Keith Richards

The Rolling Stones' open-G tuned rhythm architect, Richards pioneered the five-string open-G 'Keith tuning' — removing the low E string and capoing up — to create the elemental groove of Brown Sugar, Start Me Up, and Honky Tonk Women. Active from 1962 to the present, his deceptively simple playing belies a deep understanding of how rhythm guitar can carry an entire band. His twin-guitar interplay with Ronnie Wood on Some Girls and Tattoo You demonstrated that precision and swagger are not mutually exclusive in rock and roll.