Although David Bowie rocketed to fame as the eccentric alien persona of Ziggy Stardust, he had humble beginnings. Born David Jones, Bowie initially struggled to make a mark in the 1960s music scene. However, he was undeniably unique, drawing inspiration from Andy Warhol’s art, Bob Dylan’s poetic lyrics, and the inventive storytelling of Stanley Kubrick.
Throughout his career, Bowie wore his influences proudly. On his album Hunky Dory, he included direct homages like “Andy Warhol” and “Song for Bob Dylan.” The Rolling Stones, another major influence, made appearances in Bowie’s music too—he covered their hit “Let’s Spend the Night Together” on Aladdin Sane and gave them a shout-out in “All the Young Dudes.”
During the glam rock era, Bowie was an outspoken fan of the Stones, but did the Stones feel the same way about Bowie? While Bowie and Mick Jagger were close, collaborating memorably (though perhaps regrettably) on their 1985 cover of “Dancing in the Street,” Jagger wasn’t exactly in awe of Bowie’s work.
In 1974, after Bowie released David Live, Jagger dismissed the album, saying, “If I got the kind of reviews that he got for that album, I would honestly never record again. Never!” He found Bowie’s version of “Knock on Wood” particularly disappointing. Although Jagger might have liked some of Bowie’s work, he wasn’t quick to offer much admiration publicly.
Keith Richards, the Stones’ guitarist and a blues purist, was even more skeptical. In a 2008 interview with Uncut, Richards admitted, “I was not a huge fan” of Bowie’s music, calling it “all pose.” He conceded that he remembered “Changes” from Hunky Dory but didn’t find anything else memorable.
“It’s all posing,” Richards criticized. “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.”
Despite his hardline stance, Richards later expressed respect for Bowie after his passing in 2016, acknowledging Bowie’s originality and creative spirit.
The Stones’ founding drummer, Charlie Watts, wasn’t enthusiastic about Bowie either, though his reasons differed. As a jazz aficionado, Watts rarely gravitated toward rock or pop music, preferring the rhythms of jazz legends over mainstream rock.
In a 2018 Guardian interview, Watts expressed his ambivalence about rock music in general, stating, “I love playing the drums and I love playing with Mick and Keith and Ronnie, I don’t know about the rest of it.
It wouldn’t bother me if the Rolling Stones said that’s it … enough.” Reflecting on Bowie’s death, he added, “He was a lovely guy, and he wrote a couple of good songs. But for me, he wasn’t this musical genius.”
Watts’ views seemed rooted in his jazz background, where technical mastery, like that of Buddy Rich, was the standard. While Bowie may not have impressed him on that front, his legacy undoubtedly resonated far beyond the Stones’ specific musical values. For Bowie, if he’s watching from another world, perhaps he’d understand—some artists simply see music through different eyes.
