10 Most Iconic Live Music Performances Of All Time

Bob Dylan was undoubtedly at the forefront of the American folk music revival in the 1960’s, and aside from being the poster boy for this particular style, many of his well-known songs were political in nature, Blowin’ in the Wind and The Times They Are a-Changin being the two most obvious examples of this. Dylan had previously played at the Newport Folk Festival in 1963 and 1964 to wide acclaim, but nobody could have predicted what would happen when he took to the stage in 1965.

Dylan had already played three acoustic songs on the Saturday of the festival, but on the Sunday just before he was due to begin, the organisers were shocked to see his band setting up electric guitars and amps. The performance began, there was no acoustic guitar, and no harmonica. Fans were shocked, and many of them booed the performance. Bob Dylan was criticised by fellow Folk musicians for moving away from his typically political performances and was deemed to be selling out by playing with electric instruments.

He did actually finish his set with two acoustic songs, but this is often forgotten amongst the controversy, and Bob Dylan did not return to the Newport Folk Festival for an incredible 37 years following this performance.