Dylan's early records were hugely successful. Folk fans were enthralled with his approach to the craft. His long, narrative tunes were part recitations, part songs. He adapted the most haunting aspects of Woody Guthrie's work and updated it. He wasn't the first to bring social issues back into folk music, but he was certainly seen as a hero in that arena.
Then, at the Newport Festival in 1965, Dylan showed up with a full-fledged rock band. He wasn't the only electric guitar player there, but what irked so many folkies was that he was bent on playing rock and roll versions of his folk songs. Famously, Pete Seeger is said to have wanted to cut the cord on that performance; but even Pete Seeger couldn't stop what was to come—the inevitable rock-ifying of contemporary folk music.
With the Beatles and the Rolling Stones turning America into a haven for the emergence of rock and roll, in retrospect, folk music was going to have to do something if it wanted to both compete with the new genre, and preserve its stance as a reflection of American culture.
Following Dylan's electrification, rock groups with folk roots started popping up everywhere—David Crosby and Steven Stills teamed with Graham Nash and Neil Young for one of the most succesful folk-rock groups of all time. The Byrds had a huge hit with "Turn, Turn, Turn," which had been penned by none other than Pete Seeger. The Mamas and the Papas, and even the Grateful Dead, emerged and capitalized on the new movement, helping traditional music become known and loved by a new generation whose ears were tuned only to rock and roll.
