Product Description

Rolling Stone magazine is a cultural icon. It’s the number one pop culture reference point for 13 million young adults. In addition to its authoritative position in music, Rolling Stone’s sphere of influence reaches into entertainment, movies, television, technology, and national affairs. Rolling Stone covers everything that’s important, trend-setting, and newsworthy to the thought leaders among young adults.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #39 in Magazine Subscriptions
• Formats: Magazine Subscription, Print

Amazon.com Review

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Who Reads Rolling Stone?
Rolling Stone is written for a reader who’s interested in entertainment, including music, movies, television, technology, and national affairs. It combines its significant entertainment reviews with cultural and social commentary, featuring articles on politics, celebrities, and more.

What You Can Expect in Each Issue:

• Rock & Roll: The latest music news on those who continue to rock us.
• Smoking Section: In-depth, exclusive looks at the rock star lifestyle.
• Random Notes: A photo collage of who's who in the music biz, and what they're up to.
• Breaking: A look at the hottest new artists, or old artists with something new.
• Charts: Billboard's top ten, iTunes top ten, local favorites, and the top 40 albums at issue release.
• Reviews: Star-rated reviews of new releases, across all media.

Past Issues:

Special Issues Through the Year:

• Spring Music and Festivals Preview: From indie rockers to the year’s best bands, Rolling Stone’s "more than a sneak-peak" look at the season’s most anticipated releases and music festivals.
• The Best of Rock: What band has the best drummer? Who puts on the best show? What’s the best online music service? A useful guide to the best that music has to offer.
• Live Issue: Mapping out the best places to experience live music from coast to coast--must-see tours, festivals and more.
• Fall Fashion/10 Bands to Watch: The latest must-have looks that will rock fall fashion, plus profiles of the most hype-worthy bands.
• Year in Review: The best moments of the year in pop culture, from the most noteworthy albums and artists to the most off-the-wall moments.

Magazine Layout
One of the hallmarks of Rolling Stone is its excellent photography. From the cover image through to the last page, photos are what drives much of the graphical nature of this magazine. Articles are accompanied by photographs or illustrations, and the overall tone of the magazine is visually impactful.

Awards
2007 National Magazine Award For General Excellence, ASME. Editorial excellence honors in reporting and photo essay categories, ASME 2006. Since the inception of ASME, Rolling Stone has earned over 50 nominations and 12 wins.

Customer Reviews

Not As Good As it Used to Be
I have been a faithful subscriber to RS for almost twenty years, and I have witnessed the magazine slowly transform from a credible rock and roll journal to the music equivilent of Tiger Beat. In the 1980s, Rolling Stone's passion was music, and it often gave well-deserved nods to artists that were on the cutting edge: U2, Prince, REM, the Smiths, and so on. These days, its attempts to sell copies are getting more desperate as they feature people like Britney, NSYNC, and BSB on their cover sometimes as much as twice a year. I have nothing against teen pop; after all, RS gave Duran Duran a cover story in the 1980s. But it's troubling to see a magazine follow trends when they used to create them.

The record reviews are, for the most part, dubious. Rob Sheffield is one of the usual suspects. Three-and-a-half stars for Britney and Destiny's Child? More trustworthy critics include longtime writer David Fricke, Anthony DeCurtis, and Barry Walters. These guys seem to know what they're talking about when they review records.

The only section of the magazine worth reading is the movies section by Peter Travers, a critic I may not always agree with but one I do respect. Travers has enough heart to go against the grain of public opinion by trashing shallow, self-important, corporate driven, Holllywood movies. It really seems that he is criticizing the very hype machine the rest of Rolling Stone seems to embrace.

All in all, RS has its moments, but its getting disappointing within recent years. Here's hoping it can regain the edge it once had back in the 1970s and 1980s.

A Parody Of Its Former Self
I must be getting old; I can actually remember a time when "Rolling Stone" was the best printed source for reliable information regarding music and musicians; it was timely, pertinent, and highly respected. Unfortunately, it seems to have degenerated into a sad mixture of half-baked politics, overblown hype for new movies, silly fluff about "artists" like Britney Spears, and ads, ads, ads. In fact, "Rolling Stone" is now about as relevant and meaningful as "Tiger Beat" was in its day. Do you enjoy reading about trendy "stars" who will be forgotten by this time next year? Do you like to read article-length advertisements for the latest product from Hollywood? How about some ill-informed, poorly-composed political commentary? Are you fond of being bombarded with page after page of advertisements? If so, today's "Rolling Stone" is for you. If you are seeking worthwhile material about musicians and their music, look elsewhere - "Rolling Stone" has sold out.

I cancelled my subscription after 18 years - RS is dead
You might as well read Vibe, People or Spin--they're all the same editorially as the current shell that is called Rolling Stone. The quality that used to define RS as a distinguished platform for thoughful cultural reflection is gone.