The reason Keith Richards called Bruce Springsteen “pretentious”

Bruce Springsteen comes as close as any living artist to achieving universal adoration. With a songbook that holds a sacred place in the hearts of millions, he’s affectionately known as ‘The Boss’—a title that underscores the almost mythical reverence his fans have for him. Beyond his music, Springsteen is also regarded as one of the kindest figures in rock, a reputation that has largely shielded him from criticism.

Most people in the music world know better than to take on Springsteen, often opting for easier targets instead. But Rolling Stones guitarist Richards isn’t like most of his peers. Known for his unfiltered honesty and willingness to speak his mind, Richards has built a career on saying exactly what he thinks, no matter the consequences. Even those who have shown him kindness over the years, like Springsteen, aren’t spared from his sharp criticism.

Without worshipping The Rolling Stones as a teenager, Springsteen may never have evolved into ‘The Boss’. Thanks to The Stones, The Beatles, and The Animals, Springsteen was wholly infatuated with the British Invasion, which made him focus on devoting his life to the dirty deeds of rock ‘n’ roll.

‘The Boss’ has openly spoken about his recurring childhood dream about being plucked from the crowd and joining The Rolling Stones on stage. Decades later, Springsteen successfully made that unthinkable childhood ambition a reality. However, despite performing with Bruce on multiple occasions, Richards believes the only reason his peer is famous is because of a devastating lack of talent in the competition, and he has some harsh words to say about the New Jersey icon.

In his 2010 autobiography LifeRichards savagely critiqued a plethora of his peers, such as Elton John and Prince. Of course, those were unsurprising attacks, considering his history with the pair. However, in public, Richards seemed to enjoy a cordial relationship with Springsteen. Nevertheless, it didn’t prevent him from writing, “If there was anything better around, he’d still be working the bars of New Jersey.”

Richards’ problem with Springsteen isn’t a personal attack on him as a human and is an entirely artistic issue. In a 1988 interview with Rolling Stonethe guitarist explained why he finds the New Jersey singer-songwriter to be a tedious life performer due to the extensive nature of his shows. He remarked: “I’ve met Bruce two or three times. We’ve had several good chats, usually at some release party or premiere, and we just end up in the corner talking. He’s a sweet guy, a nice guy. Mind you, I think four-hour shows really are way over the top. To me, a great rock & roll act does twenty minutes [laughs]”.

Richards added: “I remember the Paramount, where you got the Impressions, Jackie Wilson, Joe Tex, and everybody does just their absolute supreme best shot! A lot of the shows you get these days are very self-indulgent. I don’t think anybody can be enthralling for four hours on stage playing rock & roll.”

In the same interview, Richards was asked for his thoughts on Springsteen’s music. Although he did caveat his comments by stating that he likes Bruce as a person, his music is a different subject. The Stones guitarist remarked: “Bruce? That’s a tough one, because I like the guy. But the music…I don’t know. I’m the toughest taskmaster of all time. I’m going to annoy a lot of people. Bruce? To me, it’s pretentious.”

As much as Richards finds Springsteen’s concerts intolerable, the singer-songwriter’s affability compensates for his perceived shortcomings on the musical front. Either Richards’ scathing comments didn’t get back to Springsteen, or the New Jersey native was simply unfazed by the remarks because he’s continued to perform with The Stones on several occasions when they’ve visited his area. He’s never retaliated to the barbs that have been thrown in his direction by Richards, and like many others, there’s a strong chance that Springsteen wears the insults as a badge of honour.

Related Topics

Subscribe To The Far Out Newsletter