Last Update: 04/05/2026 at 2:50 PM EST
Dylan Shapes Songwriting Rivalries
Coverage from Untold Dylan, Far Out Magazine, and others
Articles
10
Latest Article
01/28
Active Days
91
Executive Summary
Dylan's influence on Simon, McCartney and peers highlights the standards, rivalries and exchanges that shaped modern songwriting
- Paul Simon's A Simple Desultory Philippic echoes Dylan's 1965-66 sound and vocal style
- Simon revised the song from an acoustic London draft to a grittier studio version
- Tom Wilson remixed The Sounds of Silence without Simon's knowledge, turning it into a major hit
- The hit led to Simon and Garfunkel's rapid reunion and rise to pop stardom
- Dylan praised Randy Newman, Leonard Cohen and John Prine as standout songwriters
- Dylan also named John Prine, Gordon Lightfoot, Randy Newman, Paul McCartney and Woody Guthrie among his top songwriters
- Paul McCartney said he admired Dylan and also praised Billy Joel, Brian Wilson and Buddy Holly
Quick Facts
- What: Songwriters praised, imitated, and compared one another
- Where: New York, London, and the wider pop music scene
- Why: To show Dylan's lasting impact on songwriting standards
- Who: Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, and Paul McCartney
- When: Mainly during the 1960s through later interviews
Coverage Timeline: 91 Days
Featured Article
The article examines Paul Simon's two versions of 'A Simple Desultory Philippic' and traces their musical references to Bob Dylan's 1965-66 recordings, noting London sessions, studio production changes, and the folk-rock remix of 'The Sounds Of Silence'.
Additional Articles
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In a retrospective article, Bob Dylan's comments from interviews in 1991, 2009, and 2016 are used to identify Randy Newman, Leonard Cohen, and John Prine as Dylan's highest-regarded songwriting peers.
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Bob Dylan's influence on Simon and Garfunkel in New York City during the early 1960s is examined, including impact on their debut and Sounds of Silence and Dylan's Self Portrait cover.
Bob Dylan identifies five top songwriters as his influences in a Far Out Magazine feature.
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Paul McCartney praises Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, Brian Wilson, and Buddy Holly in an American Songwriter article.
Paul Simon discusses Dylan's influence and their rivalry during the 1960s in New York's Greenwich Village.
Paul Simon ranked Paul McCartney above Bob Dylan in a list of great songwriters, in a 2011 Mojo interview.
Paul Simon discusses songwriters rankings, citing a 2011 Mojo interview and recalling a 1964 Manhattan show where Dylan sparked rivalry.
Far Out Magazine profiles Paul Simon as a defining songwriter in an article published on the site.
In a 2011 interview, Paul Simon said he tried to have Bob Dylan sing on the title track of his 2011 album So Beautiful Or So What, but the studio session never occurred.