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Rolling Stone and the Rise of Hip Capitalism: How a Magazine Born in the 1960s Changed America
Not yet published
Expected 21 Apr 26- GenresNonfiction
304 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication April 21, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Rolling Stone and the Rise of Hip Capitalism, by Charles L Ponce de Leon, is an interesting look behind the scenes of this iconic magazine while also contextualizing what allowed these things to contribute to a successful periodical.
As I have come to accept with the books I've read by Ponce de Leon, this being the third, I find the authorial voice less appealing but the material more than makes up for it. His personal introductions tend to drag, not to mention in this case it shows he was slow to the music scene beyond simply buying a few albums (I too was in high school in 1975) and he was late to wanting to know more than just whether he liked a song. Those aren't negatives but he drags us through this personal background for several paragraphs more than necessary for such a weak early background.
Once we get into the story of Rolling Stone, it gets better. He isn't the best writer but he is adequate for what we are getting. His research is excellent and he does a good job of placing everything in the historical moment. As disappointing as Rolling Stone became for readers like me who loved most of the first decade (I didn't start reading regularly until 1971) it still offered some good music background for some time. Eventually that also went by the wayside but it was gradual, or at least seemed like it at the time.
Recommended for both those interested in the culture of the 60s and early 70s as well a those who study at the intersection of business and popular culture.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
As I have come to accept with the books I've read by Ponce de Leon, this being the third, I find the authorial voice less appealing but the material more than makes up for it. His personal introductions tend to drag, not to mention in this case it shows he was slow to the music scene beyond simply buying a few albums (I too was in high school in 1975) and he was late to wanting to know more than just whether he liked a song. Those aren't negatives but he drags us through this personal background for several paragraphs more than necessary for such a weak early background.
Once we get into the story of Rolling Stone, it gets better. He isn't the best writer but he is adequate for what we are getting. His research is excellent and he does a good job of placing everything in the historical moment. As disappointing as Rolling Stone became for readers like me who loved most of the first decade (I didn't start reading regularly until 1971) it still offered some good music background for some time. Eventually that also went by the wayside but it was gradual, or at least seemed like it at the time.
Recommended for both those interested in the culture of the 60s and early 70s as well a those who study at the intersection of business and popular culture.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
February 17, 2026
University of North Carolina Press provided an early galley for review.
Growing up, I picked up the magazine periodically when certain artists appeared on the covers. In the 2000's, I picked up the DVD-ROM collection from Bondi Digital Publishing that contained the first forty years of the publication. So, I was curious to see what this author had to say about the first two decades of the magazine.
This is a very scholarly discussion, expertly researched and very formally presented (i.e. it comes across very factual without injecting too much of the author's unique voice/style in the prose). I expect this was purposeful, especially coming from a university press imprint. The author frames what was going on with the magazine and its staff as the events of the world unfolded around them, showing how each influenced the other.
If you are a fan of Rolling Stone, there is a lot to digest here. As someone whose music tastes were formed in the 70's and 80's, there was a lot that I found personally interesting.
Growing up, I picked up the magazine periodically when certain artists appeared on the covers. In the 2000's, I picked up the DVD-ROM collection from Bondi Digital Publishing that contained the first forty years of the publication. So, I was curious to see what this author had to say about the first two decades of the magazine.
This is a very scholarly discussion, expertly researched and very formally presented (i.e. it comes across very factual without injecting too much of the author's unique voice/style in the prose). I expect this was purposeful, especially coming from a university press imprint. The author frames what was going on with the magazine and its staff as the events of the world unfolded around them, showing how each influenced the other.
If you are a fan of Rolling Stone, there is a lot to digest here. As someone whose music tastes were formed in the 70's and 80's, there was a lot that I found personally interesting.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Unlike previous volumes about Rolling Stone magazine and its polarizing founder, Jann Wenner, this book sticks to history. Rather than zoning in on the more salacious aspects of the magazine's rise and growing pains, it provides context of what drove its writers within the times they covered, and also an overview of American politics throughout the decades considered. In all, fascinating without resorting to scandal, but still acknowledging mistakes and missteps.
(preview copy provided by NetGalley)
(preview copy provided by NetGalley)
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
ARC from NetGalley.
Well-researched if not always the most well-written, it’s at its best when placing happenings at the magazine into the larger cultural backdrop of America at the time.
Well-researched if not always the most well-written, it’s at its best when placing happenings at the magazine into the larger cultural backdrop of America at the time.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews