Rock first appeared in April 1982 as Rock 82.^[1] Initially, Rock 82 was a supplement of NIP Politika's comic magazine Strip 82;^[1] the back cover of Strip 82 being the front cover of Rock 82, printed in an unusual 11x30cm magazine format. Rock 82's first editor-in-chief^[1] as well as its initiator was rock critic Peca Popović [sr].^[2] In an interview for the Rockovnik documentary series, Popović recalled:

I believed that the generation that had already been introduced to MTV, [...] the generation of young, curious people that had already witnessed the video killing the radio star, deserves a bit of a different magazine. A publication that's a bit more visual, a magazine with a different sensibility featuring a different generation of authors just as Džuboks in the 1970s had a great generation of talented and brave writers. I believed that there were more people who, unfortunately, weren't being published. It turned out they were good too.^[2]

From January 1983, Rock began being published as an independent periodical, printed in tabloid newspaper format. Then, in March 1985, it started getting printed in magazine format.^[1] In 1985, 7-inch single with the charity song "Za milion godina", the Yugoslav contribution to Live Aid, was released with the magazine.^[3]

Popović was succeeded by Vladislav Bajac, who in turn got succeeded by Dragan Todorović.^[1] From October 1988, the magazine was edited by Saša Gajević, and published under the name Pop Rock.^[1] The last, 161st issue, was released on December 13, 1990.^[1]

Some of the journalists and contributors to Rock include:

• Dejan Cukić
• Snežana Golubović
• Jadranka Janković
• Petar Janjatović
• Petar Luković
• Ivana Marković
• Peca Popović [sr]
• Goran Vejvoda
• Dušan Vesić