4 Songs That the Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards Named as His Favorites

He’s one of the last living rock and roll icons of his era, and we wouldn’t be surprised if Keith Richards (and the whole of The Rolling Stones) decided to kick off another farewell tour in the coming years. He’s a guitar god with an image that’s irreversibly connected to rock and roll history; and naturally, he’s got decent music taste, too. Let’s look at just four songs that Keith Richards explicitly said were his favorites back in 2015 via a now-lost interview with MOJO Magazine.

1. “Little Queenie” by Chuck Berry

Guitarist and singer Chuck Berry influenced quite a few British and American rock stars back in the day. It makes sense why: Berry is considered by many to be the Father of Rock and Roll. Keith Richards said that “Little Queenie” was his favorite song by Berry, and The Rolling Stones even covered the song at one point in their career.

“Chuck [Berry] took them all by storm and played against their animosity,” said Richards in the MOJO interview. “To me, that’s blues. That’s the attitude and the guts it takes. That’s what I wanted to be, except I was white.”

2. “Rollin’ Stone” by Muddy Waters

Like Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters is another figure from the blues days who inspired countless rock stars through the years. Nobody modernized Chicago blues quite like Waters, and Richards had nothing but praise for the talented singer and guitarist. Specifically, “Rollin’ Stone” is one of his favorite tunes and also inspired his own band’s name. Richards even got to perform with Waters in 1981.

“You want to be a blues player, the next minute you f***ing well are and you’re stuck right amongst them, and there’s Muddy Waters standing next to you,” Richards gushed over performing with Waters. “It happens so fast you really can’t register all of the impressions that are coming at you… It’s one thing to play a Muddy Waters song. It’s another thing to play with him.”

3. “Poison Ivy” by The Coasters

The songs that Keith Richards named as his favorites all make perfect sense in the context of his own musical legacy. “Poison Ivy” by The Coasters is a great example. This R&B rock song was a huge hit across the globe, and its metaphoric lyrics with a “naughty” edge are not unlike The Rolling Stones’ own music. The Stones recorded several versions of this song in the 1960s.

4. “Learning The Game” by Buddy Holly

This is another classic song that The Rolling Stones have covered, so it makes sense that Richards named the song as one of his Top 15 favorites. This 1960 classic was (and still is) a fan favorite among Holly fans, whom Richards once cheekily said “all somehow looked like Buddy Holly.”

Photo by Todd Owyoung/NBC

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