The Rolling Stones wouldn’t be The Rolling Stones if not for Keith Richards’ songwriting and raunchy riffs. In their live performances, as well as on their recordings, part of what makes Richards great is his ability to drive the band’s sound without dominating it.
In singling out Richards’ most memorable live performances, then, a different standard applies than if one was picking, say, Jimi Hendrix’s greatest moments of shredding. To find examples of Richards standing out among his bandmates, we have to also include some of his performances outside of the Stones.
For that reason, you won’t find any of the Stones’ famous performances from The Ed Sullivan Show or their Super Bowl halftime show here. You will find, however, several examples of Richards lighting up the stage and playing as only he can.
1. “Rock and Roll Music,” Fox Theatre, St. Louis, 1986
Hail! Hail! Rock ‘n’ Roll is a concert film that documents a pair of shows held to celebrate Chuck Berry’s 60th birthday. For this number, Richards shares the stage with Berry, as well as fellow guitarists Robert Cray and Eric Clapton, as well as Etta James, who sings the lead vocal.
With several guitarists playing, it’s hard to pick out Richards’ part, but the performance is worth watching just for the sheer star power. Richards exudes pure joy here, and it’s fun to see him jam with Cray and embrace James and Berry at the song’s conclusion. Not that one would expect any other reaction from Richards, who was heavily influenced by Berry and covered his “Run Rudolph Run” for his first solo single.
The documentary and soundtrack album for the performances were released in 1987. Richards not only performed in the shows but co-produced the film.
2. “Wild Horses,” Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles, 2004
This performance was part of Return to Sin City, a two-night Gram Parsons tribute concert. Richards played his acoustic guitar part and sang the first verse (albeit while interpolating some of the lyrics from the second verse) before handing off the lead vocal duties to Jim Lauderdale, Jim James, Steve Earle, and Norah Jones on the verses and a chorale of star performers on the choruses. The mellow country-tinged classic was a perfect choice for the event, and it sounded as gorgeous as ever, even without Mick Jagger’s familiar vocals.
3. “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” Forest National Arena, Brussels, 1973
We would be absolutely remiss to not include any Rolling Stones performances on this list, even if Richards’ playing sometimes gets overshadowed by Jagger’s magnetic presence in live shows. This version of “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” was included on the Stones’ 2011 album, Brussels Affair (Live 1973), and while the sound of the entire album is fantastic, on this track, Richards’ iconic riff really comes to the fore. The band played this show at a time when Richards was prohibited from playing in France due to drug possession charges in the country, so they decided to play a show in Brussels that their French fans could attend.
4. “Happy,” Tarrant County Convention Center, Fort Worth, 1972.
We would also be remiss not to include a live version of the Stones song that Richards is best known for singing lead on. This is a spirited performance in which Richards and Jagger capture their harmonizing magic perfectly. And then there is that irresistible Richards riff. This performance is from the 1974 concert movie Ladies and Gentlemen, The Rolling Stones, which was also released as a live album of the same name in 2017
5. “Yer Blues” with The Dirty Mac, Intertel Studio, London, 1968
The Dirty Mac was a short-lived supergroup consisting of Richards, John Lennon, Eric Clapton, and Mitch Mitchell, created for the sole purpose of performing on a television special called The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus. The cover of The Beatles’ “Yer Blues” was one of just two songs The Dirty Mac played, the other being an improvisational piece with Yoko Ono and violinist Ivry Gitlis called “Whole Lotta Yoko.”
Richards switched to bass for this performance, and while it’s hard to not be focused on Lennon’s robust vocals, each of the four members shines. It’s frankly mind-blowing to see these rock legends on the stage together, much less to hear each of them in prime form.
While the show was not aired on the BBC as intended, it eventually saw the light of day with its premiere at the New York Film Festival in 1996. That was followed by the release of an album and home video.
6. “Bodytalks,” Sporthalle, Cologne, 1992
Richards started touring with his own band, X-Pensive Winos, in 1988, and this performance is from the band’s tour for his second solo album, Main Offender. “Bodytalks” is from that album, and the song is a great showcase for Richards. He jams on one of his classic riffs while trading off vocals with Sarah Dash. Richards’ band included accomplished musicians like Dash, Rolling Stones mainstay Bobby Keys, Steve Jordan, Waddy Wachtel, Ivan Neville, and Charley Drayton (who is best known as a drummer but served as X-Pensive Winos’ bassist).
