This is a list of people (real or fictional) appearing on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine in the 1980s. This list is for the regular biweekly issues of the magazine, including variant covers, and does not include special issues. Issue numbers that include a slash (XXX/YYY) are combined double issues.
1980
Issue numberCover datePeople on coverNotes309January 24, 1980Walter Adams Jr., Peter Bowes, Connie Burns, Jacqueline Eckerle, David Heck, Teva Ladd, Karen Morrison, Stephan Preston, Phillip Snyder, Bryan Wagner, James WarmothThe Who concert disaster cover story310February 7, 1980Fleetwood Mac (Mick Fleetwood, Stevie Nicks)311February 21, 1980Tom Petty312March 6, 1980Richard Gere313March 20, 1980Bob Hope314April 3, 1980Linda Ronstadt315April 17, 1980The Clash (Mick Jones, Joe Strummer)316May 1, 1980Bob Seger317May 15, 1980Heart (Ann Wilson, Nancy Wilson)318May 29, 1980The Pretenders (Martin Chambers, Pete Farndon, James Honeyman-Scott, Chrissie Hynde)319June 12, 1980Ted Kennedy320June 26, 1980Pete Townshend321July 10, 1980John Travolta322July 24, 1980The Empire Strikes Back cast (Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Billy Dee Williams)323August 7, 1980Jackson Browne324August 21, 1980The Rolling Stones (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards)325September 4, 1980Billy Joel326September 18, 1980Rodney DangerfieldDangerfield appears with unidentified baby327October 2, 1980Robert Redford328October 16, 1980Pat Benatar, Neil Giraldo329October 30, 1980The Cars (Elliot Easton, Greg Hawkes, Ric Ocasek, Benjamin Orr, David Robinson)330November 13, 1980Mary Tyler Moore331November 27, 1980It's My Turn cast (Jill Clayburgh, Michael Douglas)332December 11, 1980Dolly Parton333/334December 25, 1980 – January 8, 1981None1980 year-end issue
1981
Issue numberCover datePeople on coverNotes335January 22, 1981John Lennon, Yoko OnoCover was ranked as the greatest magazine cover of the last 40 years by the American Society of Magazine Editors in 2005336February 5, 1981Bruce Springsteen337February 19, 1981The Police (Stewart Copeland, Sting, Andy Summers)338March 5, 1981Goldie Hawn339March 19, 1981Warren ZevonCover includes unidentified hands grabbing Zevon's arms and legs340April 2, 1981Roman PolanskiCover includes illustration of Tess Durbeyfield341April 16, 1981Jack Nicholson342April 30, 1981Ringo Starr343May 14, 1981John Lennon"Inside the Gun Lobby" cover story344May 28, 1981Susan Sarandon345June 11, 1981James Taylor346June 25, 1981Harrison Ford347July 9, 1981Margot KidderA picture of Christopher Reeve appears in the lower right corner348July 23, 1981Tom Petty349August 6, 1981Rickie Lee Jones350August 20, 1981Bill MurrayJohn Irving appears in the banner in the lower right corner351September 3, 1981Stevie NicksNicks appears with her brother Chris' cockatoo, Maxwellington352September 17, 1981Jim Morrison353October 1, 1981Yoko Ono354October 15, 1981Meryl Streep355October 29, 1981Elvis PresleyPresley appears with unidentified fan356November 12, 1981Keith Richards357November 26, 1981William Hurt358December 10, 1981Carly SimonSimon appears with her children, Ben Taylor and Sally Taylor359/360December 24, 1981 – January 7, 1982The Rolling Stones (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ian Stewart, Ron Wood, Bill Wyman)Cover includes unidentified concertgoers
1982
Issue numberCover datePeople on coverNotes361January 21, 1982John Belushi362February 4, 1982Timothy Hutton363February 18, 1982Steve Martin364March 4, 1982Peter Wolf365March 18, 1982Simon and Garfunkel (Art Garfunkel, Paul Simon)366April 1, 1982Warren Beatty367April 15, 1982Mariel Hemingway368April 29, 1982John Belushi369May 13, 1982Sissy Spacek370May 27, 1982Nastassja Kinski371June 10, 1982David Letterman372June 24, 1982Pete Townshend373July 8, 1982Sylvester Stallone374July 22, 1982E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial375August 5, 1982The Go-Go's (Charlotte Caffey, Belinda Carlisle, Gina Schock, Kathy Valentine, Jane Wiedlin)376August 19, 1982Jeff Bridges377September 2, 1982Elvis Costello378September 16, 1982Robin Williams379September 30, 1982Richard Gere380October 14, 1982John Lennon, Yoko Ono381October 28, 1982Billy Joel382November 11, 1982The Who (Roger Daltrey, John Entwistle, Kenney Jones, Pete Townshend)383November 25, 1982Matt Dillon384December 9, 1982Bette Midler385/386December 23, 1982 – January 6, 1983People from covers of issues 361-385/3861982 year-end issue
1983
Issue numberCover datePeople on coverNotes387January 20, 1983Paul Newman388February 3, 1983Dustin Hoffman389February 17, 1983Michael Jackson390March 3, 1983The Stray Cats (Slim Jim Phantom, Lee Rocker, Brian Setzer)391March 17, 1983Jessica Lange392March 31, 1983Dudley Moore393April 14, 1983Joan Baez394April 28, 1983Prince, Vanity395May 12, 1983David Bowie396May 26, 1983Sean Penn397June 9, 1983Christie Brinkley, Michael IvesCover story on health clubs398June 23, 1983Men at Work (Greg Ham, Colin Hay)399July 7, 1983Eddie Murphy400/401July 21 – August 4, 1983Return of the Jedi cast (Carrie Fisher, Darth Vader)Cover includes unidentified Ewok and Gamorrean402August 18, 1983John Travolta403September 1, 1983Sting404September 15, 1983Jackson Browne405September 29, 1983Annie Lennox406October 13, 1983Chevy Chase407October 27, 1983Sean Connery408November 10, 1983Boy George409November 24, 1983Mick Jagger410December 8, 1983Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney411/412December 22, 1983 – January 5, 1984People from covers of issues 385/386-411/4121983 year-end issue
1984
Issue numberCover datePeople on coverNotes413January 19, 1984Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Joe Cocker, Kenney Jones, Ronnie Lane, Jimmy Page, Paul Rodgers, Charlie Watts, Bill WymanARMS Charity Concerts cover story414February 2, 1984Duran Duran (Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, Andy Taylor, John Taylor, Roger Taylor)415February 16, 1984The Beatles (George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr)416March 1, 1984The Police (Stewart Copeland, Sting, Andy Summers)417March 15, 1984 Michael Jackson418March 29, 1984Jack Nicholson419April 12, 1984Eddie Murphy420April 26, 1984Daryl HannahThe Pretenders (Martin Chambers, Malcolm Foster, Chrissie Hynde, Robbie McIntosh)421May 10, 1984Marvin Gaye422May 24, 1984Cyndi Lauper423June 7, 1984Culture Club (Boy George, Mikey Craig, Roy Hay, Jon Moss)424June 21, 1984Bob Dylan425July 5, 1984The Go-Go's (Charlotte Caffey, Belinda Carlisle, Gina Schock, Kathy Valentine, Jane Wiedlin)426/427July 19 – August 2, 1984Little Richard, Steven Spielberg, Tom WolfeVarious cover stories428August 16, 1984Bill Murray429August 30, 1984Prince430September 13, 1984Huey Lewis431September 27, 1984John Belushi432October 11, 1984Tina Turner433October 25, 1984David Bowie434November 8, 1984Steve Martin435November 22, 1984Madonna436December 6, 1984Bruce Springsteen437/438December 20, 1984 – January 3, 1985People from covers of issues 413-437/4381984 year-end issue
1985
Issue numberCover datePeople on coverNotes439January 17, 1985Hall & Oates (Daryl Hall, John Oates)440January 31, 1985Billy Idol441February 14, 1985Mick Jagger442February 28, 1985Bruce Springsteen443March 14, 1985U2 (Bono, Adam Clayton, The Edge, Larry Mullen Jr.)444March 28, 1985Miami Vice cast (Don Johnson, Philip Michael Thomas)445April 11, 1985David Lee Roth446April 25, 1985Richard Gere447May 9, 1985Desperately Seeking Susan cast (Rosanna Arquette, Madonna)448May 23, 1985Phil Collins449June 6, 1985Julian Lennon450June 20, 1985David Letterman451July 4, 1985Clint Eastwood452/453July 18 – August 1, 1985Perfect cast (Jamie Lee Curtis, John Travolta)454August 15, 1985Bryan Adams, Bono, David Bowie, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Bob Dylan, Bryan Ferry, Bob Geldof, Chrissie Hynde, Mick Jagger, Mark Knopfler, Madonna, Paul McCartney, Ric Ocasek, Robert Plant, Sade, Sting, John Taylor, Pete Townshend, Tina TurnerLive Aid cover story455August 29, 1985Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome cast (Mel Gibson, Tina Turner)456September 12, 1985Prince457September 26, 1985Sting458October 10, 1985Bruce Springsteen459October 24, 1985Steven Spielberg460November 7, 1985Don Johnson461November 21, 1985Mark Knopfler462December 5, 1985Bob Geldof463/464December 19, 1985 – January 2, 1986People from covers of issues 437/438-463/4641985 year-end issue
1986
Issue numberCover datePeople on coverNotes465January 16, 1986Michael Douglas466January 30, 1986John Mellencamp467February 13, 1986Chuck Berry, James Brown, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Fats Domino, The Everly Brothers (Don Everly, Phil Everly), Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Elvis PresleyRock and Roll Hall of Fame cover story468February 27, 1986Bruce Springsteen469March 13, 1986Jim McMahon470March 27, 1986Bruce Willis471April 10, 1986Stevie Wonder472April 24, 1986Prince, Wendy & Lisa (Lisa Coleman, Wendy Melvoin)473May 8, 1986Whoopi Goldberg474May 22, 1986Michael J. FoxThe Hot List 1986475June 5, 1986Madonna476June 19, 1986Tom Cruise477July 3, 1986Van Halen (Michael Anthony, Sammy Hagar, Alex Van Halen, Eddie Van Halen)478/479July 17–31, 1986Bob Dylan, Tom Petty480August 14, 1986Jack Nicholson481August 28, 1986Boy George482September 11, 1986Paul McCartney483September 25, 1986Don Johnson484October 9, 1986Cybill Shepherd485October 23, 1986Tina Turner486November 6, 1986Billy Joel487November 20, 1986Huey Lewis488December 4, 1986Run-D.M.C. (Darryl McDaniels, Jason Mizell, Joseph Simmons)489/490December 18, 1986 – January 1, 1987People from covers of issues 463/464-489/4901986 year-end issue
1987
Issue numberCover datePeople on coverNotes491January 15, 1987Talking Heads (David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Jerry Harrison, Tina Weymouth)492January 29, 1987Peter Gabriel493February 12, 1987Paul Reubens494February 26, 1987Bruce Springsteen495March 12, 1987Michael J. Fox496March 26, 1987The Bangles (Susanna Hoffs, Debbi Peterson, Vicki Peterson, Michael Steele)497April 9, 1987Woody Allen498April 23, 1987David Bowie499May 7, 1987U2 (Bono, Adam Clayton, The Edge, Larry Mullen Jr.)500May 21, 1987Jon Bon JoviThe Hot List 1987501June 4, 1987Jimi Hendrix502June 18, 1987Robert Cray503July 2, 1987Ladysmith Black Mambazo (Jabulani Dubazana, Abednego Mazibuko, Albert Mazibuko, Geophrey Mdletshe, Russel Mthembu, Inos Phungula, Ben Shabalala, Headman Shabalala, Jockey Shabalala, Joseph Shabalala), Paul Simon504/505July 16–30, 1987The Grateful Dead (Jerry Garcia, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh, Brent Mydland, Bob Weir)506August 13, 1987Mötley Crüe (Tommy Lee, Mick Mars, Vince Neil, Nikki Sixx)507August 27, 1987None"The 100 Best Albums of the Last Twenty Years" cover story508September 10, 1987Madonna509September 24, 1987Michael Jackson510October 8, 1987Bono511October 22, 1987George Harrison512November 5 – December 10, 1987None20th anniversary issue513November 19, 1987Pink FloydCover did not show the band members, only an illustration of various icons associated with the band and its music514December 3, 1987R.E.M. (Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, Michael Stipe)515/516December 17–31, 1987People from covers of issues 491-503, 504/505 (minus Hart, Lesh, and Mydland), 506-511, 513, 5141987 year-end issue
1988