7 Artists Keith Richards Has Insulted: ‘I Don’t See Much Substance in Anything He Does’
Keith Richards has been famous for decades, and in this time, other artists have likely come to expect getting insulted by him. He slings criticism at many musicians, including his own Rolling Stones bandmate. Here are seven artists Richards has attacked over the years.
Keith Richards insulted Elton John multiple times
In a 1988 interview, Richards took a shot at Elton John’s authenticity.
“Reg, give me a Rubens, and I’ll say something nice. Reg Dwight,” he told Rolling Stone, referring to John’s real name, Reginald. “Lovely bloke, but posing.”
He also said that John’s song “Candle in the Wind” was a “jarring” addition to Princess Diana’s funeral.
“Yeah, it did jar a bit,” he told Entertainment Weekly. “Songs for Dead Blonds. But he was a personal friend, after all. I’d find it difficult to ride on the back of something like that myself, but Reg is showbiz.”
He didn’t have much respect for The Beatles
While Richards has said he liked The Beatles, he couldn’t help but insult the rival band.
“No, I understand — the Beatles sounded great when they were the Beatles,” he told Esquire in 2015. “But there’s not a lot of roots in that music. I think they got carried away. Why not? If you’re the Beatles in the ’60s, you just get carried away — you forget what it is you wanted to do. You’re starting to do Sgt. Pepper. Some people think it’s a genius album, but I think it’s a mishmash of rubbish, kind of like Satanic Majesties — ‘Oh, if you can make a load of s***, so can we.'”
He also insulted George Harrison’s guitar playing and Paul McCartney in general.
“[Ringo Starr] has some good musicians but without John [Lennon], it doesn’t do anything for me,” he told Spin. “Paul [McCartney] certainly doesn’t, and I never could take George’s guitar playing.”
He said Prince was overrated
Richards shared a kind opinion of Prince after his death in 2016, but he didn’t always have nice things to say.
“To me, Prince is like the Monkees…” he said, per the LA Times. “I think he’s very clever at manipulating the music business and the entertainment business. I think he’s more into that than making music. I don’t see much substance in anything he does … a Pee-wee Herman trip.”
Keith Richards insulted Metallica by calling them a joke
Richards had very little interest in heavy metal, which he proved when he called Metallica a joke.
“Millions are in love with Metallica and Black Sabbath,” he said, per NME. “I just thought they were great jokes … I don’t know where Metallica’s inspiration comes from, but if it’s from me, then I f***ed up.”
He didn’t think David Bowie was an authentic artist
As with many of these artists, Richards believed that David Bowie was more style than substance. He admitted that “Changes” was Bowie’s only song that he could even remember.
“It’s all pose,” he said, per Uncut. “It’s all f***ing posing. It’s nothing to do with music. He knows it too. I can’t think of anything else he’s done that would make my hair stand up.”
He found 1 member of Led Zeppelin annoying
While, as a guitarist, Richards couldn’t deny Jimmy Page’s talent, he was not a fan of Led Zeppelin, once calling their music “hollow.” He also admitted that he couldn’t take Robert Plant’s vocals.
“I played their album quite a few times when I first got it, but then the guy’s voice started to get on my nerves,” he told Rolling Stone. “I don’t know why; maybe he’s a little too acrobatic. But Jimmy Page is a great guitar player, and a very respected one.”
Keith Richards has insulted Mick Jagger countless times
Richards and Mick Jagger have worked together for decades, but that hasn’t stopped the guitarist from disparaging his bandmate.
In 2018, Richards told The Wall Street Journal that Jagger was too old to be a father, noting, “Mick’s a randy old bastard. It’s time for the snip — you can’t be a father at that age. Those poor kids!”
In his memoir Life, Richards wrote that Jagger became “unbearable” in the 1980s and described his “swollen head.”
“Mick got very big ideas,” he wrote. “All lead singers do. It’s a known affliction called LVS, lead vocalist syndrome.”
Richards has apologized to Jagger for at least some of his comments. Clearly, he hasn’t entirely destroyed their relationship, as The Rolling Stones are still together.
“Mick and I live off of this fire between us,” he said.
