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The 2015 Rolling Stone collector’s edition feature titled “Keith Richards’ 20 Greatest Songs” brings together Rolling Stones songs with Richards on lead vocals and recordings from his solo career. Its “greatest” label is an editorial judgment, not a universally verified ranking. The accessible feature text confirms that scope but not the complete list or its order, so an exact 20-song sequence cannot be responsibly reproduced here. Read the feature’s framing in Rolling Stone’s collector’s edition.
What does “Keith Richards’ 20 Greatest Songs” mean?
The title belongs to a 2015 Rolling Stone collector’s edition, Keith Richards: The Ultimate Guide to His Music & Legend. The feature describes a selection of Richards’ best Rolling Stones lead vocals and solo cuts—a guide to his finest moments, rather than a measured or definitive ranking. Its confirmed scope is useful; the accessible text does not establish all 20 entries or their sequence.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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The Very Best Of The Rolling Stones 1964-1971 | $9.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Forty Licks | $38.28 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Jump Back: The Best Of The Rolling Stones (71-93 Remastered) (CD) | $29.43 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Hot Rocks 1964-1971 | $16.45 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
Jump Back: The Best Of The Rolling Stones (1971 - 1993) | $4.57 | Buy on Amazon |
That distinction matters because Richards is central to many Stones recordings without singing lead on all of them. A song can be important to his musical identity because of a riff, arrangement, or songwriting contribution, while the list’s stated scope specifically includes Stones lead vocals and solo recordings.
How to think about the songs in the selection
Without a verified complete sequence, the clearest way to understand the feature is by the different kinds of Richards contribution it brings into view. These are listening lenses, not claims about the list’s exact order.
#1 Best Overall
- Shrink-wrapped
Lead vocal and solo performance
The feature’s Stones-vocal-plus-solo scope makes Richards’ voice part of the story, not just his guitar playing. In a 2020 interview, he described singing ideas to Mick Jagger so Jagger would know what to do, and characterized singing as a natural extension of playing music. That offers context for his musical role; it does not mean he sang lead across the Stones catalog. Rolling Stone’s 2020 interview with Richards.
Riffs and signature Stones songs
A song may be remembered for a guitar idea that helped define its sound, even when vocal performance and songwriting credit are separate questions. In a 2012 NPR feature, Richards named “Street Fighting Man” among his favorite Stones songs. That is his personal endorsement, not proof of an objective ranking. Hear NPR’s 2012 conversation with Richards.
Rank #2
Solo work and the X-Pensive Winos
Richards’ solo recordings offer another view of his work outside the Stones. A 2022 interview discussed “Gimme Shelter,” his solo album Main Offender, and the X-Pensive Winos; it supplies career context, not evidence for a definitive ranking. Read the 2022 interview.
What the songwriting credits do—and do not—tell you
Many Stones songs carry the Jagger/Richards joint credit, but that credit does not prove that every song was written by both musicians in equal measure. ABKCO notes that most of their compositions were collaborations, while some songs under the shared credit were written solo by one partner; it names “Ruby Tuesday” and “Connection” as Richards examples. A credit is therefore not a complete account of who contributed a particular idea or how a song took shape. ABKCO on the Jagger–Richards songwriting partnership.
Richards’ account of “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” illustrates the difference between an initial musical idea and a finished song. In a 2010 Fresh Air interview, he said he captured the guitar idea on cassette while asleep, calling it “the song in its embryo,” and credited Jagger with expanding the phrase. It is a specific example of their contributions, not evidence that one partner alone wrote the finished song. Listen to Richards’ 2010 Fresh Air interview.
In a 2022 Rolling Stone UK interview, Richards described his informal process this way: “Look, I’m still living in the dark ages and I scribble stuff down on bits of paper, empty my pockets and find out if there’s a song there.” The image fits his account of songs emerging from small ideas, rather than a process in which a credit alone explains every step. Read the 2022 Rolling Stone UK interview.
Rank #4
Where to start listening
If you want a broad survey of the band rather than a reconstruction of the feature’s list, NPR’s 2012 report described GRRR! as a compilation spanning five decades of Rolling Stones work. That makes it a possible starting point for exploring the catalog, but it does not establish that every song in the collector’s-edition feature appears on the compilation. Check the specific edition and its track list before choosing it. NPR’s report on GRRR!.
Quick Recap
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- ROLLING STONES THE THE BEST OF THE 71 AL 93 - JUMP BACK
How to read the title without mistaking it for a definitive ranking
- For Richards’ voice: Focus on the Stones lead vocals and solo cuts named in the feature’s scope.
- For his role in the Stones: Separate vocal performance from riffs, musical ideas, and songwriting credit.
- For an exact top 20: Consult the complete original feature; the available text does not verify every entry or its order.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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