“One of the Heaviest Hammers That Ever Hit Me”: The Classic 1950s Rock Song That Devastated Keith Richards

Every musician has one peer who opened their eyes. Every legendary artist started as nothing more than a music fan, like any of us. As they evolve, they grow into icons themselves. Keith Richards is one such artist. The guitarist moved many subsequent artists to pick up the instrument themselves, but who inspired Richards? There was one artist in particular who inspired Richards to pursue a music career—their name-making song “devastated” Richards in just the right way.

Videos by American Songwriter

[RELATED: 4 Interesting Keith Richards Collabs With Other Music Stars in Honor of the Rolling Stones Legend’s 82nd Birthday Today]

The Classic Rock Song That Devastated Keith Richards

Almost everyone in classic rock admires Elvis Presley, and how could they not? Presley laid the groundwork for the genre as a whole, paving the way for the entire world to get on the rock craze.

Specifically, Presley helped take rock across the pond, where countless English acts started adopting an American blues-esque sound, including Richards and The Rolling Stones.

[RELATED: Did You Know The Rolling Stones’ First US No. 1 Hit Was Written by Keith Richards in His Sleep?]

“In the 1950s, America was more cool than Britain, with everybody having their little Chevys or Cadillacs,” George Harrison, a fellow British Invasion artist, once said. “We were coming out of a world war, and it was depression. So for us, that was like the sound of hope.”

There was one Presley song that hit Richards right in the heart. He counts it among the songs that inspired him most.

“Heartbreak Hotel”

[RELATED: “Where’s Your Halo?”: How Keith Richards Snuck Ex-Bandmate Onstage Without Mick Jagger Knowing (Post-Champagne Bath Debacle)]

“Heartbreak Hotel” helped to cement Presley’s stardom. It was universal enough to connect with listeners who might have been wary of the rock scene and thrilled those who had the foresight to jump on board early.

While most people see this song as a tender breakup song akin to many others released around the same time, Richards had a visceral reaction to it.

“[Silence] can produce that depth in a recording,” Richards once said. “If you fill it all up, the whole space is in your face. For instance, there’s very little going on in ‘Heartbreak Hotel.’ I think it’s probably one of the heaviest hammers that ever hit me.”

Richards’ love of this song eventually moved him to pick up his own guitar. Revisit “Heartbreak Hotel” below.

(Photo by Ali Lorestani/TT/Shutterstock)