We all are well aware that the 60s was a really great era for rock music and there were also many musicians. And as a result, the competition was natural however, along with competition also came comparison. Fans love to compare various artists today as much as they did in the past. Well, the good thing is comparison and rivalry make them become more creative and make new music.
One of the best examples of rivalry is between the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. They were compared to each other and certainly, their rivalry is known to the world. And it is also well-known that their rivalry let them create hit after hit.
However, the thing is we are not going to talk about the Rolling Stones nor are we talking about the Beatles. So what are we discussing in this piece? well, as the topic states, we are here to discuss the only musician that Bob Dylan respects. First of all, Dylan himself is a legend and is considered one of the greatest and most important musicians of the 20th century.
So who is the only musician that Dylan really respects? well, Dylan and the Beatles have always respected and admired one another. Dylan and the Beatles were two of the greatest leading music artists back in the 60s. However, both these artists have vast differences in their styles but that did not stop Dylan from loving and admiring the Beatles co-lead vocalist Paul McCartney.
The only music artist that Bob Dylan admires
There is no comparison between both Bob Dylan and Paul McCartney because they are like flashlights in a dark cave. They are the greatest musicians of all time. They have contributed so much to the music world that they are now listed as legendary artists.
Both of them admire each other however, Dylan says that McCartney is the only music artist whose music astonished him. Back in 2007, Dylan was interviewed by Rolling Stone where he was asked about John Lennon and McCartney and he said,
“They were fantastic singers. Lennon, to this day, it’s hard to find a better singer than Lennon was, or than McCartney was and still is, I’m in awe of McCartney, He’s about the only one that I am in awe of. He can do it all. And he’s never let up… He’s just so damn effortless.” He further said, “He’s got the gift for melody; he’s got the rhythm. He can play any instrument. He can scream and shout as good as anybody, and he can sing the ballad as good as anybody.”
Even though McCartney is one of the most iconic musicians, it was a great thing for him too because he also admires Dylan as much as Dylan admires him. And after getting praised by Dylan he was not going to stay silent. Certainly, he would say something about Dylan too.
And in 2020 when he was talking to Uncut he said that he wished to be more like Dylan. He said, “I always like what he does. Sometimes I wish I was a bit more like Bob. He’s legendary and doesn’t give a sh*t! But I’m not like that. People ask me who I’m a fan of, and Bob Dylan and Neil Young always make the list.”
However, this is not the only time McCartney spoke about Dylan. He has always talked about how much he was influenced or inspired by Dylan. Paul even said once that Dylan is a very few people who make him nervous. He said that he would not know what to say. Although the two of them performed together at Coachella.
So as mentioned above, Dylan really does admires McCartney and was in awe, however, the admiration is mutual because Dylan is one of few people who actually make Paul nervous not to mention he learned and got influenced by Bob a lot.
