When Bob Dylan first introduced electric instruments into his set at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965, he wasn’t exactly met with fanfare. In fact, the folk community ostracized him to a degree. But innovation can breed creativity, and going electric ended up being the best possible thing he could have done. In retrospect, going electric was a revolutionary thing to do for a folk singer/songwriter. The following three songs prove that notion, considering we wouldn’t have them if Dylan hadn’t gone electric in the 60s.
“Subterranean Homesick Blues”
Perhaps the most in-your-face example of Bob Dylan not caring about his antagonizers’ criticisms, “Subterranean Homesick Blues” is Dylan at his most defiant. He doesn’t play by any rules of music on this folk rock classic from Bringing It All Back Home. In fact, this song is considered to be a proto-rap song. Dylan was way ahead of his time, and he wouldn’t let his detractors knock him down a single peg. This really is one of his most amazing songs.
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“Like A Rolling Stone”
I don’t think there’s a Bob Dylan song out there that is more legendary than “Like A Rolling Stone”. It’s his signature song, and a cynical one in which Dylan criticized the wealthy elites of the time, almost relishing in their downfall. But the melody of this tune, coupled with Dylan’s iconic vocals, is really a marvel of songwriting. And we wouldn’t have it if Bob Dylan hadn’t gone electric.
“Positively 4th Street”
One of the most iconic songs to hit the airwaves between Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde On Blonde, this 1965 track is one of the finest examples of Bob Dylan going electric. The electric guitar on the track is gorgeous and fitting, but the beauty of this track is really the sum of its parts. Dylan’s songwriting prowess will always be what he is known for, but his legacy will always include his smart use of the electric guitar in folk music. The guitar textures on this song might have been too harsh for some listeners at the time, but there’s a reason why this one’s known as one of Dylan’s finest.
Photo by Alice Ochs/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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