Jump to content

Rolling Stone: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
←Redirected page to Homosexuality
Line 1: Line 1:
#REDIRECT [[homosexuality]]
{{Infobox Newspaper
|name = [[Image:RollingStone-Logo.png|225px|The ''Rolling Stone'' logo, designed by [[Rick Griffin]].]]
|image = [[Image:R1033COVER.jpg]]
|caption =The latest edition of ''Rolling Stone'' with [[Zac Efron]] on the cover, [[August 23]], [[2007]].
|type =[[Music]] [[magazine]]
|format =
|foundation = 1967
|ceased publication =
|price =
|owners = [[Jann Wenner]]
|publisher = Wenner Publishing
|editor = Jann Wenner<br /> Will Dana
|language =[[English language|English]]
|political =
|circulation = 1.2 to 1.3 million <ref>http://www.mediabistro.com/articles/cache/a2867.asp</ref><ref>http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4179/is_20060504/ai_n16483523</ref>
|headquarters = [[New York City]], [[New York|NY]]
|ISSN =
|website = [http://www.rollingstone.com www.rollingstone.com]
}}
{{about|the magazine|other uses|Rolling Stones (disambiguation)}}
'''''Rolling Stone''''' is an [[United States|American]] based [[magazine]] devoted to [[music]], [[politics]] and [[popular culture]] that is published [[biweekly]].

==Beginnings in San Francisco==
[[Image:22456 lg.jpg|thumb|left|[[John Lennon]] - RS 1 (November 9, 1967) 'How I Won the War' Film Still]]
''Rolling Stone'' was founded in [[San Francisco]] in [[1967]] by [[Jann Wenner]] (who is still editor and publisher) and music critic [[Ralph J. Gleason]]. The magazine first started when Wenner stole a list of record label contacts from a nearby radio station and borrowed money from the family of his wife, Jane Wenner.<ref>http://www.salon.com/people/bc/1999/04/20/wenner/</ref>

''Rolling Stone'' was initially identified with and reported on the [[hippie]] [[counterculture]] of the era. However, the magazine distanced itself from the [[underground press|underground newspapers]] of the time, such as [[Crawdaddy!]], embracing more traditional journalistic standards and avoiding the radical politics of the underground press. In the very first edition of the magazine, Wenner wrote that Rolling Stone "is not just about the music, but about the things and attitudes that music embraces." This has become the de facto motto of the magazine.

In its earliest versions, ''Rolling Stone'' published a box by its letters section which invited readers who felt that they were qualified to write for the magazine, to send in their work. This drew in many of Rolling Stone's most illustrious writers in its earlier days, from [[Greil Marcus]] who would go on to edit its reviews section and still contributes regularly today, to [[Lester Bangs]] who famously sent an obscenity-filled essay to the editors before getting hired.

In the 1970s, ''Rolling Stone'' began to make a mark for its political coverage, with the likes of [[gonzo]] journalist [[Hunter S. Thompson]] writing for the magazine's political section. Thompson would first publish his most famous work ''[[Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas]]'' within the pages of ''Rolling Stone'', where he remained as a contributing editor until his death. In the 1970s, the magazine also helped launch the careers of many prominent writers, such as the writer-director [[Cameron Crowe]] and [[Kurt Loder]], who now works for [[MTV]]. It was at this point that the magazine ran some of its most famous stories, including that of the [[Patty Hearst]] abduction odyssey.

The magazine was so influential in shaping pop culture in the 1970s that a song dedicated to it, "Cover of the Rolling Stone" by [[Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show]] (written by [[Shel Silverstein]]), became a hit single. [[Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show]] eventually did end up fulfilling their wish and ended up on the cover of Rolling Stone.

==Today==
In the early 2000s, facing declining revenue and competition from [[lad mags]] such as ''[[Maxim (magazine)|Maxim]]'' and ''[[FHM]]'', ''Rolling Stone'' reinvented itself, hiring former ''[[FHM]]'' editor Ed Needham. The magazine started targeting younger readers and offering more sex-oriented content, which often focused on sexy young television or film actors as well as pop music. At the time, some long-time readers denounced the magazine, claiming it had declined from astute musical and countercultural observer to a sleek, superficial tabloid, emphasizing style over substance.<ref>[http://www.samuelfreedman.com/articles/culture/ust_rolling.html Literary 'Rolling Stone' sells out to male titillation]</ref> Since then, however, the magazine has resumed its traditional mix of content, including in-depth political stories, and has seen circulation (currently at 1.2 to 1.3 million) and revenue rise.

[[Image:RS1000.jpg|left|thumb|150px|The 1000th issue of ''Rolling Stone'', which featured over 150 celebrities and fictional characters on its cover.]]
Leading up to what it called the "50th Anniversary of Rock" in [[2004]], ''Rolling Stone'' published a series of all-time greatest lists to recognize historic achievements in the field. These lists provoked considerable discussion from other music critics as to who or what belonged on such lists and in what order; moreover, the strong bias towards British and American artists was underlined. "[[The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time]]" and "[[The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]]" appeared in 2003, followed by "[http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6085455/the_moments 50 Moments That Changed the History of Rock & Roll]" and "[[The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time]]" in 2004. They also published [http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5939214/the_immortals_the_first_fifty| The Rolling Stone Immortals], a list of the 50 greatest artists of our time.

On [[May 7]] [[2006]], ''Rolling Stone'' published its 1000th issue.<ref>[http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/10847930 Rolling Stone: Our 1000th Issue]</ref> The cover, which was influenced by the cover art of [[The Beatles]]' ''[[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band]]'', featured some the most influential celebrities whom ''RS'' had covered.

[[Image:RollingStone40th.jpg|right|thumb|The 40th Anniversary Issue of ''Rolling Stone''.]]

''Rolling Stone'' has evolved over the years, but certain features regarded as the hallmark of the magazine, such as "National Affairs" which has been around since the likes of [[Hunter S. Thompson]] and [[Joe Klein]], and "Rock and Roll" are still published in the magazine today. In a bid to react to the advent of the internet, these two features have been made available in the forms of blogs.<ref>http://www.rollingstone.com/nationalaffairs</ref><ref>http:/www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily</ref> ''Rolling Stone'' also publishes "Random Notes," a section which mixes photos with [[tabloid]] like headlines. Another regular feature printed next to "Random Notes" is the "Smoking Section" which is written by Austin Scaggs.

Today, four decades since its founding, the ''Rolling Stone'' record reviews section is regarded by many sources as still one of the most influential around.<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/25/business/yourmoney/25wenner.html?ex=1293166800&en=51225eb00f59d32f&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss</ref>

==Political commentary==
While ''Rolling Stone'' is an entertainment magazine, throughout its four decade run it has consistently interjected political and social commentary of various kinds. Loyal to its [[hippie]] roots, the magazine has traditionally taken a [[center-left]] editorial perspective. For example, it was often very critical of the [[Richard Nixon]] administration.<ref>[http://teaching.arts.usyd.edu.au/history/hsty3080/StudentWebSites/Nixon%20Obits/source9 'He was a crook']</ref> The famed [[Hunter S. Thompson]] was the main political correspondent for Rolling Stone, writing the ''National Affairs'' section. After his death, investigative journalist [[Matt Taibbi]] took over. The magazine has been extremely critical of the [[George W. Bush]] administration.

:*Rolling Stone printed an issue with a [[John Kerry]] cover interview prior to the [[2004 U.S. presidential election]], with an article persuading readers to vote for him. In the past, then-President [[Bill Clinton]] and then-Vice President [[Al Gore]] (while he was running for the Presidency) have graced the covers of the magazine. Gore still regularly appears in the pages of Rolling Stone due to, in part, his environmental advocacy and his film ''[[An Inconvenient Truth]]''.

:*Rolling Stone published an article by [[Robert Kennedy, Jr.]] discussing claims that George W. Bush "stole" the election of 2004.<ref>[http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/10586714/was_the_2004_election_stolen Was the 2004 Election Stolen?]</ref> The article was heavily influential and cited by former President [[Bill Clinton|Clinton]] who called it "compelling."<ref>[http://www.rochester-citynews.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A4545 Rochester City News]</ref>

:*In the November 2, 2006 issue of the magazine, Rolling Stone printed an article condemning the United States Congress with a cover article titled "Time to Go! Incompetent, lazy, corrupt: [http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/worst_congress_ever Inside the Worst Congress EVER]." The article lists the "10 Worst Congressmen" by name &mdash; nine of whom were Republicans and the 10th was [[Louisiana]] Democrat [[William Jefferson]].

==Criticism==

Like [[MTV]], ''Rolling Stone'' has been criticised for "selling out" to succeed financially. Longtime readers have complained that the magazine has strayed from its traditional focus on music and politics toward a new focus on film stars.<ref>http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-simmons/an-open-letter-to-jann-we_b_32016.html</ref> Because of this, the magazine seems to have lost touch with many of its readers. The hire of former [[FHM]] editor [[Ed Needham]] intensified critics who alleged that ''Rolling Stone'' had lost its credibility.<ref>http://salon.com/ent/feature/2002/06/28/rollingstone/index.html</ref> ''Rolling Stone'' also generated controversy when its website ran a blistering critique of [[Lester Bangs]] by one of its latter-day writers, [[Anthony DeCurtis]].<ref>DeCurtis, A. [http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5925755/busting_the_cult_of_lester_bangs "Busting the Cult of Lester Bangs"], ''Rolling Stone'', May 13, 2000.</ref>

For a period of time in the [[1970s]], ''Rolling Stone ''published negative reviews related to hard rock and metal, panning albums by [[Led Zeppelin]], [[AC/DC]], [[Boston (band)|Boston]], [[The Rolling Stones]], [[Iron Maiden]], [[Queen (band)|Queen]], and [[Rush (band)|Rush]]. In his book [[Traveling Music (book)|Traveling Music]], Rush drummer [[Neil Peart]] wrote that a writer for Rolling Stone recently told him that Rush was the single most requested band to be featured in a cover story by the magazine, but was not featured due to the editors feeling that Rush was "uncool"{{Fact|date=June 2007}}. These criticisms were lampooned in the film ''[[Almost Famous]]'' by the lead singer of the band Stillwater.

Some bands were also initially written off by Rolling Stone reviewers, and then revered by the magazine in retrospect years later. Among these bands are [[Led Zeppelin]] and [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]]. Led Zeppelin was often bashed by Rolling Stone critics during their active years in the 70s; years later in 2006 however, there was a cover story on Led Zeppelin and their legacy, honoring them as "the Heaviest Band of All Time." Similarly, Nirvana's album ''[[Nevermind]]'' was only awarded three stars out of five by Rolling Stone upon its release, with the reviewer claiming that "Nirvana isn't onto anything altogether new." Years later, the magazine ranked the album number 17 out of its top 500 greatest albums of all time, surpassing hundreds of 4 and 5 star albums. The [[Pixies]]' album "[[Surfer Rosa]]" was also on the list, althought it originally received only three stars as well.

[[Weezer]]'s 1996 album ''[[Pinkerton (album)|Pinkerton]]'' was initially reviewed by ''Rolling Stone'' as one of the worst albums of 1996, and a huge dissapointment in the wake of the success of the ''The Blue Album''. However years later ''Rolling Stone'' went back and gave the album 5 stars and named "a cornerstone album of the late 90s emo movement."

However, in recent times the magazine has regained some nostalgic favor by running long interviews with the likes of [[Bob Dylan]] and [[Tom Petty]], who announced that the interview he did with [[Neil Strauss]] for ''Rolling Stone'' would be his last. The aforementioned articles received praise in the letters section for the magazine, even from older readers of the magazine. As former writer [[David Dalton]] noted, "to be fair, in almost every issue of ''Rolling Stone'' is at least one article that would fit quite seamlessly into the original magazine."<ref>http://www.gadflyonline.com/archive/July99/archive-zeitgeist.html</ref>

==Website==

''Rolling Stone'' has maintained a website for many years, with selected current articles, reviews, blogs, MP3s, and other features such as searchable and free encyclopedic articles about artists, with images and sometimes sound clips of their work. There are also selected archival political and cultural articles and entries. The site also at one time had an extensive message board forum.

By the late 1990s, the message board forum at the site had developed into a thriving community with a large number of regular members and contributors worldwide. Unfortunately, the site was also plagued with numerous [[Troll (Internet)| Internet trolls]] and malicious code-hackers who vandalized the forum substantially<ref>http://rsjunior.proboards18.com/index.cgi?board=tribunal&action=display&thread=1085021884&page=19</ref>. ''Rolling Stone'' abruptly and without notice deleted the forum in May 2004.

''Rolling Stone'' began a new, much more limited message board community at their site in late 2005, only to remove it again in 2006. ''Rolling Stone'' now permits users to make follow-up comments to posted articles in a blog format. It also maintains a page at MySpace.

==Famous staff==
{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-1-of-3}}
*[[Michael Azerrad]]
*[[Lester Bangs]]
*[[Brian Cookman]]
*[[Cameron Crowe]]
*[[Anthony DeCurtis]]
*[[Jancee Dunn]]
*[[Joe Eszterhas]]
*[[Ben Fong-Torres]]
*[[David Fricke]]
{{Col-2-of-3}}
*[[Erik Hedegaard]]
*[[Joe Klein]]
*[[David LaChapelle]]
*[[Annie Leibovitz]]
*[[Steven Levy]]
*[[Kurt Loder]]
*[[Greil Marcus]]
*[[P.J. O'Rourke]]
{{Col-3-of-3}}
*[[Rob Sheffield]]
*[[Ralph Steadman]]
*[[Neil Strauss]]
*[[Matt Taibbi]]
*[[Hunter S. Thompson]]
*[[Touré]]
*[[Peter Travers]]
*[[Jann Wenner]]
{{Col-end}}

==In popular culture==
[[Image:BSpearsRstone99.jpg|left|160px|thumb|Britney Spears on the April 1999 cover of ''Rolling Stone'']]''Rolling Stone'' is largely regarded as the predominant music promotional force in [[United States|American]] culture, alongside the likes of [[MTV]]. It has been frequently referenced in other forms of media, such as in [[Cameron Crowe]]'s semi-autobiographical film ''[[Almost Famous]]'' where Crowe's character worked as a teenage reporter for the magazine and the [[cult classic]] music-oriented movie ''[[High Fidelity (film)|High Fidelity]]'' where becoming a ''Rolling Stone'' journalist is cited as the lead character's ambition. In the 1985 movie ''Perfect'', [[John Travolta]] made an appearance as a ''Rolling Stone'' journalist. Wenner had cameo roles in both ''Almost Famous'' and ''Perfect''.

The magazine also had made some of the most controversial covers in pop culture; eyebrows were raised when a then-17 year-old [[Britney Spears]] was featured on the cover of ''Rolling Stone'' magazine in a sexually suggestive Lolita-themed photo shoot which triggered widespread speculation (denied by her representatives) that the singer had opted to have breast implants.

The [[Rick Griffin]] [[logo]] for ''Rolling Stone'' and magazine cover were used as the basis for promotional images for the film ''[[School of Rock]]''.

At the end of ''[[The Wedding Singer]]'', [[Drew Barrymore]] is reading a copy of ''Rolling Stone'' (Issue 440, January 31, 1985) with [[Billy Idol]] on the cover, while going to Las Vegas with Glen on the plane. The movie is set in [[1985]].

In the movie, "[[Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny]]," copies of ''Rolling Stone'' are seen in a scene where Jack Black and Kyle Gass are contemplating what they need to be great musicians, and Black sees that several great guitarists wield the same pick.

In the movie ''[[Music and Lyrics]]'', fictional Rolling Stone magazine reviews from various eras play a major role.

==Celebrities who have appeared on the cover==
<!-- Commented out because image was deleted: [[Image:LennonAndOno.jpg|thumb|right|200px|John Lennon and [[Yoko Ono]] RS 335 (January 22, 1981), rated "Best Cover of the Past 40 Years" by the American Magazine Conference.]] -->
{{Main|List of celebrities who have appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine}}

Appearing on the cover of Rolling Stone has become something of a milestone in the career of many famous artists, and remains the aspiration of many up-and-coming musicians. Some artists have graced the cover many times, some of these pictures going on to become iconic. The Beatles, for example, have appeared on the cover over thirty times, either individually or as a band.<ref name=RS1000>Wenner, Jann (2006). [http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/10224178/our_1000th_issue "Our 1000th Issue - Jann Wenner looks back on 39 years of Rolling Stone"] RollingStone.com (accessed September 21, 2006)</ref> The first ten artists who appeared on the cover are:
*[[John Lennon]]
*[[Tina Turner]]
*[[The Beatles]]
*[[Jimi Hendrix]]
*[[Otis Redding]]
*[[Donovan]]
*[[Jim Morrison]]
*[[Janis Joplin]]
*[[Paul McCartney]]
*[[Eric Clapton]]

==Reference works==
* ''[[Rolling Stone Album Guide]]''. Four editions with varying titles, c. 1979, 1983, 1992, 2004.
* ''The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll''. Random House, 1980. ISBN 0-394-73938-8
* ''Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide''. 1985.
* ''Rolling Stone Cover-to-Cover: The First 40 Years''. Bondi Digital Publishing, 2007. ISBN 978-0979526107

==International editions==
*'''[[Australia]]''': A ''Rolling Stone'' supplement commenced in 1969 in [[Go-Set]] magazine. It became a full title in 1972 and is now published by [[Next Media Pty Ltd]], [[Sydney]].
*'''[[Germany]]''': Published in Germany since 1994 by [[AS Young Mediahouse]].
*'''[[Argentina]]''': ''Rolling Stone'' is published by [[Publirevistas S.A.]] since April [[1998]].
*'''[[Chile]]''': ''Rolling Stone'' was published by [[Edu Comunicaciones]] since May [[2003]]. Is actually published by [[El Mercurio]], since January [[2006]].
*'''[[Spain]]''': ''Rolling Stone'' is published by [[PROGRESA]] in Madrid, since 1999.
*'''[[Italy]]''': Published in Italy since November [[2003]], first by [[IXO Publishing]] and now by [[Editrice Quadratum]]. As in China, the Italian version of ''Rolling Stone'' has local content and translated articles.
*'''[[Russia]]''':''Rolling Stone'' is published by [[Izdatelskiy Dom SPN]] since 2004.
*'''[[Indonesia]]''': Published in Indonesia since June 2005 by [[JHP Media]].
*'''[[Turkey]]''': Published in Turkish since June 2006 by [[GD Gazete Dergi]].
*'''[[Brazil]]''': Published in Brazil since October 2006 by [[Abril Publicações]].
*'''[[People's Republic of China|China]]''': ''Rolling Stone'' in mainland China is licensed to [[One Media Group]] of [[Hong Kong]] and published in partnership with China Record Corporation. The magazine is in Chinese with translated articles and local content. Its cooperation launched in March 2006 as "Rolling Stone" in English and under the Chinese name "音像世界" ("Audio Visual World").{{Fact|date=April 2007}} While the launch of this cooperation generated a great deal of speculation in the foreign press about the regulator's attitudes to the magazine, many of the reports published were misleading in reporting that the magazine had ceased publishing, etc. The magazine, under the branding of "音像世界" ("Audio Visual World"), continues to publish today.
*'''[[Japan]]''': Launched in March of 2007. Like other international editions, its content consists of translated material from the American publication as well as native music coverage.
*'''[[France]]''': Launched April 2007. This edition is made up of 60% American content translated into French with the remainder based on French music.

==Further reading==
*''Rolling Stone'' Magazine: The Uncensored History - Robert Draper
*''Gone Crazy and Back Again'' - Robert Sam Anson
*''But Enough About Me'' - Jancee Dunn
*''Never Drank the Kool Aid'' - Touré

==Notes==
<!--<nowiki>
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Footnotes for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the <ref> and </ref> tags, and the template below.glenn brandon
</nowiki>-->
{{reflist}}

==See also==
*[[The Rolling Stone Interview]]
*[[Rolling Stone 10 Greatest Films of All Time]]

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
* '''[http://www.rollingstone.com/ Official Rolling Stone website]'''
* [http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/12769472/the_100_best_songs_of_2006 ''Rolling Stone'' The 100 Best Songs of 2006]
* [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,,1764352,00.html The Voice of America (Observer article, April 30, 2006)]
* [http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5938174/the_rs_500_greatest_albums_of_all_time/ ''Rolling Stone'' 2003 500 Greatest Albums of All Time]
* [http://www.coverbrowser.com/covers/rolling-stone ''Rolling Stone'' cover gallery]
* [http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5937559/the_100_greatest_guitarists_of_all_time ''Rolling Stone'', 2003, The 100 Greatest Guitarists Of All Time]
* [http://rockcritics.com/archives/rollingstone.html ''Rolling Stone'' and its head honcho, Jann Wenner] Rockcritics.com page with links
*[http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=110235415 Rolling Stone on Myspace]
*[http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/25/business/yourmoney/25wenner.html?ex=1293166800&en=51225eb00f59d32f&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss Will You Still Need Me, Will You Still Read Me?] Article from the [[New York Times]], December 25th, 2005

[[Category:Publications established in 1967]]
[[Category:Music magazines]]
[[Category:American magazines]]
[[Category:Australian magazines]]
[[Category:Italian magazines]]
[[Category:Russian magazines]]
[[Category:Turkish magazines]]
[[Category:PRISA]]
[[Category:Monthly magazines]]

[[ca:Rolling Stone]]
[[da:Rolling Stone]]
[[de:Rolling Stone]]
[[es:Rolling Stone]]
[[fr:Rolling Stone]]
[[ko:롤링 스톤]]
[[id:Rolling Stone]]
[[it:Rolling Stone]]
[[he:רולינג סטון]]
[[ka:როლინგ სტოუნი]]
[[hu:Rolling Stone]]
[[nl:Rolling Stone]]
[[ja:ローリング・ストーン]]
[[no:Rolling Stone]]
[[nn:Rolling Stone]]
[[pl:Rolling Stone]]
[[pt:Rolling Stone]]
[[ru:Rolling Stone]]
[[simple:Rolling Stone]]
[[fi:Rolling Stone]]
[[sv:Rolling Stone]]
[[tr:Rolling Stone (dergi)]]
[[zh:滾石雜誌]]

Revision as of 23:00, 30 August 2007

Redirect to:

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Rolling_Stone&oldid=154695623"