The two 1960s folk songs Gordon Lightfoot believed would live on forever

Gordon Lightfoot said Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind” and Kris Kristofferson’s “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down” were songs that never got old. His choices reflect the admiration he felt for fellow songwriters and the influence their work had on his own career.

Lightfoot named the songs in a 2019 interview, describing Dylan as a major influence despite their very different writing styles. “Blowin’ in the Wind” became a hit for Peter, Paul & Mary, who later helped bring Lightfoot’s “For Lovin’ Me” to the charts. “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down” was first recorded by Ray Stevens and reached a wider audience after Johnny Cash performed it on television; Lightfoot had also recorded Kristofferson’s “Me and Bobby McGee”.