Rolling
Stone
Breaking · Exclusive Feature
An intimate portrait of the artist who shattered every convention, rewrote the rules of modern music, and emerged as the most compelling cultural force of our time.
By Sarah Mitchell
·
12 Min Read
47
Awards Won
|
3
Decades
|
200+
Million Streams
The Essential Read
The stories, albums, and performances our editors can't stop talking about this week — curated from the frontlines of music, film, and culture.
Live Performance
From sold-out stadiums to genre-defying collaborations, the new wave of Latin artists is dismantling borders and building something unprecedented.
Read More →
Film & Television
Set against the mist-soaked English moors, this adaptation strips away sentimentality to reveal something raw, urgent, and devastatingly modern.
Read More →
Album Review
Red and black collide in a visual manifesto that refuses to play safe. We spoke with the artist about chaos, intention, and the death of minimalism.
Read More →
What's Happening Now
View All Stories →
Culture
·
3 Hours Ago
From silent pins to full-throated speeches, celebrities are turning award shows into platforms for change — and not everyone is applauding.
By Sarah Mitchell
Politics
·
5 Hours Ago
After 72 hours of closed-door negotiations, lawmakers emerged with a sweeping package that could reshape American energy policy for a generation.
By James Thornton
Music
·
8 Hours Ago
By Olivia Chen
TV & Streaming
·
12 Hours Ago
By Marcus Rivera
Reviews
· 1 Day Ago
Culture
· 1 Day Ago
Politics
· 2 Days Ago
The Definitive Collection
From the raw power of rock & roll to the soulful depths of R&B, these are the songs that defined generations, shattered boundaries, and changed the world forever.
Special Edition
An exhaustive journey through the greatest recordings in music history, as voted by artists, critics, and industry legends.
250
Songs Ranked
65+
Years of Music
500+
Voters
"Music is the universal language of mankind — and these 250 songs are its most eloquent verses."
— Rolling Stone Editorial Board
The Top Five
01
Aretha Franklin · 1967
02
Like a Rolling Stone
Bob Dylan · 1965
Rock
03
Imagine
John Lennon · 1971
Rock
04
What's Going On
Marvin Gaye · 1971
Soul
05
A Change Is Gonna Come
Sam Cooke · 1964
Soul
Definitive Rankings
The definitive cultural rankings that have sparked debate, shaped taste, and chronicled the greatest achievements in music, film, and beyond for over five decades.
Music
The definitive ranking of the records that shaped rock, pop, hip-hop, and every genre in between — updated and debated since 2003.
500 Entries
Updated 2023
Artists
From Hendrix to Joni Mitchell, the players who rewrote the rules of the instrument and left an indelible mark on music history.
250 Entries
Updated 2024
Television
The golden age of television distilled into one authoritative list — from prestige drama to groundbreaking comedy that changed the medium forever.
100 Entries
Updated 2024
Live Performance
The artists who transcend the stage — commanding arenas, festivals, and intimate venues with performances that redefine what live music can be.
50 Entries
New for 2024
900+
Total Rankings
50+
Years of Curation
300+
Expert Contributors
What's Hot Right Now
Updated Hourly
01
Music
An unprecedented spectacle that redefined what a halftime performance could be, drawing 120 million viewers into a cultural moment that transcended sport.
02
Underground
A basement in Brooklyn is quietly becoming the most important venue in American music — no algorithms, no playlists, just sweat and sound.
03
Film
In an era of digital everything, one filmmaker's commitment to practical effects is producing the most visually stunning work in a generation.
04
Culture
From red carpets to arena stages, artists are using fashion as protest, identity, and art — blurring every line between performer and provocateur.
Editor's Picks
Our editors test hundreds of products so you don't have to. These are the ones worth your money — rigorously reviewed, genuinely loved, zero compromises.
Best Headphones
Industry-leading noise cancellation meets audiophile-grade sound. After six months of daily use, these remain the gold standard for anyone who takes music seriously. The 30-hour battery life is just a bonus.
$348
★★★★★
Best Turntable
The sweet spot between entry-level and high-end. The carbon-fiber tonearm and Sumiko Rainier cartridge deliver warmth and detail that digital simply cannot replicate. A turntable for people who actually listen.
$599
★★★★½
Best Speakers
Metamaterial Absorption Technology isn't marketing jargon — it's engineering that eliminates 99% of unwanted sound from the rear of the driver. The result is startling clarity that makes you rediscover albums you thought you knew.
$1,599
★★★★★
"We don't recommend products we wouldn't buy ourselves. Every item earns its place through weeks of real-world testing."
— The RS Reviews Team
Cover Story
Photographed exclusively for Rolling Stone at Electric Lady Studios, New York — March 2024
"
I stopped trying to make music that would sell. I started making music that would survive me. That's when everything changed — when I realized the record isn't for now, it's for the kid who finds it in a crate twenty years from today.
Marcus Aurelius King
Grammy-Winning Artist & Producer
Issue No. 1,397 — The New Vanguard
Investigative Journalism
The stories that matter. Long-form investigations that expose truth, hold power accountable, and define the cultural conversation for a generation.
By the Numbers
Since 1967, Rolling Stone has broken the stories that shaped culture and challenged the status quo. Our investigative team continues that legacy.
Investigations Published
National Awards Won
Readers Reached Monthly
Years of Fearless Truth
Featured Investigations
Music Industry · 18 Min Read
A six-month investigation into the opaque financial pipelines of major streaming platforms reveals billions in unclaimed royalties and a system designed to keep artists in the dark.
Read Investigation →
Culture · 24 Min Read
From CBGB to the Troubadour, independent venues are disappearing at an alarming rate. We trace the corporate real estate strategies and policy failures behind the crisis.
Read Investigation →
Politics · 32 Min Read
As protests sweep the nation's universities, our reporters embedded with students, faculty, and administrators to document a generational battle over speech, power, and dissent.
Read Investigation →
"
The best investigative journalism doesn't just reveal what happened — it forces you to reckon with why it was allowed to happen in the first place.
Jann S. Wenner — Founder, Rolling Stone
The Process
Every investigation begins with cultivating trusted sources across industries, government, and communities — relationships built over years, not weeks.
Our team cross-references public records, leaked documents, financial filings, and digital footprints to build airtight narratives that withstand scrutiny.
Every claim is triple-verified. Every story passes through legal review and editorial oversight before publication — because the truth demands precision.
Coming Next
Our next investigation examines the invisible hand of algorithmic curation — how recommendation engines at Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube are systematically burying independent artists while amplifying major label catalogs. Featuring exclusive data analysis and testimony from inside the platforms.
View All →
Entertainment
The ceremony's most talked-about moment wasn't a win — it was a speech that shook the room into silence and reignited a conversation the industry has been avoiding for years.
By Sarah Mitchell · 6 min read
Music
After three years of silence, the architect behind some of rap's most iconic beats resurfaces with a record that rewrites the rules of what hip-hop can sound like.
By Marcus Cole · 8 min read
Digital Culture
As platforms experiment with live virtual events, the line between watching and attending continues to blur — and artists are split on whether that's liberation or the end of something sacred.
By Elena Park · 5 min read
Politics
While cable news fixates on the loudest voices, a new generation of policy architects is reshaping legislation behind closed doors — and their agenda might surprise you.
By David Rosen · 10 min read
Featured Story
Where Are They Now — A Rolling Stone Investigation
The Band Perry photographed in rural Tennessee, 2024
Cover Story — Issue 1,412
When Kimberly, Reid, and Neil Perry stepped away from country music at the height of their fame, the industry was stunned. Seven years, three reinventions, and one global pandemic later, the siblings have emerged with a story that defies every Nashville narrative.
In an exclusive interview at their family compound outside Greeneville, Tennessee, the trio opens up about creative burnout, the pressure of early fame, and why walking away was the bravest thing they ever did.
By Sarah Rodman · 18 min read
"
We didn't leave country music because we stopped loving it. We left because we loved it too much to keep doing it wrong. Sometimes the bravest thing an artist can do is disappear.
Kimberly Perry — Greeneville, Tennessee
By The Numbers
6
No. 1 Hits
15
Years Together
3
Genre Reinventions
1
Unforgettable Legacy
Inside The Story
01
From "If I Die Young" to sold-out arenas, the Perry siblings became country music's most magnetic force. But behind the platinum records and CMA trophies, cracks were forming in the foundation of a family act that never learned to say no.
02
In 2018, they vanished from the spotlight entirely. No farewell tour, no dramatic announcement — just silence. Industry insiders speculated everything from creative differences to label disputes. The truth was far more human and far more complicated.
03
Now they're back — but not the way anyone expected. Trading rhinestones for raw vulnerability, the new material strips away every Nashville convention. It's confessional, genre-fluid, and unmistakably Perry. This time, it's entirely on their terms.
The Instruments
Reid's mandolin and Neil's drums created a sonic signature that was instantly recognizable across any radio dial. Now, with synthesizers and drum machines joining the ensemble, the Perry sound has evolved into something entirely new — yet hauntingly familiar.
The worn Martin acoustic that launched a thousand covers of "If I Die Young" still sits in the corner of their home studio, its frets grooved with a decade of stories waiting to be told.
Guitar and boots on the family porch, Greeneville
Continue Reading
Breaking Stories
Updated Daily
Tour News
Dec 14, 2024
The Renaissance World Tour sequel promises holographic stage design and AI-driven setlists that adapt to each city's musical DNA. Tickets go on sale Friday.
Awards
Dec 13, 2024
The Recording Academy's latest nominations signal a seismic shift toward independent artists, with debut albums dominating Album of the Year for the first time in decades.
Collaborations
Dec 12, 2024
Two of hip-hop's most cerebral voices unite for a 14-track opus recorded across studios in Atlanta, Compton, and a remote cabin in Montana over three years.
New Releases · Dec 11
Industry · Dec 10
Festivals · Dec 9
Vinyl · Dec 8
Tribute · Dec 7
Tech · Dec 6
Expert Voices
An invitation-only community of leaders shaping the future of music, entertainment, and culture. Their insights define what comes next.
Amara Chen
Cultural Futurist
The boundaries between hip-hop, electronic, and classical are dissolving faster than institutions can categorize them. The artists leading this decade don't think in genre — they think in emotion, texture, and cultural resonance.
Read Full Essay →
Marcus Rivera
Creative Director
Corporate America is waking up to something the music industry has known for decades: culture isn't a marketing strategy — it's the operating system. The brands that survive will be the ones that stop performing relevance and start embodying it.
Read Full Essay →
Jordan Osei
Tech & Sound Innovator
We're entering an era where the most important creative skill isn't technical mastery — it's curatorial intelligence. The question isn't whether AI can make music. It's whether we can still recognize the human thread that makes music matter.
Read Full Essay →
"
Culture doesn't wait for permission. It moves through the cracks, rewires the conversation, and leaves institutions scrambling to catch up.
— From the RS Culture Council Manifesto
127
Council Members
340+
Essays Published
18
Industries
Trending Now
01
Music
2.4M views
02
Celebrity
1.8M views
03
TV & Film
1.5M views
04
Live Music
1.2M views
05
Politics
987K views
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