Rolling Stone | Music, Culture, Politics | Britannica

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Rolling Stone, biweekly American magazine that reports on music, pop culture, and politics.

Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner, a former student at the University of California at Berkeley, and Ralph Gleason, a jazz critic for the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper. The first issue appeared on Nov. 9, 1967, with John Lennon on the cover. The magazine’s creators intended Rolling Stone to be a barometer of the artistic tastes and political sensibilities of the student generation. The magazine effectively combined passion and professionalism, using both proper English and “street language.” Many well-known writers and journalists, including Hunter S. Thompson, Cameron Crowe, Lester Bangs, and Greil Marcus, started their careers with Rolling Stone. As the magazine increasingly came to define significant trends and discerning taste in rock and pop music, appearances on its cover were coveted by established as well as up-and-coming musicians as emblems of critical success. Along with the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Madonna, and many other musicians, Rolling Stone’s cover featured significant actors, writers, and politicians, such as Jack Nicholson, Susan Sontag, and Bill Clinton. In an effort to enhance its image, the magazine moved its offices to New York City in 1977.

In May 2006 Rolling Stone printed its 1,000th issue. Its success through the decades was due to its ability to adapt to constantly changing musical, political, and cultural climates. Issues of Rolling Stone typically include music and movie reviews, celebrity stories and photographs, information on new artists, fashion advice, and articles on politics. Rolling Stone has influenced pop culture through its “all-time greatest” lists, such as the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” (issued in November 2003) and the “100 Greatest Singers of All Time” (issued in November 2008).