Why Keith Richards Didn’t Like Being In The “British Invasion”
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - JUNE 05: Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones performs live on stage at Old Trafford on June 5, 2018 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Andrew Benge/Redferns)
People love to group things together—it’s just how we make sense of the world. So when a wave of British bands started making noise in the U.S. during the ’60s, fans and critics quickly slapped a name on it: the British Invasion. For many, it made sense. But for Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards? Not so much.
The Stones and the Invasion Label
The Beatles may have led the charge, but the Rolling Stones weren’t far behind. Both bands were wildly different in style—one polished and poppy, the other raw and gritty—but both had massive appeal. American fans couldn’t get enough of the Stones’ swagger and bluesy edge, making them a major player in this so-called “invasion.”
But while the label stuck for most bands of the era, Richards always felt a little uneasy about it.
Keith Sets the Record Straight
In typical Keith Richards fashion, he didn’t sugarcoat how he felt about the British Invasion tag. “That was a bunch of horsesh,” he said. “Suddenly, at last, some English bands got lucky and managed to go across the pond. It was just an explosion of music in England at that time that just somehow made it. And some of it was very bad, you know? A lot of it was just covers of American R&B.”
From Richards’ perspective, the whole thing wasn’t a grand cultural moment—it was simply a lot of British bands catching a good wave, some better than others. And he wasn’t wrong; plenty of those bands faded while the Stones kept rolling.
Why the Stones Stood Out
Sure, the influx of British talent made it easier for bands to get noticed in the U.S., but Richards believed the Rolling Stones could’ve made it regardless. Their sound was timeless, rooted in American blues and rock ’n’ roll. They weren’t riding a trend—they were the trend.
At the end of the day, Keith just wanted people to see the Stones for what they really were: a powerhouse band doing their own thing, not part of a packaged movement. And with decades of success behind them, it’s hard to argue with him.
