The American singer-songwriter and musician Bob Dylan is one of the most important recording artists on the planet. A cultural icon, his work has had a profound influence on popular music since the 1960s. First gaining fame as a folk singer with songs that addressed the subjects of the Cold War and the civil rights movement, he later revolutionised rock music. But Dylan is an artist of contradictions. A magnetic performer who remains fiercely private. One of the wealthiest musicians of his generation who dresses like a vagabond. A womaniser who has penned some of the world’s most tender love songs.

But how did a suburban boy from Minnesota become one of the world’s most famous artists? Why does he inspire such fierce devotion and myth-making? And after six decades of songwriting and performing, how can we begin to characterise his legacy?

This is a Short History Of Bob Dylan.

A Noiser podcast production. Hosted by John Hopkins. With thanks to Michael Gray, the pioneer of Dylan Studies, and the author of the first critical study of Bob Dylan’s work, Song & Dance Man: The Art of Bob Dylan.

Written by Nicola Rayner | Produced by Kate Simants | Production Assistant: Chris McDonald | Exec produced by Katrina Hughes | Sound supervisor: Tom Pink | Sound design by Oliver Sanders | Assembly edit by Anisha Deva | Compositions by Oliver Baines, Dorry Macaulay, Tom Pink | Mix & mastering: Cody Reynolds-Shaw | Fact Check: Sean Coleman

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⁠A Short History of Ancient Rome⁠ - the debut book from the Noiser Network is out now! Discover the epic rise and fall of Rome like never before. Pick up your copy now at your local bookstore or visit ⁠⁠noiser.com/books⁠⁠ to learn more.

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