3 Times The Rolling Stones Shocked Their Own Fans in the 20th Century

Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and the rest of The Rolling Stones weren’t exactly known for being tame during the height of their career in the 1960s and 1970s. They embodied the rock star archetype, and they leaned into it heavily. And while they shocked the normies on many occasions back in the day, The Rolling Stones also pulled stunts that shocked even their own fans. Let’s dive into a handful of shocking moments a la The Rolling Stones!

Setting the Playboy Mansion on Fire in 1972

Drugs, sex, and loud music are one thing. But arson? Come on, now! The story goes that back in 1972, The Rolling Stones were touring North America. They stopped at the Playboy Mansion between concerts to rest. Keith Richards himself confirmed in his autobiography that he and saxophonist Bobby Keys were doing d*pe in one of Hugh Hefner’s many illustrious bathrooms. There, they accidentally set a pair of drapes on fire. A number of mansion employees showed up with buckets of water to put out the blaze before it got particularly dangerous.

Keith Richards and John Lennon Trip on Acid in 1967 or 1968

This story has shocked both Rolling Stones and Beatles fans alike. Though, neither are likely surprised that Keith Richards and John Lennon were using LSD. That was a big part of their brand, after all. The details of this particular story are vague and told by Richards in the above-mentioned book, but what information we got is certainly shocking. 

Richards claimed that he and The Beatles’ John Lennon, along with Kari Ann Moller (Mick Jagger’s sister in law), took psychedelic drugs in London and promptly decided to go on a road trip. They allegedly spent three days traveling together, visiting family members, and then… who knows? Richards said that it was truly a Lost Weekend of sorts, and none involved could remember what actually happened.

Mick Jagger and David Bowie Kick Off a Surprising Collaboration

There are no illicit drugs or fire-setting in this shocking moment, but this surprise collaboration between The Rolling Stones’ frontman and the king of art rock shocked everyone, including their fans. It was a genius move, honestly. The music video for the 1985 song “Dancing In The Streets” is teased relentlessly nowadays for being a cheesy dance-off between two rock legends, but it’s clear that it was all humorously intentional. And it got everyone’s attention in the end, regardless of whether or not this famous pair became the butt of a joke.

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