James Brown was and still is a great artist, but I don’t think he deserves a cover just because he died. The only people who deserved covers are John Lennon, George Harrison, Kurt Cobain, and 2PAC. And for the future, when Noel Gallagher of Oasis dies, he’ll deserve the cover as well, but not James Brown.

i dont think that he deserves the cover the only one who deserves and who died last year is SYD BARRET

wonderwall you are smoking some good crack. JB is a legend just like lennon and harrison remember he started funk music and his music is sampled by many artist’s to this day.

OMG!!! James Brown def deserves a cover. He is a legend. He is just as good as Kurt Cobain and definatly as good as 2pac and Noel Gallagher. Not that I dont like 2pac, but JB kicks his @$s

Wonderwall…yr a total douche. They do put out a rag every two weeks, you know? So that means 26 covers a year. You’ve named 4 people (and one on the wait list). That sounds like a boring magazine, to me. Like one of those douche-y British magazines…oh wait, you like Oasis? Your one of them Brits, ain’t ya?

Oh, and, uhm…Christgau?..the guy who just got canned by the Voice? The greatest rock crit of all time? Hardly…lucky if he’s in the top 5.
Lester? You know, Bangs? He was pretty great. And Griel? Marcus? He’s pretty alright, too. But one’s dead and the other don’t do the Jann Werner dance no more…so that leaves Christgau. He can’t get other work, so he might as well be the “greatest” schlub willing to sling feces for RS. At least, right now.

what the fuck is wrong with you guys? this is JAMES BROWN here. he has inspired soo many people to do what they do. All this so called performers owe him a thank you. and anybody who is somebody in the idustry that is of importance deserves a cover. James Brown was an inovator. Go read about him.

Encore!I wonder if I can get my boss to do a lil’ tribute on the Godfather himself as well.Oh and ‘Wall,quit the blood clot crying.James deserves his props as well full force.

Hey fellas, get serious. Oasis are great, I really loved the way they came back with their last album (playing the Kinks and not the Beatles this time), but we are talking about a unique phenomenon here.

JB is among the most progressive musicians of all time. His funk -one beat, that is- came from outer space. Contemporary black music has to go a long way to reach what he did 35 years ago.

It’s just a pitty that the really-really great black music (e.g. Ottis, James, Marvin, Stevie, Curtis, Isaac , Aretha, Sly, Womack, Motown, Chess and so many others of that great era) was almost ignored by the mainstream charts of its time, while today’s charts are dominated by uninspired replicas of the R&B and Hip-Hop these folks from the past invented.

JB was pure genius. May the grass above him be always pulsating to his vibes.

All aboard!!! The night train

Hopefully Noel Gallagher well die and his twit brother as well..
What a ballbag view..James changed the course of modern music..
Not some trash that had a album in the 1990s and thats about it.

Dream on

Anyone who says James Brown doesn’t deserve a Rolling Stone cover tribute is not aware of the big influence Brown had in most (not to say all) modern pop music in the past decades ever since his breakthrough “Live at the Apollo” came out. I cannot fathom that. He is a music legend in his own right, he brought us live, unfiltered soul music to the mainstream, and he took it to a whole new level. And if that’s not deserving of a RS cover, I definitely don’t know what it is.

You know what was wrong with my comment at the bottom? I forgot to add one more person to that list of people who should get a cover when they die, and that is also Liam Gallagher, the greatest rock front man of any band (better than Nirvana, Pearl Jam, or Red Hot Chili Peppers). Who can say they were a bigger impact and continue to be an impact in their respective country the way Liam Gallagher was back in the 90s to today? I would agree with Kurt Cobain taking that claim, but he popped himself in the head, even though he is influential to this day, Liam is just more when it comes to being a front man for a band. However, R.I.P. Mr. James Brown.

christgau is a really good critic
but hes snobby slightly.
hes important…but it doesnt make
him like bangs you know

James Brown doesn’t deserve a cover?! I dare you to come to my street and yell that to the people that live here. Brown gave us hope, groves, and yeah, a lot of mug shots but what matters is the soul, not the pathetic wimpering of people who just spout opinions without any reasoning. Be respectful of other people, whether you like the music or not. James Brown was and is an icon. He deserves an icon’s send off.

If James Brown didn’t recieve a cover on Rolling Stone, I would never read the magazine again.

Of rock’s first class, he’s the only one who’s music is still a vital today as it ever was.

Besides he redefined music not once, but twice. Soul and funk, for a man who didn’t like cussin’, he sure spawned a number of four letter words.

christgau sucks nuts, he gave sticky fingers and springsteen a bad review…if hes the greatest then RS must be excluding alot of other critics

James Brown Deserved the Cover… even if he was a Republican.

James defintly deserves the cover. He is the greatest entertainer of our time. He gave his soul everytime he stepped on stage. He was Michael Jacksons’ biggest influence who is the biggest music star of our time. He inspired Prince. These two inspired everyone we see in R&B and Soul Music. He is a legend, a genius. He is the best. RIP James Brown

James Brown is the man may he rest in peace. His influence on so many artiss is credit to his originality.
We always crank a bit of Browny before we hit the town in New Zealand and always puts the boys in a good mood.
If RS didn’t put him on the cover then i would have flown over and clipped Wenner around the head.

Liam Gallagher to get a cover when he dies? No.

Yes! JB Deserves to be on the cover of R/S…. He has had his share of problems like all of us,but that has nothing to do with what he has accompished in music.
RIP JAMES.

YES. JB DESERVES TO BE ON THE COVER OF R/S…. SURE,HE HAS HAD HIS SHARE OF PROBLEMS LIKE THE REST OF US…. HE HAS STILL ACCOMPLISHED A LOT IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS.
R.I.P. JB

James Brown, for those who don’t know…he’s the(only)godfather of soul..the true funkmaster, and certainly mr. original instyle and how he delivered once he got on stage and grabbed that mic. Yeah, to and 4 anyone who says he does not deserve to be on the cover I say to you……education in America is um.. FREE.

James brown is dead tufft

James brown is dead is it

James brown is dead tufft

James Brown invented funk.

Noel Gallagher invented ripping John Lennon off for profit.

Brown deserves a cover when Gallagher dies.

James Brown enjoyed young black wang.

Actually Mr. Brown.. Liam is the one doing the ripping..

James Brown has beaten his last wife

james brown was an original; robert christgau is a bloody fool. that is all.

Cristgua, is an idiot, white apologist. You talk about coming late to the party!! Speak for yourself, whiteboy. I’m white and have been a fan since before you even acknowledged him. Your patronizing of Mr. Brown makes me sick. Why should an idiot like YOU be the one to eulogize him???

When did Robert Christgau give Sticky Fingers a bad review, Shelley? When did he give Springsteen a bad review when he didn’t deserve one?

Robert Christgau does what rock critics should do, which is pointing the way towards great music, better than anyone. Lester Bangs, for all his quippy writing, never introduced me to a single album. And although Greil Marcus introduced me to Elvis Presley, I probably could have found out about him on my own. Long live The Dean.

Anyway, aren’t these comments supposed to have something to do with James Brown?

HAHAHAHA! Did Wonderwall really say that Tupac dserved the cover? I challenge anyone to recite a Tupac song (without researching it) Just because the man is a brand for his crackhead mother does NOT mean he deserved anything. And if Kurt Cobain hadn’t blown his brains out he wouldve been another Eddie Veder/Billy Corgan type who would’ve faded into obscurity

it’s interesting how oasis appears often in discussions like these, if noel wasn’t such an influential artist, as most people like to deny, he wouldn’t even appear. i think he deserved a cover 2 months ago when oasis’ “best of…” came out.

Oasis is already a much bigger icon than James Brown, and they do deserve their own cover in Rolling Stone. Of all the music acts of the past decade and more, no one has gotten a colder shoulder from Rolling Stone than Oasis. Yes, their 1997 album Be Here Now didn’t live up to the hype, but it’s funny how every major music publication in America and Europe not only hyped up Be Here Now, but they gave it great reviews, including a 4-star review from Rolling Stone. Don’t believe it? Look it up on this website to see for yourself. What’s disappointing about this is that Rolling Stone just went with popular opinion instead of sticking to its own views, something this magazine historically has been known for. But of course, they disrespected the great Led Zeppelin. So maybe it’s not that big of a surprise. James Brown deserves the cover, why not? But Oasis is a million times bigger and continue to be relevant by putting out great records like 2005’s Don’t Believe the Truth.

MR .James Brown Deserved to be the Cover .REST In Peace SAy It Loud I”m Black Proud &I”m Proud . Peace & Love Sexyp

Fail to see why there are so many negative views in this chain along with the referance’s to other bands & artists other than Mr JB. Robert Christgau is entitled to his comment’s/view’s. Mr Brown is a legend & for RS to pay homage to him in this manor gets my thumbs-up.

The King Of Soul, ,James Brown. Soul Bother #1 definitely deserves the cover of Rolling Stone! Those of you who think otherwise obviously didn’t hear or comprehend a word Robert Christgau communicated in the four minute clip available on this page. Not to take away from the other great artists that were mentioned in your responses, but you did not know or have a clue about JB! When The President of the United States of America makes a call to get James Brown on the scene to help stabalize volatile race rioting in the 1960’s. When an artist single handedly redefines popular music in such a way that affects relevant pop culture and beyond, not to mention establish a new blueprint for music that would echo far beyond the reach of his own career. There is so much He contributed to our culture that we will benefit from. James Brown, truly “The Hardest Working Man in Show Business”.

I’d like to personally thank every one of you who can’t imagine why James Brown has earned the cover of RS. You’ve all given me the biggest laugh of my week.

No, I mean it … Thanks so much!

James Brown not only deserves to be on the cover of R.S. because he died but he should have been on it years ago. He deserve it because of his accomplishments. Anyone who thinks that he should not be on the cover has my most honorable blessings, which is: May a thousand fleas be trapped in their underwear.