Radio
FolkMelancholic

I love our Under the Influence sections. Because finding a direct connection between two artists is one thing. Looking at how that influence quietly sneaks into someone's work is another. That is where things get interesting. The little clues. The shared ideas. The moments where you suddenly realise, “oh, that is where that came from.”

So, what is inside this playlist?

Fifteen different artists who, in one way or another, consider Bob Dylan a major influence.

  • Steve Earle is an American singer-songwriter. In his works Dylan's influence shows up less in the sound and more in the storytelling. Like Dylan, Earle is interested in real people and real problems. Politics, family history, working-class life — all the things that make songs feel lived-in rather than polished.
  • Bruce Springsteen is probably the easiest Dylan connection to spot in the playlist. Springsteen has never been shy about saying Dylan changed his life. What he borrowed wasn't a melody or a style of singing — it was the idea that songs could tell big stories about ordinary people. Long narratives, detailed characters, and everyday lives turned into something heroic. The River is a perfect example of that approach.
  • Neil Young is a slightly trickier one. He and Dylan belong to the same generation of singer-songwriters, so it is often less about influence and more about shared DNA. Both built careers on unusual voices and honesty over technical perfection. Neither seemed particularly interested in making the music people wanted them to make. They just made the music they felt like making.
  • Ryan Adams brings the Dylan influence into a later generation. The connection is in the writing: prolific output, emotional unpredictability, and songs that feel deeply personal without becoming self-indulgent. Like Dylan, he often writes as though he is thinking out loud. It is why many critics have described him as one of the clearest Dylan descendants of his generation.