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We celebrate Dylan's birthday with a mix of journalists and musicians assessing the peaks of his career. He never does anything twice, he usually confounds those around him, and both in the studio and onstage, he can be just as rewarding as he is frustrating. Great White Wonder, indeed. Emphasis on Wonder. Happy 60th, Bob.
An MTV/VH1 News staff report
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 t takes a lot to laugh, it takes a train to cry, and it takes an extraordinary amount of artistry to still have people wondering about your every move after 40 years in business. Rock is a young person's game, so how is Bob Dylan still showing everyone how it's done after all this time? Sure, many elder statesmen continue to churn out albums, but Dylan is not only still around, he's winning awards and releasing some of the strongest discs of his career. He turns 60 years old on May 24, and in many ways he's just as challenging a character now as he was when he upended pop music back in the mid-'60s. Enigmatic, powerful, and armed with enough wit and whimsy to keep you guessing forever, he deserves a pat on the back and a tip of the hat.
For this tribute we polled musicians of all genres, asking them about the great man's contributions. We also wanted to know when they first heard Dylan, and what their favorites songs were. A number of writers also weigh in on various aspects of Dylan's work. Kevin Whitehead addresses Dylan the improviser. Steffie Nelson pores over the musicians who have covered his tunes. C. Bottomley explains how he initially rebuffed and ultimately embraced the Dylan oeuvre. Peter Cronin accounts for the action at a recent Nashville concert. Bop around, enjoy yourself, and don't forget to blow out the candles.
Michael Stipe
There's a really short list for me as a music fan - a short list of people have had really long careers and maintained a sense of dignity and a really uncompromising approach to their work. It's about keeping your eye on the ball. Fame is great, power is great, money is great. Bob Dylan probably has all that. But the thing that has always kept him writing the stuff he writes - like his last record, which I think is brilliant - is the music. That's what it's about. To me he's a huge star. I've met the man, too. He's got the softest hands I've ever touched.
I think Dylan has said it himself, but "Like a Rolling Stone" is one of the greatest songs ever written. I've always wanted to cover it. I sing it in the shower.
Sting
It was interesting this year at the Oscars, because I was nominated and Bob Dylan was nominated, and Bob won. And I couldn't begrudge him it, because I learned to write songs at his feet, like most people of my generation did. He deserved it. It was fantastic. That's how we learned to write songs. We copied Bob Dylan, or tried to.
My favorite Bob Dylan album is probably Highway 61 Revisited. That's a difficult choice, because I knew every word to every song.
Stevie Nicks
Dylan's influence on me as a songwriter is mammoth. When you listen to his words for many, many years, you really understand that if you want to be a true songwriter, you've got to stand up to him.
I went on a tour with Tom Petty and Bob Dylan in Australia for 32 days. I just wanted to watch Bob and Tom work out their thing on stage. It was one of the most incredible four weeks of my life.
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