Okay, guess so many movie directors and soundtrack producers are wrong along with me and millions on numerous surveys who say so. Sorry, Richards uses such simple notes (in a simple progression) and the singer does such a simple haunting melody. Sometimes less is more - I even love Charlie Watts' basha, basha, basha, basha into the first verse, even though he's not a good drummer.
What? Do you need Metallica or Rush all over the frets to make you happy? I'm not talking about virtuosity. Give me a better intro to set up the feel of the song. I'm open to better. Name one, not including the intro to "Come Sail Away" by Styx. Go ahead...if good, I won't argue.
How about two?
One:
1971.
Live in Cook County Jail, by B. B. King.
Track 3: "How Blue Can You Get?"
Two:
New Year's, 1969-70.
Live at the Fillmore East, by Band of Gypsies.
Track 1: "Who Knows?"
Both of those blow doors on the opening for Gimme Shelter, which is pretty much a minor modification off the song's basic three chord progression, palm-muted, and played on, I'm guessing, a Tele straight through maybe a Fender Twin with some reverb on it.
Need more?
McCartney . . . the Beatles' bass player, ripping through a multitude of bizarre chord formations up and down the neck and fingerpicking the opening to Blackbird. Or how about John Lennon's Epiphone Casino feeding back before he cooks off the signature line of I Feel Fine, the first time distortion was used as an intentional part of a recording's palette?
More?
Any Robert Johnson recording.
More?
Johnny Marr's incredible droning effect on the Smith's How Soon Is Now?
More? Joe Moretti's work on Johnny Kidd's Shakin' All Over AND on Vince Taylor's Brand New Cadillac, the latter covered decades later by the Clash.
You get the point.
And I'm a Stones fan. Keith is a riff master in open tuning. His best lick opening by far can be found in Can't You Hear Me Knocking.