Rolling Stone

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and Ralph J. Gleason. To pay for setup costs, Wenner borrowed $7,500 (equivalent to $72,000 in 2025) 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¢ (equivalent to $2.27 in 2023) and it was published bi-weekly. In the first issue, Wenner explained the magazine's title and mission, saying it comes from an old saying, 'A rolling stone gathers no moss,' and noting Muddy Waters used the name for a song, the Rolling Stones took their name from Muddy's song, and 'Like a Rolling Stone' was the title of Bob Dylan's first rock and roll record. Some authors have attributed the name solely to Dylan's hit single. 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.'

Reader's Guide

Rolling Stone's significance lies in its role as a chronicler of rock music and counterculture, while also establishing a tradition of long-form political journalism through writers like Hunter S. Thompson. 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 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. The magazine began running the photographs of Annie Leibovitz in 1970; in 1973, she became its chief photographer, and her images appeared on more than 140 covers. Its coverage of the Altamont Free Concert and the killing of Meredith Hunter received a Specialized Journalism award at the National Magazine Awards in 1971. Later that year, Rolling Stone published a 30,000-word feature on Charles Manson by David Dalton and David Felton, which won the magazine its first National Magazine Award. In 1977, the magazine moved its headquarters from San Francisco to New York City. Editor Jann Wenner said that San Francisco had become 'a cultural backwater.' In the 1980s, it shifted to more of an entertainment magazine. In the 1990s, Rolling Stone changed its format to appeal to a younger readership interested in youth-oriented television shows, film actors, and popular music. 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.

Did You Know?

• The first issue of Rolling Stone was released on November 9, 1967, and featured John Lennon on the cover wearing a Brodie helmet from the film How I Won the War.
• The magazine's long-running slogan 'All the news that fits' was provided by early contributor Susan Lydon, who lifted it from an April Fools' Day issue of the Columbia Daily Spectator.
• Hunter S. Thompson first published his most famous work, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1971), within the pages of Rolling Stone.
• Annie Leibovitz became Rolling Stone's chief photographer in 1973, and her images appeared on more than 140 covers.
• Jann Wenner sold 49 percent of the magazine to BandLab Technologies in 2016 and 51 percent to Penske Media Corporation in 2017; PMC acquired full ownership in 2019.