40 Years of Excellence

2007 marks the 40th anniversary of the Summer of Love, a landmark in America culture. 1967 was the year that the counterculture entered into America’s consciousness. It was also the year that a landmark in the American counterculture was born, Rolling Stone magazine. To celebrate, Rolling Stone is releasing three special commemorative issues. The first, released in May, featured 20 interviews with musicians, politicians, authors, and other celebrities of the baby boom generation about how they viewed and experienced that eventful time. The second special issue contained articles on the Summer of Love as it was happening in various cities in America and as well as England. The third will be released later this year and will deal with the challenges of the future.

The magazine was originally started by Jann S. Wenner and Ralph J. Gleason and based in San Francisco. It was as much a part of the city’s burgeoning counterculture scene as the Grateful Dead or Jefferson Airplane. The magazine chronicled the youth culture and the music it listened to. Rolling Stone was also made a name for itself with the way it covered politics. The magazine featured the works of gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson and was a strong advocate for the anti-Vietnam War movement, scathingly covering the war in ways other news outlets and magazines did not. The magazine also launched the careers of writers like Cameron Crowe and MTV’s Kurt Loder.

Rolling Stone has gone through many changes throughout its long history. Probably the biggest is its relocation to New York. Also, the look of the magazine has changed quite a bit over the years. Rolling Stone’s first issue resembled a small DIY newsletter someone would hand you on the street more. The cover was sparse with only a simple picture of John Lennon, the name of the magazine and some small articles. As the years went on, the covers and the page layouts became more sophisticated, featuring pictures from the likes of Annie Liebowitz and Anton Corbijn. Unfortunately, Rolling Stone also began to run more fluff pieces, to the chagrin of more than a few, with articles on more mainstream artists as well as fashion.

However, some things haven’t changed, such as its unabashed politics, smart, incisive writing, and unique coverage of popular culture. This tradition is reflected by the magazine’s coverage of the Iraq War and the presidency of George W. Bush. When the build-up for the war first started, Rolling Stone was one of the few mainstream magazines whose editorial content took a strong, critical stance against it. The magazine has also been highly critical of President Bush, even going so far as to declare him our worst president ever one of its covers. It also continues to pay close attention to the youth culture, for better (Nirvana, the White Stripes) or worse (Zac Efron?!!), while also staying in touch with its past (Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Paul McCartney).

Rolling Stone is proof of that old cliché that even as some things change, some still stay the same. Despite many of the superficial changes that have occurred, Rolling Stone has stayed true to its roots by covering politics, music, and popular culture in its own unique way. Here’s to another 40 years of excellence!