Rolling Stone
All the news that fits
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Rolling Stone is a monthly American magazine covering music, politics, and pop culture. Founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J. Gleason, it has been characterized as left-leaning and liberal. The magazine first gained renown for its rock music coverage and the political reporting of Hunter S. Thompson.
Covers
In the late 1990s, it pivoted toward a younger audience by emphasizing youth-oriented TV shows, film actors, and popular music, before eventually returning to its original blend of music, entertainment, and politics. The debut issue, released in 1967, featured John Lennon on the cover and was published every two weeks. Rolling Stone is known for its provocative photography and iconic cover images of musicians, politicians, athletes, and actors. Beyond its U.S. print edition, it operates Rollingstone.com and numerous international editions.
2016–present: New ownership
The magazine saw rapid growth in the 1970s, then faced serious financial trouble in the 21st century. This led Wenner to sell 49 percent of the magazine to BandLab Technologies in 2016, and the remaining 51 percent to Penske Media Corporation (PMC) in 2017. PMC later acquired BandLab’s stake in 2019, taking full ownership.
Rolling Stone was launched in San Francisco in 1967 by Wenner and Gleason. Wenner borrowed $7,500 from his family and his future wife’s parents to cover startup costs. The first issue, dated November 9, 1967, showed John Lennon in a Brodie helmet from the film How I Won the War on its cover. Printed on tabloid-sized pulp newsprint, it cost 25 cents and came out bi-weekly, with a lead story on the Monterey International Pop Festival.
1967–1979: Founding and early history
In that first issue, Wenner explained the magazine’s name and mission. Some writers say the name came solely from Bob Dylan’s song “Like a Rolling Stone,” while a 2017 article by Rolling Stone’s David Browne noted it also nodded to the Rolling Stones. The magazine initially identified with the hippie counterculture but set itself apart from underground newspapers like the Berkeley Barb by adopting traditional journalistic standards and avoiding radical politics. Wenner wrote that Rolling Stone was “not just about the music, but about the things and attitudes that music embraces.” Many readers described buying their first copy as a “rite of passage.” The slogan “All the news that fits” first appeared in 1969, coined by early contributor Susan Lydon, who adapted it from an April Fools’ issue of the Columbia Daily Spectator that parodied The New York Times’ slogan.
In the 1970s, Rolling Stone gained a reputation for political coverage, notably through gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson, who first published Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas in its pages and remained a contributing editor until his death in 2005. The magazine also helped launch the careers of writers such as Cameron Crowe, Lester Bangs, Joe Klein, Joe Eszterhas, Ben Fong-Torres, Patti Smith, and P. J. O’Rourke. Notable stories from this era include a January 21, 1970 cover story on the Altamont Free Concert and the killing of Meredith Hunter, which won a Specialized Journalism award at the National Magazine Awards in 1971.
Later that year, a 30,000-word feature on Charles Manson by David Dalton and David Felton, including an interview with Manson in jail, earned the magazine its first National Magazine Award. In 1972, Wenner assigned Tom Wolfe to cover the launch of Apollo 17; Wolfe’s four-part series in 1973, “Post-Orbital Remorse,” explored astronauts’ depression after space travel, leading to his seven-year project that produced The Right Stuff in 1979. Annie Leibovitz began contributing photographs in 1970 and became chief photographer in 1973, shooting more than 140 covers. Rolling Stone also recruited writers from smaller music magazines, including Paul Nelson from Sing Out! and Dave Marsh from Creem.
In 1977, the magazine moved its headquarters from San Francisco to New York City, with Wenner calling San Francisco “a cultural backwater.” Kurt Loder joined in May 1979 and spent nine years there, including as editor. Timothy White and David Fricke also came on board from Crawdaddy and Musician, respectively. Tom Wolfe later proposed an idea drawn from Charles Dickens and William…
Lore & Background
The magazine was first known for its coverage of rock music and political reporting by Hunter S. Thompson. In the late 1990s, the magazine broadened and shifted its focus to a younger readership interested in youth-oriented television shows, film actors, and popular music. It has since returned to its traditional mix of content, including music, entertainment, and politics. The first magazine was released in 1967 and featured John Lennon on the cover, and was then published every two weeks.
It is known for provocative photography and its cover photos, featuring musicians, politicians, athletes, and actors. In addition to its print version in the United States, it publishes content through Rollingstone.com and numerous international editions. The magazine experienced a rapid rise during the 1970s, followed by a sharp decline into financial turmoil in the 21st century, leading Jann Wenner to sell 49 percent of the magazine to BandLab Technologies in 2016 and 51 percent to Penske Media Corporation (PMC) in 2017. PMC eventually acquired the 49 percent stake from BandLab Technologies in 2019, giving it full ownership of the magazine.
Reader's Guide
Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and Ralph J. Gleason. To pay for the setup costs, Wenner borrowed $7,500 from his family and the parents of his soon-to-be wife, Jane Schindelheim. The first issue was released on November 9, 1967, and featured John Lennon in costume, wearing a Brodie helmet for the film How I Won the War on the cover. It was in tabloid-sized pulp newsprint format, with a lead article on the Monterey International Pop Festival.
The cover price was 25¢ and it was published bi-weekly. In the first issue, Wenner explained the magazine's title and mission. Some authors have attributed the name solely to Dylan's hit single: 'At [Ralph] Gleason's suggestion, Wenner named his magazine after a Bob Dylan song.' In a 2017 article celebrating the publication's 50th anniversary, Rolling Stone's David Browne stated that the magazine's name was a nod to the Rolling Stones in addition to 'Rollin' Stone' and 'Like a Rolling Stone'. Rolling Stone initially identified with and reported on the hippie counterculture of the era.
It distanced itself, however, from the underground newspapers of the time, such as the Berkeley Barb, embracing more traditional journalistic standards and avoiding the radical politics of the underground press. In the first edition, Wenner wrote that Rolling Stone 'is not just about the music, but about the things and attitudes that music embraces'. The magazine's long-running slogan, 'All the news that fits', which first appeared in 1969, was provided by early contributor, manager, and sometime editor Susan Lydon.
She lifted it from an April Fools' Day issue of the Columbia Daily Spectator that boasted 'All the news that fits we print', which itself was a parody of The New York Times famous slogan, 'All The News That's Fit To Print'. In the 1970s, Rolling Stone began to make a mark with its political coverage, with the likes of gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson writing for the magazine's political section. Thompson first published his most famous work, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1971), within the pages of Rolling Stone, where he remained a contributing editor until his death in 2005. In the 1970s, the magazine also helped launch the careers of many prominent authors, including Cameron Crowe, Lester Bangs, Joe Klein, Joe Eszterhas, Ben Fong-Torres, Patti Smith and P. J. O'Rourke.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Rolling Stone?
Rolling Stone is an American monthly magazine that covers music, politics, and popular culture. It launched in 1967 out of San Francisco and is generally associated with a left-wing, liberal editorial voice.
Who founded Rolling Stone?
The magazine was co-founded by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J. Gleason in 1967. They started the publication in San Francisco, California.
What is Rolling Stone most known for?
It first rose to prominence through its rock music coverage and Hunter S. Thompson's political reporting. The publication also became widely recognized for its provocative photography and bold cover images.
Where is Rolling Stone headquartered?
The magazine was based in San Francisco from its 1967 founding through 1977. It has operated out of New York City since that move.
Why is Rolling Stone significant in media history?
It helped shape how mainstream American publications covered youth culture, rock music, and countercultural politics during the late 1960s and 1970s. Its editorial voice became a defining part of that era's cultural conversation.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Rolling Stone (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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