Bob Dylan's album Highway 61 Revisited has just marked its 61st anniversary, having originally been released in 1965. Widely regarded as Dylan's finest work, it cemented his controversial shift from acoustic folk to electric rock, an artistic turn that had already stirred debate but proved hugely influential, shaping generations of musicians including Bruce Springsteen, who has described the record as a transformational listening experience.

The album followed the single "Like a Rolling Stone", released in June 1965, which reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 despite Columbia Records' initial doubts about its six-minute length and electric sound. Written when Dylan was just 24, the record draws on blues traditions and the historical significance of the actual Highway 61, which runs from Louisiana to Dylan's home state of Minnesota and traces routes once used by African Americans migrating north. Its lyrics also weave in biblical and literary allusions, echoing themes found in John Steinbeck's East of Eden, and the album is credited with fusing rock and folk in ways that continue to resonate with modern audiences.