Paul McCartney's Favorite Bob Dylan Song Revealed!

William S. Burroughs once said, “Artists to my mind are the real architects of change, and not the political legislators who implement change after the fact.” In contemporary times, where politics seems unaccountable, Burroughs’ statement may seem naively optimistic. However, a retrospective look at the 20th century reveals that mythology and iconography were indeed shaped by great artists. Foremost among these were Bob Dylan and The Beatles.

Their brand of pop music, despite its limited vocabulary within the grand scheme of musical history, wielded an unprecedented impact. Using "four chords and the truth," they reached an audience like never before. Bob Dylan and The Beatles might represent the most significant artists since prehistoric cave paintings. Unlike Amadeus Mozart, who was heard only by a select few in Vienna, or Leonardo da Vinci, whose works remain obscure to the average person, Dylan and The Beatles emerged at a time of global population growth and mass distribution of art. This enabled them to propel pop culture towards a profound future. To validate their influence in today’s cynical age, one need only consider the staggering figures associated with The Beatles’ achievements. With around 600 million albums sold, their debut single reached a global population of 3.1 billion, suggesting that at their peak, about 20% of the world had bought their records. Though this statistic is somewhat inflated due to population growth and continued sales, it underscores their transcendent impact on society.

Without Dylan, The Beatles might never have achieved such success. Paul McCartney has admitted that Dylan was their “idol,” and David Bowie noted that Dylan’s poetry “brought a new kind of intelligence to pop songwriting.” The night they met Dylan at the Delmonico Hotel in 1964, and McCartney discovered “the meaning of life,” The Beatles' music took a more progressive turn. Their commercial influence meant that culture followed their lead.

This shift brought depth, political awareness, liberation, and avant-garde elements to the forefront of art. Above all, it was about having a good time—a crucial element during the Vietnam War. The Beatles’ music reminded the masses of the young men being sent off to die, highlighting the need for the joy and exultation their music provided. Maintaining sanity in such a climate was vital, and this sense of joy became a core tenet of the hippy movement: Turn on, tune in, drop out.