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Legendary Singer-Songwriter, 78, Plays What Bob Dylan Called the 'Best Song Ever Written' in 'Brilliant' New Video
Legendary Singer-Songwriter, 78, Plays What Bob Dylan Called the 'Best Song Ever Written' in 'Brilliant' New Video originally appeared on Parade.
When it comes to staying power, few songs in contemporary music history stack up to "Wichita Lineman." Written by iconic songwriter Jimmy Webb for country singer Glen Campbell in 1968, the chart-topping tune has been covered by many other legendary artists in the years since (from Johnny Cash to James Taylor to Smokey Robinson and more) and countless others — like Bob Dylan — consider it one of the best songs of all time.
In a video shared to TikTok this week, Webb, 78, demonstrated how to play "Wichita Lineman" on the piano, explaining the various chord progressions and occasionally singing along.
"Bob Dylan once called this the 'greatest song ever written,'" the caption read.
Commenters were quick to agree with the "Like a Rolling Stone" singer, with one writing, "Bob Dylan was right!"
"Just brilliant. One of the most moving songs of all time. So much longing and regret," added a second fan.
"A great and beautiful song. Genius," someone else commented, with another chiming in to say, "This may be my favorite song ever."
Dylan gave his oft-quoted opinion on the classic track via the cover of Dylan Jones' Wichita Lineman: Searching in the Sun for the World's Greatest Unfinished Song, as American Songwriter reported.
In 2020, Webb spoke to the same outlet about another famous musician's take on the tune, saying, 'Billy Joel came pretty close one time when he said 'Wichita Lineman is a simple song about an ordinary man thinking extraordinary thoughts'. That got to me; it actually brought tears to my eyes. I had never really told anybody how close to the truth that was.'Legendary Singer-Songwriter, 78, Plays What Bob Dylan Called the 'Best Song Ever Written' in 'Brilliant' New Video first appeared on Parade on Jul 3, 2025
This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
