Rhino Factoids: The First Issue of Rolling Stone

49 years ago today, Rolling Stone released its very first issue, kicking off a run which continues unabated to this day.

The brainchild of Jann Wenner and Ralph Gleason, Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco, its initial publication funded by a $7,500 loan from his family and the parents of his then-fiancée, Jane Schindelheim. Back then, the magazine was, in fact, less a magazine in its format than a newspaper, and it only cost 35 cents. With a cover photo of John Lennon as Private Gripweed in his film How I Won The War (yes, kids, Lennon briefly flirted with an acting career, and his performance is definitely worth watching), Wenner introduced the new publication with a piece which explained that the title of the magazine was borrowed equally from a Muddy Waters song, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards’ outfit, and a certain single by Bob Dylan, but it soon became clear that Rolling Stone was about more than mere rock ‘n’ roll, and they continue to prove as much on a regular basis.

To celebrate the anniversary, we’ve put together a playlist featuring 10 artists from our catalog who made the cover of the magazine in its early years. Heaven knows there are far more than this, but better to keep it manageable. (If we tried to fit 50 years worth of former cover stars from the Rhino roster into a playlist, you’d still be playing it next week!)