“When did music become so important?” That’s Don Draper from last week’s Mad Men, set in 1966. Later in the episode he turns off “Tomorrow Never Knows,” from the Beatles album Revolver, and walks out of the room.

art: Rick Griffin
There’s something happening here, but you don’t know what it is—do you, Mr. Draper? One year later, Rolling Stone magazine will make its debut, followed soon by Rock and Other Four Letter Words.

The editor-designer was a writer named J Marks. The photographer for most of the images was Linda Eastman, who went on to work for Rolling Stone and—oh, yes— marry Paul McCartney.
By the sheer force of its graphic presentation, Rock and Other Four Letter Words conveys the mid-1960s music scene’s spirit, vitality, and relevance.




























