10 Best Rock Guitarists Of The 1960s
8. Keith Richards
Like many of his contemporaries, Keith Richards was and is a blues man.
His whole take on the guitar was inspired by American musicians like Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters, and later guitarists like Buddy Guy. Less inclined to rip an endlessly expressive solo, and more content to sit comfortably in the groove, his playing is subtle but damn effective.
Although he's comfortable throwing in the odd bit of riff work, it's all about the rhythm with this guy. It's notable that the Stones have always had a second guitarist in the band. Whether it was Brian Jones, Mick Taylor or Ronnie Wood, Richards has consistently had someone to bounce off, and this is when he's at his most comfortable.
Whereas your typical rock band of this era would usually have one guy strumming out the chords while the other exhibited flashy riff work, Richards preferred a collaborative approach. The technique of intertwining guitar melodies dancing back and forth, resulted in an innate fluidity to Stones tracks.
It's not what you play, it's how you play it, and in Keiths case, he was a master of playing it cool.