Billboard Must Address AI on the Charts NOW
Afraid of “gatekeeping” accusations, Billboard seems content with AI encroaching onto its charts without the company in any way addressing it directly at the moment.
Rolling Stone
The Failed Political Project To Reshape the American Electorate Through Country Music
Crunching election data, a plan was hatched under the premise that if the institution of country music could be assuaged to become a political tool, it could help persuade the rural slice of the American electorate from red to blue.
Kris Kristofferson, Toby Keith and the Outlandish “Rolling Stone” Altercation
The media loves to place individuals firmly in the political binary, and then pit them against each other. It’s good for clicks and business, even if it causes collateral damage in communities or greater society in the process.
“Rolling Stone” Compares “Hawk Tuah Girl” to Dolly Parton
You’re about a week too late yesterday to try and make clickbait hay off the “Hawk Tuah Girl,” but that didn’t stop Rolling Stone from publishing an embarrassing piece of journalistic fellatio late last week
‘Rolling Stone’ Editor Accused of Covering Up Child Porn Accusations
The Editor-in-Chief of Rolling Stone has now been accused of doctoring the story to overplay the angle of governmental overreach, and to hide the true reason James Gordon Meek’s home was raided, namely that Meeks was under federal investigation for being in possession of images depicting child sex abuse.
Is Eric Church Really “Anti-Gun”?
There is no better example of just how damaging a mischaracterizing article can be to an artist than the “Rolling Stone” cover story that came out about Eric Church in the summer of 2018. And in this instance, it came in the form of a puff piece feature, not some attempted take down of Church.
Assessing Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Country Albums of All Time”
‘Rolling Stone’ published a list of the The 100 Greatest Country Albums of All Time this week, and as per usual, it has many arguing its merits, omissions, and inclusions. There was a time when whatever Rolling Stone said was taken as the definitive word in music. These days it’s more polarizing.
Jason Isbell Donated $53,000 From Morgan Wallen Song Royalties
On the latest album from embattled country music star Morgan Wallen called Dangerous, he included a cover version of the song “Cover Me Up” originally released by Americana songwriter Jason Isbell on his 2013 album Southeastern.
Morgan Wallen Fulfills Donation Pledge to African American Museum
Not only did Morgan Wallen make the $100,000 donation, the singer also toured the location that opened in 2019, and the museum was given the opportunity to, “share our mission with Morgan as he was eager to learn more in a sincere effort to grow.”
Country Music Is Not a Monolith. Quit Stereotyping It As One
If all you have to prove country music’s intrinsic racism that is regularly cited in conversations and articles is the Lil Nas X anecdote, or the Beyoncé anecdote, or the Morgan Wallen story, then you really don’t have any proof at all.
Rolling Stone Editor’s ‘Faster, Louder, Harder’ Promise is a Problem
Like so many media outlets native to the print realm, Rolling Stone has experienced hard times over the last decade-plus while transitioning to the digital world, and also trying to evolve beyond their original baby boomer readership. Rolling Stone is still one of the most recognized media brands in music and culture, but what it’s […]
Rolling Stone Falsely Reports Morgan Wallen’s Post N-word Donations
Instead of doing the actual work to truly verify whether the donations had been made by Morgan Wallen, and/or being patient enough to wait until the information could be fully revealed, ‘Rolling Stone’ ran with the working assumption that the donations weren’t delivered at all
‘Rolling Stone’ Blurs More Lines Between Ads & Editorial Content
A name once tied closely to progressive values, an independent approach to journalism and music, and transparency in media is continually graying the line between what is an ad, and what is an article. It does not bode well for one of the recognizable brand’s in music journalism.
New Billboard / Rolling Stone Partnership & Paywall is Troubling
The media landscape in music just got a lot more cloistered, oligarchical, and insular. Announced recently, Rolling Stone’s parent company Penske Media Corp. (or PMC) has entered into a joint venture with Billboard’s parent company called MRC to bring the two biggest music media companies together.
Classic Country Diminished in New Rolling Stone 500 Best Albums
It’s worth noting that Rolling Stone’s new updated version of their “500 Best Albums of All Time” significantly diminishes iconic titles from the classic country canon. Not only were some titles downgraded, some were eliminated entirely.
“Rolling Stone Country” Breaks Promise to Not Get Political
“As far as government politics, hell no!” said original ‘Rolling Stone Country’ Senior Editor Beville Dunkerley in May of 2014, assuring readers the publication would not engage in political discourse as part of its country music coverage. Now that has all changed.
The Mischaracterization of Eric Church’s “Rolling Stone” Cover Story
Even Eric Church when he pasted an image of the cover on his Instagram account said, “Read the full interview (don’t be misled by the headline).” Soon vociferous defectors from Eric’s fan club known as the Church Choir were making a ruckus, as were many other country music fans who are calling for an Eric Church boycott.
The Last Thing We Needs Is Country Stars To Get Political (A Response)
Belief that celebrity somehow elevates one’s political opinions is exactly how Donald J. Trump got elected President of the United States. You can’t just call for the political activation of the artists of country music, and expect for only the ones that are opposed to Donald Trump to speak up.
Why Lists and “Exclusive” Content are Killing Music Journalism
Jack White’s criticisms of Rolling Stone, The Foo Fighters, and The Black Keys would probably be taken with a little more weight if they didn’t feel like they were so rooted in spite. But Jack raises a very important topic in how music journalism has evolved over the last few years, especially as print magazines have been forced to move into a more robust online presence.
Scott Borchetta Tried to Convince Taylor Swift to Stay Country
Taylor Swift, who just made her big switch from country to pop, is the focus of Rolling Stone’s cover story in the latest issue, and the in-depth feature finds Miss Swift dunking in the ocean fully clothed and dropping some very interesting tidbits that could help country music perform its postmortem about why Taylor Swift left and what it really means.
The Waylon Jennings Quote About Garth Brooks – Real or Fake?
“Garth Brooks did for country music what pantyhose did for finger fucking.” This is the quote that has been attributed to Waylon Jennings that you are likely to see in much greater frequency now that Garth Brooks has come out of retirement. For some, it is the totality of their argument against Garth.The problem is there’s no verifiable records of Waylon ever saying it.
Editor of “Rolling Stone Country” Tells Readers What to Expect
Rolling Stone is readying the launch of their brand new, dedicated country music website on June 1st, with a corresponding one-time print edition of Rolling Stone Country on newsstands June 5th featuring country music coverage from page 1 to 70. This bold move by one of music journalism’s most recognized brands could be a big game changer for the way country music is covered.
“Rolling Stone Country” Readies Big Launch
As first announced in early December of 2013, Rolling Stone is planning a move into the country music realm this year, and in a big way. With a million-dollar website planned and a long-term outlook and commitment, one of the most recognized brands in music journalism will certainly make a splash in the country genre when rollingstone.com/country goes live June 1st.
A Country Music Media Arms Race Has Broken Out
Yes ladies and gentlemen, just like the great American eagle and the mighty Soviet bear staring each other down and belligerently stockpiling armaments to intimidate one another, the two titans of American radio, Clear Channel and Cumulus Media, have entered a no-holds-barred arms race with country music as the platform, with the ultimate prize being you…
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