# The songwriter Bob Dylan and Paul Simon both claimed was the best of the 1960s

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-songwriter-bob-dylan-and-paul-simon-both-claimed-was-the-best-of-the-1960s/
- Published: 2026-07-24T17:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-07-28T21:43:53+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/songwriter-bob-dylan-paul-simon-agree-the-best-of-the-1960s/
- Topics: Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- Dylan and Simon both placed Leonard Cohen among the era’s finest songwriters.
- Dylan famously called Cohen the number one songwriter.
- Cohen’s poetic style became highly influential.

## Summary

The article argues that Leonard Cohen was the songwriter most highly regarded by both Bob Dylan and Paul Simon among his 1960s contemporaries. It presents their admiration as significant because each was himself a leading figure in the era’s shift towards more literary, introspective popular songwriting.

Dylan reportedly described Cohen as the “number one” songwriter of his time, while placing himself at “number zero”, signalling exceptional respect. Simon similarly praised Cohen’s writing, with the article highlighting Cohen’s poetic lyrics, distinctive voice and lasting influence despite a career that was initially less commercially prominent than those of Dylan or Simon.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.