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On This Day in 1965, Bob Dylan Released a Hank Williams-Inspired Song That Broke All the Rules and Made Him an International Star
On 20 July 1965, Bob Dylan released "Like a Rolling Stone" as a single from his forthcoming album Highway 61 Revisited, a track that helped cement his shift from acoustic folk singer-songwriter to electric rock musician. Although its unconventional length and dense lyrics unsettled his record label and divided fans, the song became a critical and commercial breakthrough, marking Dylan's first major hit on the Billboard charts and cementing his international reputation.
Columbia Records was initially reluctant to release the track, as its six-minute runtime was twice the length of typical singles and its wordy, rock-inflected style clashed with the sound that had made Dylan famous. Once released, it reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and the top ten in ten countries, drawing on Hank Williams' 1949 song "Lost Highway" for inspiration rather than any connection to the Rolling Stones, whose name instead derives from a Muddy Waters song. Rolling Stone magazine, also named after that Muddy Waters track, later ranked Dylan's song number one on its "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" lists in 2004 and 2010.
In short
- Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone" released 20 July 1965, became a global hit
- Columbia Records initially resisted its unusual length and rock sound
- Inspired by Hank Williams, unrelated to the Rolling Stones' name
Explained simply
Bob Dylan was a folk singer-songwriter who rose to fame in the early 1960s. On 20 July 1965, he released "Like a Rolling Stone," a song that marked a dramatic shift in his musical style from acoustic folk to electric rock music.
The song was unusual for its time in several ways. It ran for six minutes, roughly twice as long as the typical pop single, and its lyrics were denser and more rock-oriented than what audiences expected from Dylan. His record label, Columbia Records, was nervous about releasing it because they feared the unconventional length and style would not appeal to listeners.
Despite these concerns, the song became a major success. It reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and entered the top ten in ten countries, establishing Dylan as an international star. The track's commercial breakthrough and critical acclaim demonstrated that popular music could accommodate longer, more complex songs, influencing countless artists who followed.