Lately, some people have been picking on Bob Dylan’s voice, saying it’s not good. They don’t have much else to complain about because his songwriting is amazing and hard to criticize. So, they focus on his voice instead. But Mick Jagger, the lead singer of The Rolling Stones, thinks that’s unfair and silly.
Bob Dylan and Mick Jagger have been making music for a long time. They’ve been in the same music world for years and really like each other’s work, even though they haven’t performed together a lot. Both of them are still big names in music today, even after all the changes in the industry. That alone should earn them some respect, but some people still make fun of them.
Dylan once said something really nice about The Rolling Stones. He called them the best rock and roll band ever and said they started everything—metal, rap, punk, and more all come from them. He thinks no one has ever done it better.
Mick Jagger has Dylan’s back too. On a TV show in the Netherlands, the host asked Jagger about getting older as a rockstar. Then she asked if he liked Dylan. Jagger said yes and that he loves watching him perform, no matter his age. The host said she liked Dylan too but then made a mean comment about his voice. Jagger didn’t let it slide. He said Dylan’s voice might not be super fancy like some singers, but it’s special. It has a unique sound and feeling that makes it stand out. He explained that as you get older, your voice changes and gets deeper, which can be a good thing.
In 2015, Dylan talked about this at an awards show called MusiCares. He was tired of people being mean about his voice. He said critics have been hard on him since the beginning, calling his singing croaky like a frog. He wondered why they don’t say that about other singers like Tom Waits or Leonard Cohen. He even asked why people don’t complain about Lou Reed the same way. Dylan felt like he was being picked on unfairly.
Even with all the great things Dylan has done, it’s crazy that he still has to explain why his voice is okay. People might keep saying rude things, but his voice is part of what makes his songs so special. If every singer sounded perfect and the same, music would be boring. Dylan’s rough, real voice fits his words perfectly and makes his music one of a kind.
