Watch Live Performances from Choose the Cover Finalists

The third round of the Choose the Cover of Rolling Stone contest is in full swing! After hundreds of thousands of votes were cast online, the 16 acts vying for the cover of Rolling Stone – as well as an Atlantic Records contract – have been narrowed down to a group of four. Shortly after discovering that they made the cut, those four bands performed at our studio in New York City, and you can see highlights from their sets in the video below. You can also watch full performance clips on the band's individual pages.

Choose the Cover of Rolling Stone: Vote Now!

The Chicago quartet Empires played "Hells Heroes," a frantic, super-charged rocker that they recently recorded with Fall Out Boy producer Machine.

Los Angeles songwriter Lelia Broussard and her band knocked out a sunny rendition of her up-tempo, optimistic tune "Shoot For the Moon."

The Utah band Fictionist delivered an impressive performance of "Invisible Hand," a song that shows off their knack for dynamic rock anthems with surprising twists and turns. 

Canadian roots rockers the Sheepdogs brought a deep, heavy low end to "Who," one of the band's most soulful and groovy numbers.

Voting for this round will close on May 13th. The two surviving bands will advance to the final round – an epic battle on stage at the Bonnaroo festival in June. The winner of the contest will be announced on the August 2nd episode on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon where they will also make their live television debut. In the meantime, please check out all of the songs and vote for your favorites.

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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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