New Books Network Peter Richardson, "Brand New Beat: The Wild Rise of Rolling Stone Magazine" (U California Press, 2026)
Apr 7, 2026
Peter Richardson, historian and author of Brand New Beat, traces Rolling Stone’s wild early years from 1967 San Francisco roots. He covers the magazine’s founding, its embrace of Bay Area counterculture, gonzo journalism and campaign reporting, the 1977 move to New York, shifts into celebrity and film coverage, and surprising early reporting on women and gay culture.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Altamont Exposé Won National Recognition
- Rolling Stone broke the Altamont story in December 1969, documenting violence and Meredith Hunter's murder when mainstream outlets largely missed it.
- Their Altamont coverage won a National Magazine Award for exposing the darker side of the counterculture.
Staff Hires Shifted Focus Toward Politics
- Rolling Stone rapidly expanded staff with hires like Charles Berry and John Burks to broaden coverage into politics and current affairs.
- John Burks aimed to 'de-trivialize' the magazine, pushing it beyond rock into headline journalism during the Vietnam and protest era.
Gonzo Journalism Catapulted Political Influence
- Hunter S. Thompson joined Rolling Stone after praising its Altamont coverage and published Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas in late 1971, bringing gonzo style to the magazine.
- Thompson then covered the 1972 presidential campaign in a candid, media-critical voice that expanded the magazine's political influence.
