The musician Bruce Springsteen said truly invented country rock: “Incredible, beautiful, beautiful music”
Bruce Springsteen recently introduced Roger McGuinn as a surprise guest, crediting him with single-handedly inventing folk rock and country rock. McGuinn's major contribution came through The Byrds' reinterpretation of Bob Dylan's 'Mr Tambourine Man,' transforming the original from a 2/4 to 4/4 time signature to make it dance-friendly, a modification that influenced the emerging folk rock genre and impressed Dylan himself.
McGuinn subsequently pioneered country rock by blending country musical elements into his work, a stylistic shift that initially disappointed some rock fans who perceived country music as politically aligned with the right wing. McGuinn acknowledged the concern but clarified his motivation was purely artistic, explaining that he viewed country music as simply another expression of traditional folk music rather than any political statement.
- Bruce Springsteen praised Roger McGuinn as the pioneering inventor of both folk rock and country rock
- McGuinn's Byrds adapted Bob Dylan's 'Mr Tambourine Man' by changing time signatures, creating a foundational folk rock sound that impressed Dylan
- McGuinn later shifted to country rock, which initially concerned rock fans due to country's perceived political associations, though he maintained the move was purely musical