RETRO MUST READ

David Johansen on the New York Dolls' Colorful History: The Lost Interview

David Johansen, who died in February at 75, talks about the history of the New York Dolls, drugs, and fashion in the Village, in this lost interview.

Addded Mar 3, 2025

music

Rolling Stone

The 100 Best Protest Songs of All Time

David Browne, Jon Dolan, Suzy Exposito, Andy Greene, Kory Grow, Brian Hiatt, Christian Hoard, Angie Martoccio, Rob Sheffield, Simon Vozick-Levinson & Christopher R. Weingarten

From Pete Seeger to Billie Holiday to Rage Against the Machine to Kendrick Lamar, musicians of all genres have spoken truth to power.

Addded Jan 27, 2025

music

Rolling Stone

The 30 Best Country and Americana Albums of 2024

Jonathan Bernstein, Jon Blistein, David Browne, Josh Crutchmer, Jon Dolan, Christian Hoard, Joseph Hudak, Maura Johnston, Marissa R. Moss, Brittany Spanos & Benjamin Stallings

The 30 best country and Americana albums of 2024, including Beyonce, Sturgill Simpson, Sierra Ferrell, and Megan Moroney.

Addded Dec 12, 2024

music

Rolling Stone

The 100 Best Albums of 2024

The 100 Best Albums of 2024: Beyonce, Billie Eilish, and more.

Addded Dec 2, 2024

music

Rolling Stone

Billy Preston Was Beloved by the Beatles and Stones. His Fall From Grace Was a Rock Tragedy

David Browne

The new documentary "Billy Preston: That’s the Way God Planned It" profiles the eternally upbeat pop-funk keyboardist and probes his disturbing decline.

Addded Nov 25, 2024

music

Rolling Stone

Katy Perry's 'Woman's World' and the End of 2010s Pop

David Browne

The backlash to Katy Perry's 'Woman's World' shows that her era of maximalist 2010s pop hits is a thing of the past.

Addded Jul 17, 2024

music

Rolling Stone

Steve Albini: 17 Essential Albums

David Browne, Jon Dolan, Andy Greene, Kory Grow, Althea Legaspi, Angie Martoccio, Jason Newman & Simon Vozick-Levinson

Steve Albini, dead at age 61, worked on classic albums by Nirvana, Pixies, Breeders, PJ Harvey, Big Black, Shellac, and many more

Addded May 8, 2024

music

Rolling Stone

Dickey Betts, Allman Brothers Band Singer-Guitarist, Dead at 80

David Browne

Dickey Betts, the singer, songwriter and guitarist who played a crucial role in the Allman Brothers Band, has died at age 80.

Addded Apr 18, 2024

music

Rolling Stone

The 100 Best Albums of 2023

We Rank the best albums of the year, from Lil Yatchy to Olivia Rodrigo to Lana Del Rey.

Addded Dec 21, 2023

music

Rolling Stone

SiriusXM Messed With Their Classic Rock Channel. Boomer Listeners Aren't Happy

David Browne

SiriusXM listeners are angry over the satellite radio service moving its classic-rock rarities channel Deep Tracks.

Addded Nov 10, 2023

music

Rolling Stone

The 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time

Celebrating six-string glory in blues, rock, metal, punk, folk, country, reggae, jazz, flamenco, bossa nova, and much more.

Addded Oct 13, 2023

music

Rolling Stone

It's 2023, and the Rolling Stones Have Made a Record You'll Want to Play More Than Once -- Seriously

David Browne

They haven’t sounded this on top of their game in about half a century.

Addded Oct 9, 2023

music

Rolling Stone

The Culture Wars Are Tearing the Close-Knit Country Music Community Apart

David Browne

Nashville and its stars are squaring off publicly over differing ideologies and beliefs, leading to changes in tour lineups and chilly backstage vibes: “Dressing rooms doors are shut now."

Addded Sep 3, 2023

music

Rolling Stone

The 'Back to the Future' Musical (Mostly) Cuts Marty's Appropriation of Chuck Berry

David Browne

The Libyan caricatures are also gone as the 1985 hit time-travels to the Broadway stage.

Addded Aug 13, 2023

music

Rolling Stone

Tina Turner, Queen of Rock & Roll, Dead at 83

Brittany Spanos & David Browne

Legendary singer “died peacefully” Wednesday after a long illness.

Addded May 24, 2023

media music

Rolling Stone

The Haunted Life of Lisa Marie Presley

David Browne

She was the closest thing America had to royalty. But living in Elvis’ shadow was an unimaginable struggle. Friends and collaborators recall Lisa Marie's rebel spirit and the mix of hope and heaviness that marked her final days.

Addded Mar 10, 2023

media music

Rolling Stone

There Were Sidemen. And Then There Was David Lindley

David Browne

The legendary musician didn’t just accompany L.A. rock legends - he shaped the sound of an era.

Addded Mar 5, 2023

music

Rolling Stone

Ukrainian Musicians in Combat Need Help. The Music Business Is Pitching In

David Browne

Through contributions from power players like Merck Mercuriadis, Musicians Defend Ukraine is outfitting artists-turned-soldiers with crucial battlefield equipment.

Addded Feb 22, 2023

music

Rolling Stone

There Was a Little Part of David Crosby in All of Us, Whether We Knew It or Not

David Browne

Sometimes ornery, often inspiring, and forever speaking his mind, Croz cut a path in rock & roll that his peers and legion of fans are still trying to follow.

Addded Jan 23, 2023

music

Rolling Stone

David Crosby: 20 Essential Songs by the Folk-Rock Legend

Jonathan Bernstein, David Browne, Kory Grow, Brian Hiatt, Angie Martoccio & Simon Vozick-Levinson

The golden-voiced pioneer and true American original leaves behind a singular catalog full of gorgeous music.

Addded Jan 20, 2023

music

Rolling Stone

Remaking Your Old Songs Used to Be Considered Lazy, Shady, and So Uncool. What Changed?

David Browne

From U2's just announced "reimagining" of 40 past hits to Taylor Swift's "Taylor's Version" campaign, artists are no longer ashamed to revisit their back catalogs.

Addded Jan 18, 2023

music

Rolling Stone

Sharp as a Blade, Soft as a Dream: Jeff Beck's Greatest Songs

Angie Martoccio, Brian Hiatt, Andy Greene & David Browne

From fuzzed-out Yardbirds riffs to virtuosic Beatles covers, here are the late guitar legend’s best moments.

Addded Jan 12, 2023

music

Rolling Stone

‘I Wanna Dance with Somebody’: Fact-Checking the Whitney Houston Biopic

David Browne

What’s right, wrong or suspect in filmmaker Kasi Lemmons’ new movie about the life and death of Whitney Houston?

Addded Dec 27, 2022

music

Rolling Stone

Nile Rodgers Remembers Thom Bell: 'He Represented Sophistication and Elegance'

Nile Rodgers & David Browne

Rodgers recalls a cherished two-hour phone call with the “Sound of Philadelphia” producer, who died Thursday at 79.

Addded Dec 24, 2022

music

Rolling Stone

The Best Box Sets of 2022

David Browne, Jon Dolan, Andy Greene, Kory Grow, Joseph Hudak, Michaelangelo Matos & Rob Sheffield

Bowie’s first breakthrough, the Beatles’ finest hour, Prince and Petty live, and much more.

Addded Dec 22, 2022

music

Rolling Stone

The Future of Classic Rock Tours: One or Two Surviving Members…or None?

David Browne

From authorized tribute bands to new recruits, heritage rockers like the Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd grapple with how to keep the music playing and profitable.

Addded Dec 4, 2022

music

Rolling Stone

16 Essential Christine McVie Songs

Jonathan Bernstein, David Browne, Jon Dolan, Andrea Marks, Kory Grow, Angie Martoccio, Brittany Spanos & Simon Vozick-Levinson

From Fleetwood Mac classics to solo gems.

Addded Nov 30, 2022

music

Rolling Stone

Faking the Funk: How Bootsy Collins Impostors Pulled Off the Ultimate Music Biz Scam

David Browne

With star-shaped shades and platform boots, the Bootsy fakes bilked friends and family out of money over decades.

Addded Nov 25, 2022

music

Rolling Stone

The 100 Greatest TV Theme Songs of All Time

Sean T. Collins, David Browne, Jon Dolan, Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Andy Greene, Joe Gross, Tatiana Krisztina, Michaelangelo Matos, Noel Murray, Mosi Reeves, Alan Sepinwall & Rob Sheffield

From Seventies sitcoms with expository jams to modern prestige classics with experimental scores, from ‘Sanford and Son’ to ‘Succession,’ from ‘Match Game’ to &#…

Addded Nov 24, 2022

music

Rolling Stone

‘Jesus, Bob’: How Some Musicians Feel About Being Dissed by Dylan in ‘Philosophy of Modern Song’

David Browne

Dylan slights, directly or indirectly, Joe Satriani, Talking Heads, and Elvis Costello in his new book about songwriting.

Addded Nov 16, 2022

music

Rolling Stone

Jerry Lee Lewis, Influential and Condemned Rock & Roll Pioneer, Dead at 87

David Browne

“The Killer” embodied rock rebellion with songs like “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” and “Great Balls of Fire,” but drew widespread outrage for marryi…

Addded Oct 28, 2022

media music

Rolling Stone

In His New Book, Dylan Is an Unexpected Music Critic, And A Master Gaslighter

David Browne

In ‘The Philosophy of Modern Song,’ rock’s greatest songwriter has more than just tunes on his mind.

Addded Oct 27, 2022

music

Rolling Stone

NDAs, Obsessive Buyers, and $400 for Sublime: Inside the Baffling Revival of the Cassette Tape

David Browne

Thanks to major pop acts like Billie Eilish and Lady Gaga, the nearly extinct format is on an unexpected comeback tour. But who’s buying and playing the 20th-century relics?

Addded Oct 23, 2022

media music

Rolling Stone

Rolling Stone's 50 Greatest Concept Albums of All Time

David Browne, Jon Dolan, Brenna Ehrlich, Joe Gross, Kory Grow, Brian Hiatt, Maura Johnston, Michelle Hyun Kim, Julyssa Lopez, Angie Martoccio, Michaelangelo Matos, Tomás Mier, Mosi Reeves, Rob Sheffield, Alison Weinflash & Simon Vozick-Levinson

From prog epics to R&B masterpieces, these are the records that define music at its most ambitious.

Addded Oct 12, 2022

music

Rolling Stone

A New Doc Says Sinéad O’Connor Matters More Than You Think. It’s Right

David Browne

‘Nothing Compares’ examines how the Irish musician paved the way for so many women’s rights issues -- and was completely run over in the process.

Addded Sep 28, 2022

music

Rolling Stone

Bring Your Alibis: Men Accused of Stealing Eagles Lyrics Strike Back

David Browne

In their first response to the headline-grabbing court case, lawyers for three men accused of stealing Eagles lyrics don’t want to take it easy.

Addded Sep 8, 2022

music

Rolling Stone

100 Greatest Country Albums of All Time

Stephen L. Betts, Jonathan Bernstein, David Browne, David Cantwell, Jon Dolan, Jon Freeman, Joseph Hudak, Maura Johnston, Michaelangelo Matos, Angie Martoccio, Rob Sheffield & Natalie Weiner

As a commercial entity, country music has existed for nearly a century following the 1927 Bristol Sessions with the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers. That means it’s older than rock & roll, older than soul, and still going strong in 2022 with branches that have spread far and wide.

Addded Aug 30, 2022

music

Rolling Stone

Elvis Presley Died 45 Years Ago. Has 'Elvis' the Movie Finally Revived Him?

David Browne

Austin Butler’s sexually charged portrayal of Presley is introducing young fans to a classic, and nearly forgotten, style of rock-star performance

Addded Aug 18, 2022

media music

Rolling Stone

Ace of Cups Deserved Much Better

David Browne

They were one of rock’s first all-female bands, but the music industry never gave them a shot. Five decades later, they’re looking back on their legacy -- and moving forward.

Addded Aug 1, 2022

music

Rolling Stone

‘How It All Got Started’: DJ Kool Herc Talks Auction of Vintage Hip-Hop Memorabilia

David Browne

For any hip-hop historian, a certain party on August 11, 1973 looms large. In a rec room at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx, young Cindy Campbell threw a back-to-school jam with entertainment provided by her older brother, a Jamaican-born immigrant named Clive Campbell who’d renamed himself DJ Kool Herc.

Addded Jul 29, 2022

music