The Problem Keith Richards Had With Punk Music

People love to categorize their favorite music. Every genre has endless amounts of sub-genres, and–for the most part–those distinctions are necessary. For instance, punk rock certainly sounds very different from classic rock and is worlds away from pop rock. These categories help fans find their niche. However, not all musicians agree with every distinction. As a prime example of that, find out why Keith Richards had a problem with punk, below. Is punk a certified sub-genre or is it more of a PR tactic? Richards weighed in.

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The Problem Keith Richards Had With Punk Music

Punks are easily enough identified–especially in their heyday. With its trademarked leather jackets, grungy boots, and piercings, punk was the defiant younger brother of classic rock. What Elvis Presley was to kids in the ’50s, punks were to a new generation of youngsters, who needed a bit more to rattle their feathers than some suggestive dancing.

Yes, there is a punk image, but is it all image? According to Richards, yes. The Rolling Stones guitarist found punk to lack substance. He chalked up the genre’s struggle to find footing in the ’80s to a lack of intention behind the music. He found the punks to be all bark and no bite.

“Yeah, there was a certain spirit there,” Richards once told Rolling Stone. “But I don’t think there was anything new musically, or even from the PR point of view, image-wise. There was too much image, and none of the bands were given enough chance to put their music together, if they had any.”

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“It seemed to be the least important thing,” he continued. “It was more important if you puked over somebody, you know? But that’s a legacy from us also. After all, we’re still the only rock & roll band arrested for peeing on a wall.”

Despite Richards’ opinion on the sub-genre, it found plenty of fans–and continues to do numbers today. The sentiment of rebellion found in punk was a battle cry for a generation of people who were dealing with a lot, socially and politically. Listening to punk music gave people a safe outlet to rebel.

What do you think? Is Richards right and punk is all about image? Or was it a leap forward for rock back in the ’70s?

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