Roger McGuinn was initially reluctant to join the group that became The Byrds, preferring his own direction as a folk performer. The article frames his eventual involvement as consequential because the band helped establish folk-rock as a major 1960s sound, blending electric guitars with folk songwriting.

McGuinn believed he had “two aces in the hole”: the influence of Bob Dylan and the Beatles. Those reference points shaped The Byrds’ approach, particularly their electric reinterpretation of Dylan material and McGuinn’s distinctive 12-string guitar sound, which became central to the band’s identity.