Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones achieved his only Hot 100 hit almost by accident, writing, arranging and recording "Happy" in a single afternoon. The song, the second single from 1972's Exile On Main St, is notable for featuring Richards on lead vocals rather than Mick Jagger, and it reached No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the first Stones track fronted by Richards to chart.

According to Richards's memoir Life, the whole process took roughly four hours, with the song simply not existing at noon and being on tape by four o'clock, an experience he described as "sublime". Richards had arrived at the studio unusually early and, finding few other musicians present, worked up the track with saxophonist Bobby Keys, brass player Jim Price and drummer Jimmy Miller, while playing guitar, bass and lead vocals himself; Jagger contributed only backing vocals. By the time the rest of the band turned up, the song was essentially finished.