Why did Bob Dylan declare The Rolling Stones “finished”?
Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones have been contemporaries for 60 years. Over the decades, there has always been a constant show of mutual respect between the two acts, often heaping praise on their notable achievements over the years. However, on one occasion, Dylan suffered a change of heart and somewhat brutally declared the group “finished”.
During interviews, both acts have been asked about the other on more occasions than they’d like to confess. In 2020, for example, when speaking to The New York Times to promote his record Rough & Rowdy Ways, Dylan revealed that he wished he had written the Stones songs ‘Angie’, ‘Ventilator Blues’ and ‘Wild Horses’. This high praise from the singer-songwriter means everything to the English band, who were educated about the world through Dylan’s music, and he proved an integral arrival in their lives both professionally and personally.
Stones guitarist Keith Richards once said of Dylan: “I’d work with Bob any(where). I’d work with Bob in hell or heaven. I love him.” Meanwhile, his bandmate, Mick Jagger, once told The Guardian: “I was playing Bob Dylan records at my parents’ house when he was still an acoustic folk singer, but he was already very important, and his lyrics were on point. The delivery isn’t just the word; it’s the accentuation and the moods and twists he puts on them. His greatness lies in the body of work.”
Despite his deeply held appreciation for what The Rolling Stones have provided the world, Dylan did state that he believed Bill Wyman’s departure from the group in 1993 to be a significant turning point. “Playing with the Stones, there was always such a lot of pressure,” Wyman told the Telegraph in 2008. “The next album or single always had to be the best, or at least sell more. When we got together to play, it was a great moment. Working with Charlie (Watts) was fantastic, and we’re still really close. But when I toured with the Stones, it would take a month to practice all these songs we’d been playing for 30 years.”
After devoting the first 30 years of his adult life to The Rolling Stones, Wyman decided to move on to a new chapter and left the band behind. Since this moment, the group has only released four studio albums across three decades and unapologetically leaned into their image as a nostalgia act.
In 2009, during an interview with author Bill Flanagan, Dylan gave his thoughts on the current state of The Stones. “They’re pretty much finished … they need Bill [Wyman]. Without him, they’re a funk band. They’ll be the real Rolling Stones when they get Bill back,” he opined. In response, Flanagan’s said, “Bob, you’re stuck in the ’80s”, to which Dylan replied, “I know. I’m trying to break free”.
Interestingly, later in the same interview, Dylan seemingly walked back his previous comments and handed them the ultimate compliment. “The Rolling Stones are truly the greatest rock and roll band in the world and always will be. The last too,” he said. “Everything that came after them, metal, rap, punk, new wave, pop-rock, you name it… you can trace it all back to the Rolling Stones. They were the first and the last, and no one’s ever done it better,” Dylan added.
Although Dylan referring to The Rolling Stones as “finished” appears harsh, they had stopped being a hit factory by that point, and the peak of their creative powers was decades prior. However, their current position as a nostalgia act doesn’t discredit their legendary previous work, which established them as musical gods of the highest order.
Never Miss A Tale
The Far Out Bob Dylan Newsletter
All the latest stories about Bob Dylan from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.