We would love to hear the Rolling Stones perform these 11 unexpected tunes at Browns Stadium.

It’s The Rolling Stones’ first visit to Cleveland since 2002 when they play at Browns Stadium on Saturday, June 15. (Image sourced from Geffen Records)Geffen Records

Ohio’s Cleveland — At this point, we can be confident that the Rolling Stones will perform a number of hits during their upcoming tour, including “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” “Tumbling Dice,” “Miss You,” “Start Me Up,” “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” (which was the band’s last song performed in Cleveland on October 14, 2002), and other standards.

The unexpected songs are what actually provide extra fire to a Stones performance.
On their Hackney Diamonds Tour, which began in Houston on April 28 and ends on Saturday at Cleveland Browns Stadium (the Stones’ first Cleveland appearance in a decade) the veteran group has been providing a good number of those. Every performance has included one or more tour premieres, selected, at least in part, by an online fan poll; the others have been included to at least somewhat deviate from the customary setlist.

Thus far, the band has performed a variety of songs, such as “Emotional Rescue,” “Midnight Rambler,” “She’s So Cold,” “Time is On My Wide,” “Out of Time” (which is being performed for the first time in the United States), “Beast of Burden,” and the beloved songs “Happy” and “Little T&A” by Keith Richards. Fans may vote now to leave their stamp on the Cleveland show, and you never know what unique combination of Richards, Mick Jagger, Ron Wood, and company will choose.

Naturally, there’s no way to know, but there are plenty of forecasts and even bets available. Us? We have a wish list even though we aren’t putting any money down, and we would be thrilled to have any one of these 11 Stones songs included especially.

The Stones’ first entry on the Billboard charts (at No. 48) and their first Top 5 song in the UK came from this Buddy Holly version. Nearly sixty years to the day, it would be a pleasant and not sombre journey into the past.Carol: This month marks the 60th anniversary of another Chuck Berry cover that was released as a single on “The Mike Douglas Show.”

“I have time on my side.” Even though it wasn’t written by Jagger and Richards, this Jerry Ragavoy song—which the Stones first heard recorded by Kai Winding and later by Irma Thomas—could well be regarded as ABOUT the Stones at this point. Time is more of a friend than an opponent, and after sixty-two years and counting, this makes it an especially poignant option for performance.

“Major Street Fighter:” On October 14, 2002, the Stones made their final engagement in Cleveland at Gund Arena, starting with a 1968 counterculture song. Here’s another chance to discuss the history of the group.

Each and every line: The album “Exile on Main Street” is too significant and excellent to be limited to one song on the playlist, “Tumbling Dice.” Numerous other songs from the set may fit in, but you can be sure that this would maintain a high level of energy.
“Decent:” Although this rocker hasn’t been heard in a while, “When the Whip Comes Down” would also be a pleasant rarity from the “Some Girls” album. It would undoubtedly rock the stadium.

“Awaiting a Companion:” The Stones changed things up with their Top 20 song, “Tattoo You,” which was first recorded during the “Goats Head Soup” sessions in Jamaica and eventually released in 1981. It would also be the same live. A saxophone solo by Tim Ries or Karl Denson would be quite interesting to hear.

“I Get Angry:” A semi-deep cut (a single) from “Voodoo Lounge” (1994) was a big hit when it was played live that year. It would be a good curve ball, though.

“Harsh Justice:” The Stones’ final original studio album before “Hackney Diamonds,” “A Bigger Bang,” has unjustly vanished from the annals of the band. The first single off the album, “Opening Track,” features the guitar-heavy intensity that we associate with the Stones. The lyrics describe a relationship that might be about a romantic partner or the unstable Jagger-Richards dynamic.

“Hit Me Hard in the Head:” Even if “Hackney Diamonds” is receiving its fair share of attention on the tour under the same name, we’d still love to see what the Stones could do live with this rock song, which is even more angular than the first single, “Angry.”