Bob Dylan, the man who practically invented modern songwriting, known for penning anthems like "Like a Rolling Stone" and "Mr. Tambourine Man," has a definitive answer to the eternal question: What's the greatest song ever written?
And no, it's not one of his own. Shocking, we know. According to the man himself, it’s Glen Campbell’s melancholic 1968 classic, “Wichita Lineman.”
Dylan's assessment comes from Dylan Jones’s book, Wichita Lineman: Searching in the Sun For the World’s Greatest Unfinished Song. His exact, incredibly succinct quote: “The greatest song ever written.” Five words. That’s it. Because when you’re Bob Dylan, five words are apparently all you need to drop a mic.
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Start Your News DetoxThe Unfinished Masterpiece
The story behind “Wichita Lineman” is as evocative as the song itself. Songwriter Jimmy Webb was driving through the vast, flat expanse of rural Oklahoma when he spotted a lone figure perched high on a telephone pole, talking on the phone. The image of this solitary man, a tiny speck against an endless horizon, struck him deep.
“It was such a curiosity to see a human being perched up there,” Webb later told Blender magazine, describing the landscape as “almost surreal in its boundless horizons and infinite distances.” Imagine: a moment of pure, unexpected awe, leading to one of music's most enduring tracks.
When Glen Campbell, fresh off a string of hits, asked Webb for another smash, Webb channeled that Oklahoma moment. He started writing at his piano, inspired by the lineman’s solitary vigil. When Campbell first heard the unfinished tune, he reportedly cried. Which, if you think about it, is a pretty solid endorsement.
Webb originally intended a third verse, but Campbell, clearly a man who knew a good thing when he heard it, opted for a soaring guitar solo instead. The song’s power, some argue, lies in its very incompleteness, leaving the listener to ponder that lineman’s quiet longing under a vast, indifferent sky.
Dylan's Other Unexpected Praises
While “Wichita Lineman” holds the top spot, Dylan isn't shy about sharing his love for other artists. He once called Link Wray’s instrumental “Rumble” the “finest instrumental ever,” even opening five of his 2005 shows with it. Because apparently, even rock legends need a good warm-up.
He also praised the Eagles’ “Pretty Maids All in a Row,” calling it “one of the best songs ever.” And, in a move that might surprise some, he lauded The Beatles’ “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” noting their “outrageous” chords and harmonies that “pointed the direction of where music had to go.”
From Randy Newman to Leonard Cohen, and even a nod to Eminem and Metallica, Dylan’s eclectic taste proves that even the most iconic artists are still just massive music fans, ready to declare their favorites. Who knew?
