If there is an artist that symbolizes the 1960s, it is Bob Dylan. His creativity. His unwillingness to be boxed in. His willingness to embrace change in his lyrics and music, and mystery, incorporating folk, blues, gospel and rock 'n' roll into his music. And his lyrics mattered. Dylan created a lyric that made conversation possible. First off, you began with what did the lyric mean. Then you realized later that it meant something different from what you first thought. Dylan's lyrics were taken seriously by other poets with his imagery and humor. Some lyrics were simple, some complex, some strange and exotic. His subject was America and his language was American, making him a true American poet.
| Year Released | Album |
| 1962 | Bob Dylan |
| 1963 | The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan |
| 1964 | The Times They Are A-Changin' |
| 1964 | Another Side of Bob Dylan |
| 1965 | Bringing It All Back Home |
| 1965 | Highway 61 Revisited |
| 1966 | Blonde On Blonde |
| 1967 | John Wesley Harding |
| 1969 | Nashville Skyline |
| 1970 | Self Portrait |
| 1970 | New Morning |
| 1971 | Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid |
| 1974 | Planet Waves |
| 1975 | Blood on the Tracks |
Source: Allmusic.com
Dylan may not be celebrated for his voice. Although in many cases, his voice is perfect for his songs. But his songs are some of the best written in the last hundred years. Here are eleven covers, with the original release dates, that show just how powerful his songs are.
| Song | Artist | Original Release |
| Blowin' in the Wind | Odetta | 1963 |
| Girl from the North Country | Roseanne Cash | 1963 |
| Masters of War | Eddie Vedder | 1963 |
| It Ain't Me Babe | Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash | 1964 |
| It's All Over Now, Baby Blue | Them (with Van Morrison) | 1965 |
| Love Minus Zero, No Limit | Ricky Nelson | 1965 |
| All Along the Watchtower | Jimi Hendrix | 1967 |
| As I Went Out One Morning | Thea Gilmore | 1967 |
| I'll Be Your Baby | Norah Jones | 1967 |
| If Not For You | George Harrison | 1970 |
| Forever Young | Joan Baez | 1974 |
Songs found on Spotify. They are ordered in Bob Dylan's original release date.
Chronicles: Volume One by 
Bob Dylan: American Troubadour by 
Small Town Talk: Bob Dylan, The Band, Van Morrison, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix & friends in the wild years of Woodstock by Since Bob Dylan began his career, he has composed over 500 songs. Here are ten of his best from the 1960s and early 1970s.
| Year Released | Song |
| 1964 | The Times They Are A-Changin' |
| 1965 | Desolation Row |
| 1965 | Highway 61 Revisited |
| 1965 | Like a Rolling Stone |
| 1965 | Mr. Tambourine Man |
| 1965 | Positively Fourth Street |
| 1965 | Subterranean Homesick Blues |
| 1966 | Just Like a Woman |
| 1973 | Knocking on Heaven's Door |
| 1975 | Tangled Up in Blue |
Source: Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs
Songs found on Spotify.
Source: Why Dylan Matters by R. F. Thomas
Bob Dylan turned poetry into music. Here are a few others of his contemporaries who also did that.
Songs listed alphabetically by songwriter. Songs found on Spotify
Dylan, B. (2017). The Nobel lecture. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.
Margotin, P., & Guesdon, J. (2015). Bob Dylan: All the songs: The story behind every track. New York: Black Dog & Leventhal.
Thomas, R. F. (2020). Why Bob Dylan Matters, Revised Edition. New York City , New York: HarperCollins.
