Bob Dylan names the three Rolling Stones songs he ‘wishes he could have written’

Three songs from the legendary rock band The Rolling Stones received high praise from Bob Dylan as he “wishes” he had written the tracks.

Dylan has plenty hits of his own, including Like a Rolling Stone, Mr. Tambourine Man, and Murder Most Foul, but heaped praise on the Mick Jagger-fronted group. His praise for three of their songs came as he was asked which of the band’s discography he admired most. An interview published by the New York Times saw Dylan comment on the three songs from The Rolling Stones he wishes he had written. The veteran songwriter name-dropped the band in his song, I Contain Multitudes, along with Anne Frank, Indiana Jones, and William Blake. His cultural references formed a major part of Rough and Rowdy Ways, the album Dylan released in 2020.

The Rolling Stones and Dylan have worked together in the past, teaming for a performance of Like a Rolling Stone. A show in front of 60,000 people reportedly had Dylan “flip off” Jagger and the band in a stunning performance of Like a Rolling Stone. Opening act The Black Crowes shared the tense moment Dylan refused to sing the song with the band.

Frontman Chris Robinson said: “They’re playing a Bob Dylan song, Bob is sitting in. The ‘Stones don’t jam, they don’t deviate. They come up to Bob’s turn, so the band bigs it up, and Bob goes to the microphone, and doesn’t sing anything.

“So they [The Rolling Stones] go all the way around again and he [Dylan] just leans into the mic, and turns away. It goes on for another half a verse and then Mick’s going to come over and save the day, and then Bob finally goes to the mic and starts singing something.

“They don’t finish, and they’re [Dylan] walking off-stage before the end of the song. They’re [The ‘Stones] are like ‘Bob Dylan,’ and he turns around and he goes ‘fuck you’ and gives them the finger.”

Despite the tense moment on stage, Dylan has seemingly remained a firm fan of The Rolling Stones, and is in awe of some of their songs. Asked which of the band’s songs he wishes he had written, Dylan suggested a Sticky Fingers classic was among those which he admired.

Dylan was asked: “A reference to The Rolling Stones makes it into I Contain Multitudes. Just as a lark, which Stones songs do you wish you could’ve written?” Dylan replied: “Oh, I don’t know, maybe Angie, Ventilator Blues and what else, let me see. Oh yeah, Wild Horses.”

The praise for The Rolling Stones did not stop there, with Dylan calling the band one of the greatest rock and roll bands in history in a separate interview. He said: “The Rolling Stones are truly the greatest rock and roll band in the world and always will be.

“The last too. 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.”