The Immortals

It is a fundamental lesson in the history of rock & roll and its continuing power to inspire and transform. The Immortals is a tribute to those who created rock & roll, written by their peers and heirs, those who have learned from their innovations, struggles and legacies.

This year, rock & roll turns fifty, and this is the first of three special issues Rolling Stone is publishing to mark the occasion. Scholars have debated the precise birth date for as long as the music has been around. We chose July 5th, 1954 -- the day Elvis Presley recorded "That's All Right" at Sun Studio in Memphis. On that date, the nineteen-year-old truck driver not only made his first and most important single. He created a new world -- initiating a way of life and expression -- that, even at fifty, is still evolving. There is no better standard for rock & roll immortality.

The Immortals began last year with the creation of a panel of fifty-five top musicians, historians, industry executives and critics, selected by the editors of Rolling Stone. Voters were asked to pick, in order of preference, the twenty artists they deemed to be the most significant and influential of rock's first fifty years, those whose work continues to have an impact today. More than 125 artists were named. The ballots were tabulated according to a weighted point system that was overseen by the international accounting firm Ernst & Young.

Rolling Stone then asked a blue-ribbon collection of singers, musicians and producers to explore and describe the importance and impact of these immortals: on the writers' own work and personal lives; on history and society at large; and on generations to come. The stories and opinions, the incisive analyses and open admissions of love and influence, are as exciting and unpredictable as rock & roll itself. Van Morrison repays a lifetime of soulful debt to Ray Charles. Robbie Robertson describes Bob Dylan typing out his lyrics as they made Blonde on Blonde. Steven Van Zandt salutes the original R&B genius of the Rolling Stones and their undiminished prowess forty years later. Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers pays homage to the raw power and fiercely independent spirit of Neil Young. And Little Richard proves to be the world's greatest expert on -- who else? -- Little Richard.

He also makes an important distinction between success and immortality. "I wish a lot of things had been different," Richard writes. "I don't think I ever got what I really deserved." The Immortals is a commemoration of a half-century of excitement, ambition and hit records. These are the musicians and bands who gave us everything they had, regardless of the rewards, often against insurmountable odds. Here, Rolling Stone and the artists who carry on their work try to give them back a little of what they so richly deserve.

[From Issue 946 — April 15, 2004]

The Voters