Rolling Stone

Rolling Stone, founded in 1967 by Jann Wenner and Ralph J. Gleason, is the magazine equivalent of that guy at a party who insists on playing air guitar. Known for its pompous stance as the arbiter of all things rock and roll, it has chronicled everything from the rise of punk to the fall of disco with a smirk that says "we were there." The magazine hit its cultural zenith in the 1970s, flaunting its celebrity interviews and drug-fueled journalism as high art. In the 21st century, its valuation has staggered through a series of financial crises and ownership changes, most recently being sold to Penske Media Corporation in 2017, proving once again that rock journalism can’t always keep pace with rock and roll's unpredictable rhythms. Awards are plentiful but controversies are abundant—from the 2014 UVA rape story fiasco, which ended in a retraction and legal battles, to its constant struggle to remain relevant in the age of digital media. With current CEO Gus Wenner, Jann's son, steering the ship, Rolling Stone continues to wobble between nostalgia and relevance, often lost in its own legacy while desperately trying to keep the riffs fresh.