The era of rock music began in the mid-1950s. By the 1960s, the rock music industry had already undergone significant evolution, giving birth to many sub-genres, including blues. During this time, numerous musicians emerged, leading to rapid and transformative growth in the music industry.
Several bands played a pivotal role in reshaping the rock music landscape, and one of the most forward-thinking groups was The Rolling Stones. This band stood out as one of Britain’s finest and most influential bands, especially at a time when few British groups could rival the dominance of American bands. The Rolling Stones managed to break into the U.S. charts, making history.
As the 1960s progressed, other remarkable British bands began to emerge, experimenting with new and diverse rock genres. Despite these trends, The Rolling Stones remained true to their blues roots and continued to rock the music scene. Keith Richards, one of the founding members and the lead guitarist of the band, is recognized as an exceptional musician with deep knowledge of the blues.
It’s unlikely that anyone would dispute Richards’ musical talents. As a key figure in one of the greatest bands ever, he is widely regarded as a master of the guitar. With his vast musical expertise, Richards has identified several bands that he considers truly outstanding. Let’s take a closer look at the bands that Keith Richards has hailed as the best in the world.
Richards has always been candid in expressing his opinions. When asked which bands he considers the greatest in the world, he mentioned several, including The Beatles, often viewed as rivals of The Rolling Stones. Richards remarked, “The Beatles. I mean, I sort of throw them in. I’m always caught up with that ‘you’re top 5 favorites’ and everything because I realize I’m gonna leave people out. The other one is The X-Pensive Winos [laughs].”
Another band that Richards considers among the best is Elvis Presley’s band. He shared his admiration, saying, “I would start personally with probably The Hillbilly Cats, Elvis’ band. The most amazing stuff and it was very early on.” Richards expressed deep appreciation for the band, noting how their music seemed to bring the world from black and white into color.
Richards also expressed his fondness for The Small Faces and Humble Pie. He said, “I always liked Steve Marriott, very much from the English point of view. You know, The Small Faces, and then he had Humble Pie.” Interestingly, in a 1983 interview with Best Classic Bands, Steve Marriott mentioned that Keith was the only person he consistently kept in touch with and could rely on. Marriott added that Keith was always there for him, no matter the circumstances.
Tragically, Steve Marriott passed away at the young age of 44. He died on April 20, 1991, in a fire accident. Reports suggest that Marriott had fallen asleep after lighting a cigarette while being drunk and tired. It took four fire trucks to extinguish the blaze.
Lastly, Richards named Dave Bartholomew’s band as one of the greatest. Speaking about this band, he said, “At the same time (as Elvis’ band) then Dave Bartholomew’s band that backed up Little Richard, Fats Domino, that was a great band.”
Unfortunately, both Elvis Presley and Dave Bartholomew are no longer with us. Elvis passed away on August 16, 1977, due to heart failure, while Dave Bartholomew died on June 23, 2019, also from heart failure, at the age of 100.
