At this stage in his career and his life, given the punishment that he has inflicted on himself and the fact that he can barely express himself verbally, it's extremely impressive that he can still hold on to the guitar, let alone make it sing. But he still appears to have the chops and is probably the second most influential rock and roll guitarist after Chuck Berry. Sure Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton play with more flair (flare?) and Eddie Van Halen and his whiz kid progeny are more technically adept, but listen to 90% of the guys on stage at a club, concert hall or festival stage and you will hear echoes of Chuck and Keith before you will hear those other guys.

At best he was/is a decent enough rhythm player who's come out with some memorable riffs but his lead work hardly impresses. It doesnt help that he also has a face like a year old prune.

When it comes to the rhtyme parts , nobody can touch this dude.

He would be near the top of the rock and roll list just for the years he has managed to stay alive and keep playing. On the early Stones albums, he was inspiring to the aspiring. His lifestyle is his biggest flaw.

He's simply the best guy ever to do rock!

Richards is so sloppy that he takes a string off of his guitars to hide his flaws. He used to be a solid rythym player but he can't play anymore.

The best guitarist of all time. Supports the song first. Great innovative soslos.

this guy is still having fun, entertain with the highest energy, and equiped with a powerful slap to the face rhythm.

nobody plays rhythm like keith. He's the best ever.

very tasteful and rude!

When it comes to the mellow stuff, nobody can touch this phucker.

One of the best studio rock and roll guitar men ever....

well I used to love him...

another great songwriter but isnt that great live

Greatest innovation?  Smoking a cigarette and playing at the same time!!!

Belongs on the most overrated list. He plays a decent rhythm guitar and gets a few points for survival but you'd think he invented open tuning  going by the magazines and the aura and myth built around him is far more impressive than his playing. Since Taylor left the Stones they haven't had a creative moment. But I guess when your other guitarist is Woody, anybody looks great.

snaking rhythms and so much soul,a bad mofo.fave:dandelion

He looks like death warmed up, but you gotta give credit for playing for the last 60 years, and for sleeping wth all those women....

The pits. Sorry......

Yes, loose and sloppy

Average guitarist.  Has had many memorable riffs and licks over the years.  Sort of a sloppy player which adds to his appeal for the type of loose rock the Stones produce.  I wouldn't have him on any best guitarist lists for ability, but a better rhythm player than a "lead" guitarist.

Got to give the guy a lot of credit for his playing even though he looks like he is 100 years old!!

The Ultimate Rhythm Guitarist.

A very basic guitarist BUT he could keep time well.

this dude couldnt play one chord to save him away from drugs.

If you want some good stuff from this dude check out his live 1972 tour. He might not be the fast cat but nobody can touch this f***er when it comes to the rhythm. Nobody plays with sting, and emotion like Keith.

Another in a long line of "things from the 1960s" that gets way more praise than it deserves. The baby boomers are so self obsessed it's ridiculous. It's almost humorous to watch people try to come up with things to praise about Keefers playing. "Great rhythm playing" is a common one. As if every other guitarist on this list couldn't play the "rhythms" he played.

he can play good rhythm guitar and make good riffs but terrible at lead guitar work.

This dude came up with some of the most sickest riffs. A true genuis.

Criticizing Keith Richards for being a simplistic rhythm machine is like criticizing Guinness for making a strong stout. If you don't recognize the greatness of Brown Sugar's tough, visceral rhythm patterns than there is no hope for you and you just simply will never get it. Keith Richards IS rock and roll, deal with it.

I must disagree with the estimable 5th century barbarian chieftain on this one, whilst pleading ignorance of the two guitarists he mentioned beyond recognizing the names. Richards, who started out as pretty much a co-lead guitarist in the Brian Jones days before Mick Taylor came in, is arguably the greatest rythym guitarist in rock's history, or at any rate one of them. Acoustically speaking, he might not be as great on acoustic guitar as, say, Clapton but a listen to his acoustic work on something like "Sweet Black Angel," or "Sweet Virginia," or "Wild Horses" should dispell any criticisms to his unplugged ability.

I revere the brilliance of the early Stones, but the truth is that Mick Taylor was really the only musician in the group who truly qualified as "talented" (maybe Brian Jones too, at least until the drugs took hold). That fact shouldn't detract from enjoyment of the music. If you're interested in rating the most "talented" musician only in terms of their skill or proficiency at a particular instrument, you'll be listening to jazz...let's face it.

This list is about as meaningless as any list on this site. Can you believe that Keith Richards is way ahead of such masters as Andres Segovia or Carlos Montoya? It shows that about all most of the raters have heard is head banging electric types.

Real mastery is done in the acoustic mode. I wonder how Richards would stack up there?

Keith Richards is not a "soloist", but you have to give the guy credit for coming up with some of the greatest guitar riffs in Rock History!

He smells, and it's awful. sorry to speak wrong of the dead. (hahahaha).

LOL, I play as well as Richards!

A long running joke in the music world.

Rhythms so sharp you could cut yourself on them.Eric Carmen's favorite guitarist.

simply awesome

Keith Richards is not that great of what you typically think of a guitarist. What he does better than anyone else tho is rythym. The rythyms he can create are unlike most guitarests.

Not worthy of inclusion on this list. My guitar teacher says the only thing you can learn from Keef is NOT WHAT to play.

The "riffmaster" is the purveyer of most recognizable hooks that rock and roll has to offer. Satisfaction, The Last Time, Brown Sugar, All Down the Line, Jumpin Jack Flash, Sympathy for the Devil and about 200 more classic songs, The "lead" rhythem player for the greatest rock and roll band in the world. Just try having a bad time at a Rolling Stones concert. If you don't enjoy yourself, check and see if you still have a pulse, you may already be dead.

Hey, Keith, the DEA called. They want their drugs back.

An absolute joke

What's all this about Steve Vai, Slash etc?! Keith was the riff king. He had no master. Okay, so he couldn't do up yer own bottom, 10 minute tongue waggling solos, but thats the point! He knew have to be part of a song, not go off on a tangent of endless boredom whilst you wait for the hook to kick in again. If you are from a rectangular state that ends in a vowel and say 'yo, dude, that van Halen is awesome!!!!!!' a lot, then I understand your uninformed preferences are gonna be different from my.

For Keith as well as myself, playing guitar will always be a matter of feel and imagination over wild technique - though not to imply that I'm at his level or will ever be...like Chuck Berry, Richard's is a classic because he understand's how to utilize simplicity in his writing/playing style, a basic approach of less is more.

Keith was once a good guitarist...burned his brains out on drugs. Now he's terrible!!! You must be listening to some studio musician...