Elton John Said The Rolling Stones Would Have Been Better if They Had ‘Thrown Out’ Keith Richards

Keith Richards is an irreplaceable member of The Rolling Stones, just like lead singer Mick Jagger. The two have been a part of the band since the beginning and have led the Stones to become one of the most successful rock bands ever. While most people know how essential they are to the band, Elton John once delivered a hot take by saying the Stones would have been better if they had gotten rid of Richards. 

Elton John and Keith Richards have a rocky relationship

Elton John and Keith Richards ascended in the U.K. music industry in the late 1960s to early 1970s. However, in the 1980s, John and Richards began a slight feud with one another. 

While it’s hard to tell what started the feud, it may have begun when The Rolling Stones invited John to play with them during a concert in Colorado. In his book, Me, John said he was only supposed to join them for “Honky Tonk Women”, but he overstayed his welcome, causing Richards to become furious. 

“For a while, I thought Keith Richards kept staring at me because he was awestruck by the brilliance of my improvised contributions to their oeuvre,” John stated. “After a few songs, it finally penetrated my brain that the expression on his face wasn’t really suggestive of profound musical appreciation. I quickly scuttled off, noting as I went that Keith was still staring at me in a manner that suggested we’d be discussing this later, and decided it might be best if I didn’t hang around for the after-show party.”

Elton John said The Rolling Stones should have ‘thrown out’ Keith Richards

In 1997, Elton John had a bizarre interview with The New York Daily News (shared via Far Out magazine). In the interview, John shared some scathing insults toward Keith Richards while complimenting The Rolling Stones. The “Tiny Dancer” singer named “Come On” as one of his favorite songs by the band while also calling Richards an “a**hole” and saying he looks like a “monkey with arthritis.”

“I have great respect for the Stones, but they would have been better if they had thrown Keith out 15 years ago,” John shared. “I just think he’s an a-hole, and I have for a long time…what I think the Rolling Stones should do is a great blues record and go back to what they used to do – and do things like ‘Come On’ – the Chuck Berry song like they did in their early career. That is what they should do.”

Do Richards and John like each other today?

Their feud seems to have calmed down, with the two sharing mostly friendly greetings in public and not bashing each other in the media. However, in a 2018 interview with The Telegraph, Richards was asked about John’s retirement from touring. While he seems to be joking, his response contains some passive aggressiveness. 

“More room for us!” Richards said. “After three years on the road with Elton, you would want to retire, too. I’ll take his word for it.”

Then, John played piano on two tracks off the Stones’ 2023 album, Hackney Diamonds. The legendary pianist can be heard on “Get Close” and “Live by the Sword.”

The Rolling Stones guitarist and Elton John have certainly exchanged their share of insults, but maybe tensions between them have cooled over the years.