3 One-Hit Wonders That Sound Like Bob Dylan but Actually Aren’t

When you’re an up-and-coming songwriter, it makes sense to find people to emulate. And one of the people that many artists look to for tips, tricks, and inspiration is Bob Dylan. Often, young artists even go the route of writing songs that sound like Dylan. From his poetics to his storytelling, he is an easy and obvious person to mimic.

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Below, we wanted to explore some of that mimicry over time. We wanted to dive into three one-hit wonders from throughout music history that sound like Dylan. Indeed, these are three one-hit wonders that sound like Bob Dylan but actually aren’t.

“Stuck In The Middle With You” by Stealers Wheel from ‘Stealers Wheel’ (1973)

From the acoustic music to the nasally, unaffected vocal delivery to the creative, vivid poetic lyrics, this song is very much written in the shadow of Bob Dylan. Heck, the members from Stealers Wheel may have even had a poster of The Bard in their bedroom, gazing up at it as they worked on the stanzas for this hit single. Many have tried to mimic Dylan over the years; it’s no shame!

“Bitter Sweet Symphony” by The Verve from ‘Urban Hymns’ (1997)

Not only does this song sound a fair amount like Dylan, but the lead vocalist for The Verve, Richard Ashcroft, even looks a lot like The Bard in this music video. Shaggy hair, gaunt face—he’s a new motorcycle away from completing the post-1965 Newport Folk Festival look Dylan had in the middle of the 1960s. Everyone at one point or another wishes they had Dylan’s talent and magnetism—it’s okay.

“We Are The World” by USA For Africa from ‘We Are The World’ (1985)

Dylan? Did somebody say Bob Dylan? Well, the reason this song sounds like Dylan is, well, because it includes him among its ranks. Singing with many a pop culture hero in the 1980s, Dylan offered a verse for this charity single meant to help those in Africa in need. So while the other two songs above sound like Dylan, this one also does, since he’s actually there. Check out his verse around 3:45.

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