{"id":341925,"date":"2025-12-30T01:16:09","date_gmt":"2025-12-30T01:16:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/341925\/"},"modified":"2025-12-30T01:16:09","modified_gmt":"2025-12-30T01:16:09","slug":"the-icon-keith-richards-called-lucky-to-be-successful","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/341925\/","title":{"rendered":"The icon Keith Richards called lucky to be successful"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Mick<\/p>\n

(Credits: Far Out \/ Nationaal Archief)<\/p>\n

Mon 29 December 2025 20:15, UK <\/p>\n

Keith Richards<\/a> has never been one to shy away from sharing his feelings. <\/p>\n

The outspoken guitarist has offered both his support and his sneering dislike to countless artists over the years. Given his position as the madman at the helm of rock titans The Rolling Stones, along with Mick Jagger, the musical opinions of Richards tend to hold a lot of weight. During the 1980s, one classic artist, in particular, came under fire from Dartford axeman.\u00a0<\/p>\n

By the 1980s, The Rolling Stones had more or less come to form the rock establishment<\/a> which they sought to tear down during their early days. Far from being adolescent misfits giving voice to the youthful rebellion of the 1960s, the group now consisted of multi-millionaires living in excess and performing to adoring fans across the globe. <\/p>\n

To many, the reality of the Stones development from young misfits to colossal figures of rock was a disappointing one \u2013 as Jeffrey Lewis so eloquently put it, \u201cThe Stones in \u201965 want total satisfaction, kid, but The Stones in \u201969 see grace in just getting what you need, and if that\u2019s a victory, then I\u2019d hate to see what I\u2019d look like defeated.\u201d<\/p>\n

One side effect of being heralded as rock music elders \u2013 it is worth noting, at this point, that the Stones were viewed as elders in the 1980s, and yet they released a new studio album only last year<\/a> \u2013 was that the band members would often be asked to voice their opinions on current trends within music. This has been a trope of music journalists for years, allowing young, up-and-coming musicians to be boosted by the praise of someone older and more notable. On the flip side, it also provides an opportunity for famously egotistical musicians to slag each other off, which The Stones regularly did.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Keith<\/a>Keith Richards on stage with The Rolling Stones. (Credits: Far Out \/ Raph Pour-Hashemi)<\/p>\n

Over the years, everybody from Duran Duran to the entire genre of rap and hip-hop has come under fire by Richards. Often scoffing at more modern musical artists or trends, the guitarist could regularly be heard in interviews comparing other groups to The Rolling Stones. During one interview back in 1988, the guitarist took aim at a long-established and beloved artist, lamenting him as being \u201ctoo contrived\u201d. Surprisingly, given their shared love for blues rock, Richards was talking about none other than Bruce Springsteen.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Part of what fuels Richards\u2019 criticism is his suspicion of anything that feels overly calculated. For someone who built a career on instinct, feel, and apparent chaos, polish can read as artifice rather than craft. Richards has always prized looseness and danger in rock and roll, valuing moments that feel like they might collapse at any second over performances that appear too tightly controlled.<\/p>\n

That outlook often puts him at odds with artists who foreground narrative and sincerity in a more deliberate way. Where Richards celebrates attitude and swagger, others prioritise storytelling and emotional clarity, even if that comes with a degree of theatricality. The clash between those philosophies helps explain why Springsteen\u2019s meticulous approach rubbed Richards the wrong way, despite their shared musical roots.<\/p>\n

Some years prior, his bandmate Mick Jagger had opened up about Springsteen, saying, \u201cI liked it. I thought the band sounded wonderful; I thought he sounded wonderfully well. [\u2026] I took the kids also. To tell you the truth, the kids did not like it very much\u201d. <\/p>\n

It seems that Richards has something in common with the Jagger children then (aside from, presumably, a complicated relationship with Mick Jagger), as he debated, \u201cI like the guy\u2026I love his attitude. I love what he wants to do. I just think he\u2019s gone about it the wrong way.\u201d before eventually affirming that the \u2018Born to Run\u2019 singer is, \u201cToo contrived for me. Too overblown.\u201d<\/p>\n

In opposition to his thoughts on the man, Richards has actually performed with Springsteen numerous times, reportedly getting along well with the New Jersey-born songwriter. Nevertheless, Richards launched a further attack on him, saying in his memoir Life, \u201cIf there was anything better around, he\u2019d still be working the bars of New Jersey.\u201d<\/p>\n

That last point feels too harsh to be considered with any real genuine thought. Springsteen\u2019s success arose at a time when there were countless famous faces making their way in the world. While he might have done well as a New Jersey answer to Bob Dylan, considering Dylan himself was still delivering classic records, the idea that he only achieved his status because he got lucky feels tough, even for Richards. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n

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