Simply Red is simply amazing live! The 65-year-old frontman Mick Hucknall’s voice has aged like fine wine, and fans were gobsmacked at his gorgeous vocals on a 2025 live cut of their greatest hit “Stars.” Any ‘90s kids out there will know that this was one of the most iconic hits of the decade, and it sure feels great to hear the band still killing it in 2025. The band delivered “Stars” for their 40 Years of Simply Red – Live from Santiago concert.
The Chilean crowd understood the assignment, and hearing the entire stadium sing the main hook created a spine-tingling feel in the air. A truly legendary song like “Stars” really stands the test of time, and the energy that the band and crowd created in this performance really proves that. The Music Man just can’t get over how incredible Hucknall sounds 34 years after “Stars” dropped, and here’s to many more years to come for Simply Red!
Simply Red premiered the “Stars” performance on May 14, 2025, and it’s since hit 1.1 million views. Fans were loving the nostalgia hit of hearing the anthem again and added comments such as “Just amazing, I am speechless. The warmth, the heart, the voice, the memories. Thank you! Even better than decades ago!” and “The audience are his backing singers. Fantastic. Mick is still brilliant here.”
One of the most iconic Simply Red performances remains their 2010 concert at the Sydney Opera House. The show took place during what was then publicized as the band’s farewell tour, after 25 years in the game. The Mancunian hitmakers were generous enough to upload the entire concert to YouTube in HD in September 2020. One of the highlights is “Stars”, but all the classic hits are there in the nearly two-hour concert.
Simply Red issued “Stars” on November 18, 1991, as the second single from their fourth studio album of the same name. The Music Man readers might be interested to hear that Hucknall wrote the song while on tour promoting the band’s previous album. Hucknall determined that he wanted to move the band’s sound in a more soulful direction with their fourth album, and the upbeat and funky groove of “Stars” won praise from critics. The pop and soul anthem became one of Simply Red’s biggest hits, peaking at number nine in the UK and eventually being certified Platinum in their homeland.