As the 1960s came to an end, the world mourned the thought of a decade without the Beatles. Meanwhile, The Rolling Stones established themselves as the world’s largest rock band. They hit two home runs with Sticky Fingers and Keith Richards‘ personal favorite, Exile on Main Street.
The Stones had steadily shifted away from their early sound. It steeped in traditional rhythm and blues music, by the mid-1960s. Although they began to adopt a more pop-oriented sound, much to the chagrin of original bandleader Brian Jones, The Rolling Stones never completely lost touch with their roots. Moreover, Richards kept a style rich in conventional blues riffs and Chuck Berry-inspired flourishes.
Many furious intergenerational dinner table debates may witness the fact that preferences tend to stagnate at some ill-defined moment in mid-adulthood. It appears that the 1980s were an important turning point for Richards and many other artists of his age.
Some Girls, the Stones’ 1978 album, showcases the band’s love of contemporary disco music. The subsequent fondness for sample-based hip-hop was too much for Richards. “I don’t like hearing people yelling at me and telling me it’s music, AKA rap,” Keith Richards told The Telegraph in 2023. “I can get enough of that without leaving my house.”
Throughout his career, Richards has demonstrated a love of jazz and classical music while dismissing current commercial music, particularly rap – or “yelling,” as he defines it.
In a 2015 interview with the New York Daily News, Richards also mentioned hip-hop music. He argued that “what rap did that was impressive. It was able to show how many tone-deaf people there are out there.” They’re content with just a drum beat and someone shouting over it. There’s a huge market for folks who can’t differentiate one note from the next.”
Continuing his interview with The Telegraph, the guitarist stated that he “wants to start complaining about pop music”. But expressed his views. “It’s always been rubbish,” he said emphatically. “I mean, that’s the whole point.” They make everything as cheap and simple as possible. So, it constantly sounds the same. There’s very little personality in it.”
Richards also complained that, aside from “yelling,” current music depends too heavily on synthesized sounds. “I like to hear music by people playing instruments,” Richards continued, referring to electronic music. “That is, I don’t like to hear plastic synthesized Muzak, as it used to be known, what you hear in elevators, which is now the par for the course.”
