Cover Story

Madonna Looks Back

At 51, with a massive tour and a new greatest-hits collection, Her Madgesty still reigns. The queen of pop reflects on three decades of shock and awe.
By Austin Scaggs

The Essential Madonna: An interactive photo and video timeline of the pop icon's most legendary moments — from declaring her plan for world domination on American Bandstand in 1984 to kissing Britney at the 2003 VMAs.
Inside the Issue: A sneak peek at Austin Scaggs' cover story.
Covers: A gallery of Madonna's 12 Rolling Stone covers.
Q&A: More from Austin Scaggs' interview.

NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Obama vs. the Generals

As Obama rethinks America's failed strategy in Afghanistan, he faces insurgencies from the Taliban —
and his own Pentagon. By Robert Dreyfuss

FEATURES

The Great Pacific
Garbage Patch

A floating mass of trash twice the size of Texas has turned the Pacific into an ocean of plastic, killing sea life — and working its way up the food chain. By Kitt Doucette

Vampire of the Sunset Strip

No one plays louder, rocks harder or lives closer to the edge than Motörhead's 63-year-old frontman, Lemmy Kilmister. By Mark Binelli

Photos: Get inside Motörhead's 2008 European tour with backstage shots of Kilmister — the guy who even Ozzy Osbourne thinks parties too hard.

Rock & Roll

Them Crooked Vultures

Hanging with Dave Grohl, John Paul Jones and Josh Homme.

On the Road Behind the scenes at Austin City Limits as Kings of Leon, Phoenix, Zac Brown Band play Texas' biggest bash.

Profile Monsters of Folk: Four of rock's greatest young songwriters unite for killer debut.

Breaking: Déjà Vu Edition Hot new acts who are bringing back the past: Mayer Hawthorne, the Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Dawes and La Roux.

Video: L.A. band Dawes discuss their "old-school sound;" soul singer Mayer Hawthorne picks his favorite Motown tunes; electro-pop duo La Roux perform their hit "Bulletproof" and indie foursome the Pains of Being Pure at Heart perform live from Texas.

Industry Top acts, from Miley to Radiohead, break free of the album and test out EPs, online releases.

Bookshelf Nick Hornby explores life as a music geek, updates High Fidelity for the Twitter generation in his new novel. Plus: Paul Shaffer on four decades in the spotlight.

In the Studio Danger Mouse, James Mercer's secret sessions yield trippy LP; Switchfoot's heavy, aggressive new CD.

Q&A Jack Johnson's new DVD documents gigs in France, U.K. and Germany.

Checking In Alice in Chains return with a new singer 14 years after their last LP.

SPECIAL SECTION

The Future of Cars

Will Detroit survive? Plus: The new green machines.

Test Drive: Cobra Starship Taking the Tesla Roadster for a spin in New York City
Test Drive: T-Pain Driving the BMW 335d Clean Diesel in Miami
Test Drive: 3OH!3 Heading out with the Mitsubishi i-Miev Electric in Los Angeles
The Realities of Alternative Fuels From algae to manure, how six methods stack up

TV

The Awesome Gayness
of 'Glee'

'Glee' is a campy spectacle for show-tune fanatics, and one of the most brutal hours of TV you'll ever endure.
By Rob Sheffield

Meet the Cast of 'Glee' The stars of TV's hottest high-school-choir comedy talk about their favorite musical moments from this season — including campy performances of Kanye West's "Gold Digger," Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" and more.

SPORTS

Cleveland Chaos

Eric Mangini's catastrophic coaching missteps have turned the Browns into the NFL's worst franchise.
By Matt Taibbi

RECORDS

Devendra Banhart

Psych folk's high priest makes best album yet.

PLUS: Wolfmother, R.E.M., Tegan and Sara, The xx, Phoenix, The Big Pink, Volbeat, Michael Jackson, The Asteroids Galaxy Tour, Dead by Sunrise, Dawes, Bob Dylan, Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons, Mayer Hawthorne, Ghostface Killah, Karen O's Where the Wild Things Are soundtrack, dubstep label Hyperdub's anniversary collection 5:5 Years of Hyperdub and the reissue of the Rolling Stones' Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!.

Fricke's Picks: Louie and the Lovers, Bert Jansch and Sin Fang Bous.

MOVIES

Into the 'Wild'

Spike Jonze blasts kid-flick clichés in his film adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are.

PLUS: Antichrist, Law Abiding Citizen and Bronson.

Q&A: Author and screenwriter Dave Eggers talks about adapting Maurice Sendak's classic book Where the Wild Things Are into a big-screen production.
Video: An exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the making of Where the Wild Things Are.
From the Archives: Rolling Stone's 1976 profile of Maurice Sendak.

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

Harper Simon Live Paul Simon's singer-songwriter son hits our studio to perform tracks from his debut album.

Jim James Channels George Harrison The My Morning Jacket frontman reveals the inspiration behind Tribute To his new EP of acoustic Harrison covers.

Chat With Paramore The band answers all your burning questions.

Lost Zeppelin See John Bonham's 21st-birthday party and other rare Zep moments from the new book Good Times, Bad Times.

Madonna photographed on March 12th, 1986,
in Los Angeles.
Photograph by Herb Ritts