PMH/Bob Dylan: the politics of influence

To talk of the influences on or the influence of Bob Dylan is to talk of what is manifestly significant. However, the notion of influence is controversial. Dylan himself appreciates its complexities. He has admitted his influences and praised past figures, and yet he has fashioned an identity of the ever-changing individualist who resists labelling. In this article, theorists of influence are reviewed so as to appraise how influence might be taken. Subsequently Dylan’s unacknowledged use of others’ material and the impact of musical traditions and popular movements on his work are reviewed. Influence is seen to be a key to opening up the complex identities within Dylan’s work.