Behind the Jonas Brothers Cover: Teen Idols in Rolling Stone

If you are reading this column, I assume that you are a regular reader of this magazine. And I think I know what you are thinking: "The Jonas Brothers again? Give me a #$*!-ing break!" Believe me, I understand. When Rolling Stone featured Suzi Quatro on the cover in 1975, I remember vowing, "I'm never buying this magazine again." (Click here to see photos of teen idols on the cover of Rolling Stone.)

But let's put it in perspective. Most of the things you can say about teen pop are true — the prefab hooks, the corporate machine, the screaming girls. But weren't Buddy Holly and Sam Cooke once teen idols? Not to mention Stevie Wonder? The Beatles? By the time Justin Timberlake brought sexy back, most people could barely remember the name of his old group.

The smart teen idols realize that unless they want to spend their lives as a punch line — or playing Kenickie in Grease on Ice — they'll need a better exit plan than Celebrity Rehab. There's no audience more fickle than an arena full of shrieking girls. On top of that, it's a brutal gig. As fast as the ride ends, most of these guys can't wait for it to be over. Some, like Timberlake — and, we bet, Nick Jonas — have pure talent to fall back on. But most end up barely clinging to the C list.

We always liked how David Cassidy escaped with his dignity intact when he used a 1972 Rolling Stone cover story to blow up his clean-scrubbed image. There he was, naked on the cover. The story was full of groupies and drugs, and portrayed a tired young man who wanted to be left alone. Cassidy's career as a teen dream was over, just as he wanted it.

The Jonas Brothers don't seem to be anywhere near that breaking point. But here's the deal we're offering: If any of you guys start to feel hemmed in and want to talk about what really goes on in the dressing room, give us a call.

• Photos: Teen Idols on the Cover of Rolling Stone

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Song Stories

“1999”

Prince | 1982

“I don’t consider myself a great poet,” Prince told Rolling Stone. “I just know I’m here to say what’s on my mind.” In the case of the apocalyptic party anthem “1999,” he was worried about then-president Ronald Reagan’s foreign policies. The song’s melody is based on a riff borrowed from the Mamas and Papas’ “Monday, Monday,” and Prince originally envisioned the first verse with three-part harmony but later split the vocals between himself and members of the Revolution. Because Warner Bros., with whom Prince was locked in a contractual battle, owned the original’s masters, Prince rerecorded the song and appropriately released that version in 1999.

More Song Stories entries »

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