Notes • July 25, 2025by johnataylor on TwosFun Fact: On July 25, 1965, Bob Dylan and his backing band plugged in their electric instruments at the Newport Folk Festival. Some sections of the audience booed the performance. Purist members of the folk movement, criticized him for moving away from political songwriting and for performing with a rock band. Dylan continued his trend towards rock music on his next two albums, Highway 61 Revisited (1965) and Blonde on Blonde (1966). Retrospectively, his electric period has come to be recognized by critics and fans as producing some of his best music, and his controversial performance at Newport has been considered a pivotal moment in the development of folk rock. Dylan wouldnot return to the Newport festival for 37 years.