Bob Dylan's 1965 Classic Never Hit No. 1 — But It Became A Cultural Touchstone Anyway
"Like a Rolling Stone" is one of Bob Dylan's most enduring songs, and even though it didn't top the pop chart, it put its singer-songwriter on the path to stardom and acclaim. Assisted by a playful Hammond organ and harmonica, "Like a Rolling Stone" is an epic, elevated piece of Americana from a musician who was a product of the fruitful 1960s Greenwich Village folk scene. Dylan's 1965 classic is not a traditionally structured pop song; rather, it's a six-minute-long, frantic ramble of a not-always-rhyming free verse poem, with bursts of spoke-sung lyrics delivered in Dylan's now-famous atonal bray. And although the tune is bursting with joy and warmth and maintains an uptempo beat, the words of "Like a Rolling Stone" speak to feelings of unease and rootlessness that were widely relatable in '65. His commercial breakthrough, this song helped Dylan earn the unofficial status of the baby boomer generation's poet laureate and artistic spokesperson.
Despite its impact, "Like a Rolling Stone" didn't fare as well on the pop chart as one might have assumed it did: It spent two weeks stuck at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Dylan would never make it higher than the runner-up spot, not with "Like a Rolling Stone" or any other single. It doesn't much matter — "Like a Rolling Stone" is a major cultural moment in and of itself.
Like a Rolling Stone proclaimed the arrival of Bob Dylan
His first big hit, "Like a Rolling Stone" began the story of Bob Dylan as an icon, introducing a singular new talent. Even Dylan knew right away the tune was special. "I'd literally quit singing and playing, and I found myself writing this song, this story, this long piece of vomit about 20 pages long, and out of it I took 'Like a Rolling Stone' and made it as a single," he said, as recounted in "Dylan: Behind the Shades."
Record buyers embraced "Like a Rolling Stone," too, sending it to No. 2 in September 1965. Technically, it wasn't Dylan's first sensation; he'd written big hits for others, including "Blowin' in the Wind" for Peter, Paul & Mary and "Mr. Tambourine Man" for the Byrds. He showcased himself with "Like a Rolling Stone," a song that seemingly references the story of the Rolling Stones. It's actually about Dylan's long quest to find folkie and tragic figure Woody Guthrie. Dylan alludes to the axiom "a rolling stone gathers no moss," in that he felt untethered. He meditates on that feeling relatable to many young people at the time in lyrics like "How does it feel / to be without a home?"
And while it wasn't a No. 1 single, "Like a Rolling Stone" finally did hit No. 1 in a way. On Rolling Stone's 2004 list "500 Best Songs of All Time," Dylan's track secured the top position.