10 Greatest Classic Rock Songwriters

In the 60's, Bob Dylan was the true wordsmith who everyone looked to as a template. You don't get the title of "Spokesman for a Generation" for no reason, and Dylan's lyrics proved that in spades.

When Dylan burst onto the scene, he was nothing more than a folk singer who covered old traditional songs and constructed his own wise tales. As the 60's went on, Dylan's songs went from the traditional realm to scathing indictments of political unrest and critiques of war. With each lyric, Dylan acted as an observer peering in on society's inner workings and exposing its flaws. As he led rock into its golden age, future songs incorporated rock-centric material and showed Dylan at his own personal time of rebellion on "Like a Rolling Stone" and "Subterranean Homesick Blues."

Even when his star power waned with coming decades, Dylan always kept up his songwriting track record with perfect narrative pieces such as "Tangled Up In Blue." Bob Dylan helped rockers find the common ground between poetry and lyrics and made everyone take a look at the power of their words over a rock beat. A true poet who is still chipping away to find his next work of lyrical brilliance.