The Rolling Stone Interview Revisited

Rolling Stone magazine might have grown some moss over the years, but ‘The Rolling Stone interview’ endures as a storytelling staple.

And if you’re a communicator who is working to establish someone as a thought leader, The Rolling Stone interview approach is worth employing.

The magazine’s classic, in-depth Q&A’s typically open with a clever scene-setter and then provide the opportunity for a living legend or a rising star to tell the story behind their success – as well as their takes on a range of controversial or curious topics related their craft, career, or the world at large. 

Its iconic interview with the late John Lennon offers a compelling example of the style at its finest.

But you don’t need to be working with a rock star for it to be useful. The Rolling Stone-style interview can provide you with a new way to get a thought leader to share their philosophy and offer a glimpse into their personality – and to expose their unique thinking with others.

Here are some tips for how you can use this format in your own storytelling: 

Set the Stage – If you’re planning to take the Rolling Stone path with a subject who is unfamiliar with this approach, you’ll want to prepare them for the experience. This isn’t a focused interview about a single topic. It’s more free-ranging.

As a result, it’s important to set the stage for the interview ahead of time. Be clear about what you’re doing and what you aim to get out of it. Emphasize that the exercise is aimed to developing thought leadership and relevant story angles -- and that nothing will be published without their review and approval. 

Get out of the office – both literally and figuratively – Rolling Stone interviews are successful in part because they occur within the subject’s natural habitat. Find a place away from the office where your interviewee is most comfortable, relaxed, and engaged. 

Think conversation, not formal interview – Remember you’re not conducting a ‘60 Minutes’ sit-down interview. You want to frame this experience as more of an engaging conversation that is led by you, but is open to going down interesting and unexpected paths. Make sure the topics you cover weave in the interviewee’s personal and professional history, key milestones and influences, pivotal life moments, and issues they are passionate about.  

Create some working headlines –After the interview is over, take the time to listen to the recording and flag key elements. Identify the most compelling stories or anecdotes. Highlight unexpected insights that could be the root of a great blog post or article. Then, try to write a compelling headline that captures the angle and will be easy to present to your interviewee as a possible topic to cover moving forward. 

I’ve always found in-depth interviews like this open new doors – and provide an array of ideas for new, fresh content. It also provides some surprising stories that can help put a fresh face on a thought leader – and unearth ideas that might not otherwise come to light.

Rock on.