At 84 years old, Bob Dylan finally breaks decades of silence to reveal the six rock women he believes changed music forever—his personal list is as surprising as it is poetic, including names no one expected, along with cryptic explanations that leave fans speculating about hidden meanings, lost collaborations, and private encounters that might have shaped his art in secret—why these women, why now, and what do his choices say about the stories he never told? One name in particular has the world stunned… click the link to read more.

At 84, Bob Dylan Names His 6 Favourite Rock Women

In a rare and quietly released interview earlier this year, Bob Dylan—now 84 and more enigmatic than ever—offered something he’s rarely given: a list. Not just any list, but one that immediately stirred music circles worldwide. When asked which women in rock he admired most, Dylan leaned back, paused for an uncomfortably long time, and then said with a half-smile, “You want six? Alright. But don’t expect them to make sense to anyone but me.”

True to form, Dylan’s list was as cryptic as it was intriguing. The six women he named weren’t all global icons or headline regulars. They came from different eras, carried different sounds, and, in some cases, had never before been mentioned in the same sentence as Dylan. But perhaps that’s the point—Dylan has always heard the music beneath the noise.

Here they are, in the exact order he listed them, along with the only comment he offered for each:

2328. Patti Smith
      “Her words walk on glass barefoot. She never faked a thing in her life.”
      It’s no surprise to see Patti Smith at the top. The poet-punk priestess has long been a friend and admirer of Dylan, even famously inducting him into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Smith’s fearless blend of rock and poetry mirrors much of Dylan’s own journey, and the two share a mystical devotion to language as weapon and balm.
2329. Joan Jett
      “She smiles like a rebel should. Fire doesn’t ask permission.”
      Dylan’s inclusion of Joan Jett raised eyebrows. Though known for hard-edged hits like “Bad Reputation” and “I Love Rock ‘n Roll”, Jett has rarely been associated with Dylan’s acoustic-laced folk universe. But perhaps that’s why he respects her—she forged her path with electric fury and never looked back. A woman in leather with her own rules, Jett fits Dylan’s long-standing reverence for outsiders.
2330. Karen Dalton
      “Her sadness sang louder than her voice. She knew things I never did.”
      This was the most obscure name on the list, but also the most personal. Karen Dalton, a folk singer with a fragile, aching voice, was part of the Greenwich Village scene in the 1960s—a world Dylan once called home. He’s praised her before, calling her his favorite singer of the time. She never achieved mainstream fame, but to Dylan, her emotional honesty was unmatched.
2331. Chrissie Hynde
      “She could sing you to sleep or into a riot. Either way, you’d go willingly.”
      The Pretenders frontwoman, Chrissie Hynde, has long walked a tightrope between punk grit and melodic elegance. Dylan and Hynde share mutual respect; she has covered his songs with stunning sensitivity, and he’s been known to speak of her toughness with admiration. In Hynde, Dylan may see the same mix of steel and soul that he strives for in his own work.
2332. Tina Turner
      “She burned brighter than anyone—and never asked the fire to stop.”
      Tina Turner’s inclusion is poetic justice. A rock ‘n’ roll survivor who reinvented herself countless times, she embodied the kind of resilience Dylan has always revered. Though their musical styles diverged, they shared a commitment to rawness and reinvention. Dylan saw Turner perform once in the 1980s and reportedly stood silently in the wings, watching every second.
2333. Joni Mitchell
      “She paints in sound. I never understood her completely, and maybe that’s why I still listen.”
      Their complicated relationship is legendary—admiration, tension, criticism, and reunion. Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan are both towering songwriters, but their dynamic has always been filled with sharp edges. By including her, Dylan acknowledges her power, even if he’s still trying to decipher her. Perhaps he always will be.

What stands out most about Dylan’s list is not the fame of the women, but the mystery he wraps them in. Each comment is a riddle. Each name a window into something he’s never said directly. When pressed to explain more, he declined. “That’s all I’ll say. They know why.”

Naturally, fans and critics alike dove into speculation. Was the order chronological or symbolic? Did Dylan know these women personally, or did he admire from afar? Was there a secret narrative—six phases of his own life, represented by each woman? The theories spread like wildfire, helped along by the fact that Dylan refused to elaborate.

Interestingly, none of the women responded directly. Patti Smith posted a black-and-white photo of the two of them backstage in 1995. Joan Jett shared an Instagram story of her playing acoustic guitar under a single red light. Chrissie Hynde posted lyrics to “Don’t Get Me Wrong.” But none commented on the list.

The silence only added to the myth.

Some fans claimed there were hidden references in Dylan’s 2020 album Rough and Rowdy Ways, linking certain lyrics to these women. Others went further, suggesting that each of the six had inspired one of his unreleased songs—recorded and locked away for some future posthumous release. Bennyboy, who produced Dylan’s most recent tour, declined to comment on the speculation, but said only, “Bob still has surprises left.”

Perhaps most revealing of all is the timing. Why now, at 84, would Dylan offer this list? Some see it as a kind of tribute, others a confession, still others a final note in the long, unfolding melody of his life. In naming these women, Dylan is, in a way, naming parts of himself—parts shaped by their voices, their spirits, their storms.

And maybe that’s what makes the list so powerful. It’s not about popularity or genre. It’s about connection. Resonance. The invisible threads that tie artists across time, gender, and distance.

As always with Dylan, the answers aren’t easy. But the questions linger, echoing in his gravelly whisper: “They know why.”