10 Rock Bands That Never Sold Out
2. Bob Dylan
Anyone would have a lot of weight on their shoulders if they were given the title of 'Voice of a Generation.' Coming from the folk scene in the early days, it looked like Bob Dylan was going to be the one who would lead us into the future, with songs that dealt with topics that we all were feeling at the time. After a while though, Dylan was always ready to shake off his legend credentials.
Taking himself out of commission in the late '60s, Dylan went on a streak of albums that proved to be a lot more confusing than his classic work, with Self Portrait leaving fans more baffled than anything else. That's before you even get to the man's '80s work, where he went for a message that was a lot more religious in tone. While some fans really didn't know what to make of this, it was all about Dylan giving you the most authentic version of himself that he could.
While the rambling troubadour persona that Dylan built for himself managed to stick, he's also managed to write some of the most cathartic songs along the way, like the need to break free on Like a Rolling Stone or the long journey from lovers to strangers on Tangled Up in Blue. After years of being told that this was the man who was speaking for us, Dylan taught us that it was okay to just be yourself.