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Keith Richards came up with iconic guitar riff just before falling asleep

The Rolling Stones
Ronnie Wood, left, Mick Jagger, center, and Keith Richards, right, on stage as The Rolling Stones perform live at Mt Smart Stadium on Nov. 22, 2014, in Auckland, New Zealand.
Fiona Goodall | Getty Images 2014

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Today's Morning Edition music is from 50 years ago Wednesday, when Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones was getting ready for bed in a Florida hotel room while working on a new guitar riff.

Before falling asleep, he turned on a portable cassette recorder and played the tune on his acoustic guitar.

The next morning, Richards played back the tape, which consisted mostly of the sound of him snoring, but also included a guitar riff that would become one of the most recognizable pieces of rock music ever played.