Some of the Rolling Stones’ finest songs often emerged from loose, creative jam sessions. Keith Richards or Mick Jagger might bring a core musical idea to the table, but the heart and soul came alive when the band infused their unique touches—Charlie Watts’ rhythmic finesse, Bill Wyman’s melodic bass fills, and everyone else building on the magic. But for all their mastery of reinvention, Richards admitted there was one musician whose work he couldn’t improve upon: the legendary Robert Johnson.
The Stones have always drawn from a wide array of influences, but the blues has remained their lifeblood. While traces of country or even punk occasionally colored their music, it was the sounds of Muddy Waters and B.B. King that first captured their imaginations and shaped Richards’ iconic guitar style. Yet, even among the pantheon of blues greats, Johnson stood apart—his music was raw, otherworldly, and untouchable.
Richards, deeply influenced by Johnson, described the late bluesman’s music as something almost supernatural. “He was expelling demons,” Richards reflected, referencing Johnson’s haunting track Me and the Devil Blues. Johnson’s playing and spirit seemed to flow directly from his soul, embodying a passion that few—including the likes of Jimi Hendrix—have matched.
When it came time for the Stones to record Johnson’s Love in Vain, Richards knew he couldn’t replicate the bluesman’s unique style. “We were sitting in the studio saying, ‘Let’s do Love in Vain by Robert Johnson.’ Then I’m trying to figure out some nuances and chords, and I start to play it in a totally different fashion. Everybody joins in and goes, ‘Yeah,’ and suddenly, you’ve got your own stamp on it.” Richards acknowledged he “wasn’t going to be able to top Robert Johnson’s guitar playing,” so the band reimagined the song instead.
The Stones’ version leaned into country influences, a shift inspired partly by Richards’ friendship with Gram Parsons. While Johnson’s original had no country leanings, its tale of heartache translated seamlessly. The reimagined Love in Vain retained its bluesy essence but with a twangy, country flair—a perfect hybrid of two quintessentially American musical traditions.
This experiment with country tones laid the groundwork for Richards’ later songwriting. Songs like Wild Horses, Dead Flowers, and Coming Down Again owe much to the same blending of blues and country that redefined Love in Vain. Tracks like these channeled the spirit of artists like Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash, proving that heartbreak and storytelling transcend genre boundaries.
The Rolling Stones’ tribute to Robert Johnson wasn’t just about covering a song—it was about paying homage to a towering figure of the blues by introducing his work to a new generation. By reinterpreting Johnson’s music through their unique lens, the Stones didn’t just honor his legacy—they expanded it, spreading the gospel of the blues while carving out new creative paths for themselves.