Percussionist Ollie Brown reading Rolling Stone in 1975. (Christopher Simon Sykes/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
#TBT: Rolling Stone Covers From When the Mag Called SF Home
09 November 2017
Looking back on when Rolling Stone had a three-person office at 1700 Montgomery St.
On this day in 1967, the first issue of Rolling Stone was published in San Francisco. Founded by Jann Wenner and Ralph Gleason, the music rag has grown from the small team in Fog City to become a media giant, chronicling music trends. A decade after its birth, the magazine moved its headquarters to New York in 1977 and closed the last SF office in the early 1980s. Its presence here will never be forgotten though; and it can be said that through the nurturing of local bands, the music scene has become what it is. Relive that first decade of Rolling Stone in SF with a look back at a cover from each year, up until 1976.
November 9, 1967
via Rolling Stone
The first issue of Rolling Stone featured John Lennon on the cover, in a photo from his movie How I Won the War. Some of the articles touched on the music of Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton, and the drug bust at the Grateful Dead's house in The Haight.
▲October 12, 1968
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A demure and somewhat innocent looking Mick Jagger was the cover star in this 1968 edition of the magazine. An article inside, however, talks about the Rolling Stone album "Beggars Banquet," which was banned in the U.S.
▲May 17, 1969
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This 1970 issue of Rolling Stone introduced a fresh-faced Joni Mitchell to the world. The articles discuss L.A. club promoters, and how the gospel song Oh Happy Day became a mainstream hit.
▲August 6, 1970
via Super Seventies
The iconic Janis Joplin graced the cover of the August 6, 1970 issue with topics centered around music festivals and Wavy Gravy.
▲March 18, 1971
via Rolling Stone
Muhammad Ali is ready to fight on the cover of this 1971 edition. On March 8, 1971, Ali was part of "The Fight of the Century" against Joe Frazier. The article touches on Muhammad's life, faith, and boxing career.
▲December 7, 1972
via FamousFix
The December 7, 1972 issue of Rolling Stone featured Mission native and legendary rockstar Carlos Santana on the cover. The articles inside delve into his musical background, the hippie mafia, and how threats to the fifth amendment.
▲September 27, 1973
via Ephemera Forever
A cover story by Hunter S. Thompson on Watergate was the centerpiece of this 1973 issue. Also run were articles on Dr. John and Alembic, the Novato company that made instruments for the Grateful Dead, helping to perfect their sound.
▲January 3, 1974
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The Spirit of Ecstasy, the bonnet ornament of the Rolls-Royce, is clad in jeans on the cover of a 1974 edition of the magazine. Its articles could very well have been written today with topics on marijuana legalization, and the prevalence of denim in society.
▲September 25, 1975
via Rolling Stone
On the cover of this 1975 Rolling Stone issue is The Eagles, chillin' waterside. Other key topics included Fleetwood Mac, video discs, and Disneyland.
▲August 12, 1976
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The vibrant energy of icon Bob Marley is captured on this 1976 cover. Strife in Jamaica is one of the topics of interest in this edition, as well as The Beach Boys, Jimmy Page, and politican/sociologist/diplomat Pat Moynihan.
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