Bob Dylan's 'Like a Rolling Stone' Voted Greatest Song of the 1960s

Jacqueline Burt CoteWed, March 4, 2026 at 2:23 AM UTC

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It goes without saying that the 1960s produced some of the most iconic rock songs in history; after all, it was the decade when the genre first truly exploded. In fact, over half a century later, those years are still considered among the finest in rock.

So when Rolling Stone asked readers to vote for the top 10 songs of the '60s, there was no lack of options to choose from...and, perhaps unsurprisingly, a couple of bands showed up more than once on the list.

Kicking things off at #10 was "God Only Knows" by The Beach Boys, recorded during the Pet Sounds sessions in 1966 and hailed by many as a masterpiece (Paul McCartney once called it "very emotional, always a bit of a choker for me").

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Coming in at #9 was Jimi Hendrix's 1968 cover of Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" (which even managed to impress Dylan himself, who said in 1995 that Hendrix "probably improved upon" the original), followed by Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" (1969), the legendary band's first and only top 10 hit in America, in eighth place.

The Beatles made their first appearance on the list at #7 with "Hey Jude," which was the longest running single of the '60s, while The Doors took sixth place with their career-launching 1967 single "Light My Fire." Taking the number five position was The Who's timeless anthem "My Generation," followed by the Rolling Stones at #4 with "Gimme Shelter" (1969), which still sends chills down the spine decades later.

The Stones took the number three spot, too, with the perennially catchy "Satisfaction" (1965), while the Beatles returned to nab second place with the epic and incomparable "A Day in the Life" (1967).

So which song was voted the greatest of the '60s? That honor went to Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone" (also named the greatest song of all time by Rolling Stone in 2004). Interestingly enough, Dylan was notoriously booed when he performed the tune at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965, but that didn't stop the song from becoming one of his most popular songs of all time and a staple of his live shows...and with good reason.

Related: 1968 No. 1 Hit Was the Longest Running Rock Single of the '60s

This story was originally published by Parade on Mar 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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