Bob Dylan vs The Byrds - Mr. Tambourine Man

ORIGINAL

Bob Dylan

Bringing It All Back Home (1965)

The Original

From Bringing It All Back Home album
All 4 verses of poetic lyrics
Acoustic folk arrangement
5 minutes 29 seconds
Stream of consciousness imagery

COVER

The Byrds

Mr. Tambourine Man (1965)

The Game-Changer

Invented folk-rock as a genre
Peaked at #1 Billboard Hot 100
Iconic 12-string Rickenbacker sound
2 minutes 21 seconds (1 verse only)
Changed the course of popular music

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Bob Dylan 0%

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The Byrds 0%

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Total votes: 0

Historical Significance

The Byrds' cover of "Mr. Tambourine Man" is widely credited with inventing folk-rock as a genre. Their electric 12-string Rickenbacker guitar sound, combined with Dylan's lyrics, created a template that influenced countless artists including The Beatles.

Interestingly, the Byrds only recorded one of the song's four verses, trimming Dylan's 5+ minute epic to a radio-friendly 2:21.

More Dylan Cover Comparisons

Explore more iconic Dylan covers and how different artists interpret his songs:

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Dylan vs Hendrix

Blowin' in the Wind

Dylan vs Peter, Paul & Mary

It Ain't Me Babe

Dylan vs Johnny Cash & June

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