The article ranks Keith Richards’ strongest lead-vocal performances with The Rolling Stones, arguing that his infrequent appearances offer a gruffer, more vulnerable contrast to Mick Jagger’s usual frontmanship. It treats Richards’ singing as an important but occasional feature of the band’s catalogue, from his first lead vocal in 1969 to a contribution on 2023’s Hackney Diamonds.

– ‘Thief in the Night’ / ‘How Can I Stop?’ — paired closing tracks from 1997’s Bridges to Babylon, combining blues, R&B, gospel and reflective balladry.
– ‘Coming Down Again’ — a sombre Goats Head Soup ballad addressing Richards’ heroin use and its personal consequences.
– ‘Before They Make Me Run’ — a defiant, autobiographical song associated with Richards’ legal troubles and hard-living reputation.
– ‘All About You’ — a restrained, emotionally direct ballad often linked to Richards’ relationship with Anita Pallenberg.
– ‘Happy’ — Richards’ best-known lead vocal, a loose, upbeat 1972 rock song from Exile on Main St.