 Dylan is considered a seminal influence on several musical genres , especially folk rock , country rock and Christian rock . As Edna Gundersen stated in USA Today : " Dylan 's musical DNA has informed nearly every simple twist of pop since 1962 . " Punk musician Joe <unk> praised Dylan for having " laid down the template for lyric , tune , seriousness , spirituality , depth of rock music . " Other major musicians who acknowledged Dylan 's importance include Johnny Cash , Jerry Garcia , John Lennon , Paul McCartney , Pete <unk> , Neil Young , Bruce Springsteen , David Bowie , Bryan Ferry , Nick Cave , Patti Smith , Syd Barrett Joni Mitchell , and Tom <unk> . Dylan significantly contributed to the initial success of both the Byrds and the Band : the Byrds achieved chart success with their version of " Mr. <unk> Man " and the subsequent album , while the Band were Dylan 's backing band on his 1966 tour , recorded The Basement Tapes with him in 1967 , and featured three previously unreleased Dylan songs on their debut album . 
