The New Issue: The Future of Music (A 40th Anniversary Special)

On stands Friday, we present the third installment of Rolling Stone's Fortieth Anniversary retrospective. This time around, we talk to some of the biggest names in music, film, politics and science to discuss the current state of the nation, and the future outlook for the world. We also let twenty-one cutting-edge musicians muse about what they think the future of music holds. Throughout the week, we'll reveal exclusive features from the magazine, including audio excerpts and an in-depth look into the weird and wacky Indie Rock Universe. First up, we have exclusive audio clips (and a full-text interview) from Bono, who grapples with the question "If you could only pursue U2 or activism, which would it be?"

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  MUSIC 100 Greatest Debut Albums
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  MOVIES 'Star Trek' Is Crazy Good
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  TV 10 Shows to Watch This Summer
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  POLITICS No Price Big Banks Can't Fix

Song Stories

“(We're Not) The Jet Set”

George Jones and Tammy Wynette | 1973

George Jones and Tammy Wynette were still married when they recorded the tongue-in-cheek "(We're Not) The Jet Set." The lyrics, written by Nashville songwriter Bobby Braddock, who also penned Wynette's "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" and Jones' "He Stopped Loving Her Today," make fun of the good life by declaring, "We're not the Jet Set/We're the old Chevrolet set." Braddock recalled that while writing the song, he needed the name of a city that evened out the rhyme he had with "Riviera" and "Missourah." “I got out a Rand McNally atlas," he said. "In the first part are the maps. The last part is an alphabetical listing of cities. I wanted a rustic, small-time sound. I went to the listing for Missouri. And I found 'Festus.' I loved the sound of it."

More Song Stories entries »

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