Cover Story

Why the Beatles Broke Up

The inside story of the forces that tore apart the world's greatest group. By Mikal Gilmore

Behind the Breakup: Excerpts from Rolling Stone stories that detailed the end of the Fab Four
Inside the Cover Story: Writer Mikal Gilmore chronicles the year-long reporting of his piece
Audio: Hear Jann S. Wenner's historic 1970 conversation with John Lennon and read the two-part cover story
Photos: The Beatles' journey from beginning to end
On the Cover: All 33 Rolling Stone covers featuring the Beatles
Discography: The complete guide to the Beatles' studio albums
Complete Coverage: Rolling Stone's essential Beatles stories, photos and more

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Health Care Reform:
The Big Sellout

How Washington is screwing up health care reform — and why it may take a revolt to fix it. By Matt Taibbi

Video: Taibbi breaks down his argument

FEATURES

Jeff Tweedy Lets Go

Wilco's frontman used to be the most tortured guy in rock & roll. Then he learned the hardest thing of all: keeping it simple. By Will Dana

The Boy Who Heard Too Much

Matthew Weigman was a 14-year-old blind kid, angry and alone. Then he discovered that he possessed a strange and fearsome superpower — one that put him in the cross hairs of the FBI. By David Kushner

TRIBUTE

John Hughes,
the Pope of High School

Filmmaker John Hughes defined teen agony, even for kids who weren't born when his movies came out.
By Rob Sheffield

Peter Travers Remembers John Hughes: Our critic on the writer-director's top movie moments, from the "Twist and Shout" scene in Ferris Bueller to the detention dance number in Breakfast Club.

Rock & Roll

'American Idol'
Tour Hits the Road

Backstage with Adam Lambert, Kris Allen and Co., as Idolmania takes over the New York area.

Photos: More behind-the-scenes shots of Lambert, Allen and the other American Idols on the road
All-Access Idol: Videos, photos, recaps and more of the show's eighth season

Lollapalooza 2009: Inside the three-day Chicago fest, as the Killers, Depeche Mode, Jane's Addiction and more rocked Grant Park

Jane's Addiction Live: Exclusive video of Perry Farrell and Co. closing out Lollapalooza
Them Crooked Vultures are Born: A live report from Chicago at the debut gig of the new supergroup featuring Dave Grohl, Josh Homme and John Paul Jones
Complete Lollapalooza: Photos, videos and reports from the ground at this year's festival

Q&A: Metallica Drummer Lars Ulrich on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's upcoming megaconcert

In the Studio: Avril Lavigne crafts acoustic-heavy new LP. Plus: The Strokes' Julian Casablancas goes solo

Q&A: Zac Brown, southern rock's mellow outlaw, loves James Taylor and makes his own barbecue sauce

Album Preview: John Mellencamp travels to Memphis' Sun Studio to record a gritty disc with T Bone Burnett

Profile: U.K. rockers Arctic Monkeys hit the California desert to cut trippy third album

Obituary: Electric Guitar Pioneer Les Paul Plus: Mike Seeger, Willy DeVille and Billy Lee Riley

Touring: Top touring acts struggle to sell out as economy bites into concert biz

Music Video: Inside Heath Ledger's Modest Mouse video

Hall of Fame: The story behind David Bowie's glam turn with Hunky Dory

Checking In: Cobra Starship frontman Gabe Saporta

Rock Doc: Metallica filmmaker turns eco-warrior

Breaking: Cage the Elephant

Video: The Band's Clip for "Ain't No Rest For the Wicked"

RECORDS

Return of the Diva

Whitney Houston makes her Big Comeback on her first album in seven years.

PLUS: Black Crowes, Julian Plenti, La Roux, Willie Nelson, Matisyahu, the Used, Smokey Robinson, Sean Bones, Sugar Ray, Juliette Lewis, Yo La Tengo, Loudon Wainwright III, Hope Sandoval and the Warm Inventions, Os Mutantes, Yonder Mountain String Band, Trevor Hall, Madness, John Fogerty, Jay Reatard, Colbie Caillat, Jet, and reissues from Isaac Hayes and Woody Guthrie.

MOVIES

Die, Nazi Scum!

With Inglourious Basterds, Quentin Tarantino does war his way: as pulp fiction.

Plus: Taking Woodstock, Passing Strange, Ponyo and Big Fan

The Travers Take: More movie news and reviews from our movie critic

Travers Hits Twitter: Tap in for daily Twitter updates — juicy interview tidbits and knee-jerk reviews — from our film critic

ONLINE EXCLUSIVES

Green Day Musical Premieres: American Idiot, the show based on the trio's 2004 album, opens on September 4th in Berkeley, California. Meet the show's cast in exclusive photos and live videos.

Michael Jackson Update: The latest on his estate and This Is It, the film due October 28th about his final rehearsals.

Woodstock Turns 40: RS' original reports on the historic festival. Plus: Photos and memories from artists who were there, including Graham Nash, Carlos Santana, Jefferson Airplane and Arlo Guthrie.

Jason Mraz Visits RS: The singer performs his 2008 tune "Butterfly" and talks about filming his new DVD.

Wolfmother Rocks: Frontman Andrew Castle plays "In the Castle" and "In the Morning" from his band's upcoming LP and reveals the stories behind them.

Jane's Addiction Live: Exclusive video of Perry Farrell and Co. as they close out Lollapalooza.

The Beatles: George Harrison, Paul McCartney, John Lennon and Ringo Starr, photographed in London on April 9th, 1969.
Photograph by Bruce McBroom/ ©Apple Corps Ltd. 2009