
By the time his set ended, the audience wasn’t simply entertained—they were spent.
For a headlining act, that’s a dangerous position. The goal of an opener is to build momentum, not peak it. But night after night, Wonder was delivering performances so powerful that he left little room for anything to follow. The crowd belonged to him, completely and unapologetically.
Backstage, that reality set in quickly.
Jagger later admitted that there was genuine fear among the band. Following an act that had just pushed the audience to such an emotional and physical high required something more than routine. It demanded urgency. As soon as Wonder stepped off stage, Jagger found himself rushing out, needing to immediately reclaim the energy before it slipped away.
It became less about continuing the show and more about winning the crowd back.
What made the situation even more striking was the irony. The Rolling Stones were one of the biggest bands in the world, known for their confidence and command of the stage. Yet here they were, feeling the pressure from their own opening act—a young artist who was redefining what live performance could look like.
In hindsight, those moments speak to Stevie Wonder’s extraordinary impact as a performer. He wasn’t just talented—he was transformative. He could take a crowd and reshape its energy entirely within minutes.
For Mick Jagger, the experience became a lesson in humility and respect. Even at the top, there was always someone capable of raising the bar higher than expected.
The 1972 tour is remembered for many reasons, but one of its most enduring stories isn’t about the headliners. It’s about the opener who made legends nervous—and proved that greatness on stage doesn’t follow billing order.