# The 1985 album Keith Richards wished never happened: “Not very inspired”

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-1985-album-keith-richards-wished-never-happened-not-very-inspired/
- Published: 2026-08-02T14:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-08-25T20:07:26+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/1985-album-keith-richards-wished-never-happened/
- Topics: Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- Keith Richards disliked Mick Jagger's 1985 solo album She's the Boss.
- He felt Jagger should have focused on Rolling Stones music instead.
- Tension continued into 1986's Dirty Work and its cancelled tour.

## Summary

Keith Richards has long been open about his frustrations with The Rolling Stones' musical direction, and one particular sore point was Mick Jagger's 1985 solo debut, She's the Boss. Richards reportedly saw the record as a betrayal of sorts, feeling it lacked inspiration and that Jagger's energy would have been better spent on Stones material rather than a solo detour, however unusual the songs might have been.

Richards' irritation stemmed from a broader pattern of creative tension between the pair, with Jagger repeatedly pushing to evolve the band's sound while Richards favoured their bluesy roots. He was particularly scathing about She's the Boss, suggesting Jagger could have pursued almost any eccentric passion project and it would have been preferable to what he actually released. The fallout didn't end there: the Stones' follow-up album, Dirty Work, was similarly seen as underwhelming, and when Jagger refused to tour it, Richards' frustration with his songwriting partner deepened further.

---
Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.