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Bob Dylan (born 1941) is the most influential songwriter in American history. His early 1960s protest songs — Blowin' in the Wind, The Times They Are A-Changin', Masters of War — gave the civil rights and anti-war movements their anthems. His 1965 electric 'going electric' at Newport Folk Festival was one of popular music's most controversial moments.
Dylan won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2016 'for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition' — the first musician so honored and a highly controversial choice. He has released 39 studio albums over 60 years. Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, and virtually every singer-songwriter of the past 60 years cite Dylan as their primary influence.
# Top 10 Bob Dylan facts
- 1Dylan won the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature — the first musician ever to receive it
- 2He 'went electric' at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival — the audience booed and his acoustic fans felt betrayed
- 3Dylan has written over 500 songs including Like a Rolling Stone, voted the greatest rock song ever by Rolling Stone magazine
Fascinating Facts
- ◆Dylan won the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature — the first musician ever to receive it
- ◆He 'went electric' at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival — the audience booed and his acoustic fans felt betrayed
- ◆Dylan has written over 500 songs including Like a Rolling Stone, voted the greatest rock song ever by Rolling Stone magazine
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