The Rock band Bob Dylan said was the greatest and the last

One of the most prolific songwriters of all time, Bob Dylan is a true legend who showed his peers in the 60s that it was possible to write different and longer songs. His impact was essential for many music genres, including Rock and Roll, which also began to explore other topics in songwriting beyond just love.

Over the decades, the Folk Rock musician had the chance to meet many incredible bands and shared his opinion on them. One of them was The Rolling Stones, the British band led by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.

The Rock band Bob Dylan said was the greatest and the last one

The Rock and Roll band that Bob Dylan said was the greatest and the last one is The Rolling Stones. “(They) are truly the greatest Rock and Roll band in the world and always will be. The last too. Everything that came after them, Metal, Rap, Punk, New Wave, Pop-Rock, you name it. You can trace it all back to the Rolling Stones. They were the first and the last and no one’s ever done it better,” he said in an interview with Bill Flanagan in 2009.

But during the same conversation he said that they needed to get the bassist Bill Wyman back, because without him they were a funk band. “I’m not saying they don’t keep going, but they need Bill. Without him they’re a funk band. They’ll be the real Rolling Stones when they get Bill back.”

The Rolling Stones songs Dylan said he wished he had written

Bob has been a good friend of the band since the 60s. He joined them on stage a couple of times during his career. They successfully covered Dylan’s hit “Like a Rolling Stone” in 1995 and Bob himself joined them on stage a couple of times during the following years to perform that song. In 1998, the Folk legend was their opening act and used to join them to perform the track.

Two of the most memorable performances happened in Brazil and Argentina that year. They also performed many Rock covers and another Dylan classic: ‘Blowin’ in the Wind.’ The most recent time Dylan was their opening act was during the 2016 Desert Trip Festival.

More recently, in 2020, he mentioned the band in the song “I Contain Multitudes,” from his album “Rough and Rowdy Ways”.I’m just like Anne Frank, like Indiana Jones. And them British bad boys, The Rolling Stones. I go right to the edge, I go right to the end. I go right where all things lost are made good again,” the lyrics say. In an interview with The New York Times, to promote the album, he was asked which were the Stones songs he wished he had written.

“Angie”

The first one mentioned by Dylan was “Angie”, one of their signature songs. The track was featured on their 1973 album “Goats Head Soup”. At the time the band had their classic line-up with the guitarist Mick Taylor. It was a number one hit in several countries like the United States, Australia, Italy and France.

“Ventilator Blues”

The second one mentioned by Dylan was “Ventilator Blues”. The song was featured on the classic Stones album “Exile on Main St.”, released in 1972. It is one of the few tracks that besides Richards and Jagger, the guitarist Mick Taylor was also credited as one of the songwriters. The album became one of the band’s most critically successful records.

“Wild Horses”

The third one he wished he had written was “Wild Horses”, from their 1971 album “Sticky Fingers”. Although it was written by Keith Richards and Mick Jagger, the track was first released by The Flying Burrito Brothers. At first, the British band considered that the demo of their song was not worth recording, but then changed their mind when making that album.

All the members of The Rolling Stones have praised Bob Dylan many times over the years and were influenced by his songwriting. More recently, during the 2025 Academy Awards ceremony, it was Mick Jagger who revealed the winner of ‘Best Original Song’. But Bob Dylan was the one they originally invited to present that category. He didn’t attend the ceremony.

Keith Richards told NME in 2014 that it was Bob Dylan who showed it was possible to write longer songs and explore other topics besides love. “He showed you that rock’n’roll didn’t need to be quite so restricted by that verse-chorus-verse formula. We app pushed each other in those days. Bob’s a nasty little bugger. I remember him saying to me, ‘I could have written Satisfaction, Keith – but you couldn’t have written Desolation Row.’ I said, ‘Well, you’re right there, Bob!’” Keith Richards said.

The legendary American songwriter was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in 1988 by Bruce Springsteen. One year later, The Rolling Stones were inducted by The Who’s Pete Townshend.