He went on to release the politically charged The Times They Are a-Changin' and the more lyrically abstract and introspective Another Side of Bob Dylan in 1964. The album features 'Blowin' in the Wind' and ' A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall' which, like many of his early songs, adapted the tunes and phrasing of older folk songs. Following his self-titled debut album of traditional folk songs in 1962, he made his breakthrough as a songwriter with the release of The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan the next year.
His lyrics during this period incorporated political, social, philosophical, and literary influences, defying pop music conventions and appealing to the burgeoning counterculture. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s, when songs such as ' Blowin' in the Wind' (1963) and ' The Times They Are a-Changin' ' (1964) became anthems for the civil rights and antiwar movements. Generally regarded as one of the greatest songwriters ever, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his 60 year career. Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter.