10 Rock Albums That Invented Entire Genres

Bob Dylan had achieved more than any of his peers achieved before he had even hit 30. After The Freewheelin Bob Dylan came out, Mr. Zimmerman was being looked at as the voice of his generation, calling out the injustices of the world with just an acoustic guitar and some of the most biting lyrics of his time. Even though folk music had its place, Bob realized what could be done when you plugged into an amplifier.

While Bringing it All Back Home had flirted with rock instruments here and there, Highway 61 Revisited was the first time Dylan fully committed to the sound of rock and roll, keeping up with bands like the Beatles with electric instruments on songs like Tombstone Blues. Although the folkies may have been betrayed by the change in sound, Dylan knew what he was doing, taking the traditional sounds of rock and roll and bringing that same biting commentary to a new audience, turning Like a Rolling Stone into one of the biggest songs of the decade.

The world had already heard a bunch of Dylan ripoffs in the world of rock and roll, but Dylan could play kickass rock and roll all on his own. Bob may have looked like a rebel back when he had an acoustic guitar, but Highway 61 Revisited is the sound of the rebel rebelling against the movement he just created.