10 Moments That Changed Rock Music History
9. Bob Dylan Goes Electric
Dylan going electric is one of those classic tales in rock folklore. An icon of the folk music scene, hailed as the most gifted protest singer around, the voice of the underclasses, the man who could so eloquently put to music the thoughts and feelings of a generation. Dylan was a hero.
But for many, Bob Dylan going electric was worse than the Betrayal of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Dylan debuted his new sound live at Newport Folk Festival in 1965 with crowds of acoustic loving folk fans booing his performance. It would lead to months of anguish for Dylan who was be berated by audiences during his UK tours.
Despite the reaction, the move opened everything up creatively for the singer. Sure, his early records displayed an incredible aptitude for assembling words into impactful social commentaries (go listen to Masters of War if you need convincing) but you couldn't put Dylan in a box.
Without Dylan going electric the world would never have had Blonde on Blonde, Let alone Highway 61 revisited, two of the greatest rock records of the 1960s, records that were two of Jimi Hendrix's favourites...