Dylan.
Name’s got some weight to it. Inspiring every musician for the rest of time can have that effect.
It’s hard to put a finger on the father of rock’n’roll: Domino, Berry, Lewis, some guy from Tennessee. It’s not hard to pick the most influential artist. The Bard.
As Dylan celebrates his 75th birthday this week, the world celebrates him by singing his songs year after year, generation after generation. Even the ‘80s, when music sucked so hard Bob Dylan was marooned, paid homage to the man with attempted cover songs (really, shame on you, Mitch Ryder).
In honor of our living Shakespeare, here’s a laughably incomplete list of virtuosos across myriad genres covering Dylan songs over the past five decades.
1965
Joan Baez
“Farewell Angelina”
1966
Nina Simone
“The Ballad Of Hollis Brown”
1966
Van Morrison
“It’s All Over Now, Baby Blues”
1968
Jimi Hendrix
“All Along The Watchtower”
1970
George Harrison
“If Not For You”
1973
Roberta Flack
“Just Like A Woman”
1976
Joe Cocker
“Man in Me”
1982
Jerry Garcia
“Simple Twist of Fate”
1993
Tracy Chapman
“The Times They Are A-Changin’”
1995
Joan Osborne
“Man in the Long Black Coat”
1995
Patti Labelle
“Forever Young”
2000
Rage Against The Machine
“Maggie’s Farm”
2003
Nora Jones
“I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight”
2004
Pearl Jam
“Masters of War”
2005
Susan Tudesci
“Lord Protect My Child”
2007
Calexico & Jim James
“Goin’ to Acapulco”
2007
Antony & The Johnsons
“Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door”
2008
Adele
“To Make You Feel My Love”
2009
Beck
“Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat”
2012
Cage the Elephant
“The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll”
2013
Alicia Keys
“Pressing On”
Main image via Wikipedia
This article was featured in the InsideHook newsletter. Sign up now.