Simon Cowell has once again stated that Bob Dylan — despite being one of the most influential songwriters of all time — wouldn’t make it past an American Idol audition.
In a new interview on the Rolling Stone Music Now podcast, Cowell explained that Idol’s auditions were always shaped by what the public tended to respond to, not purely by artistry. When the interviewer raised the old criticism that Idol might reject “unconventional” voices like Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, or Frank Ocean, Cowell doubled down.
He used Dylan’s own recording of “Make You Feel My Love” (a song Dylan wrote) as an example, saying that if Dylan auditioned with that version, he would have told him, “Forget it.” Cowell said he didn’t even realize Dylan wrote the song until later and that, to him, Dylan’s rendition simply wasn’t compelling as an audition performance.
Cowell added bluntly: “I’m not a fan of Bob Dylan.” He framed it as a matter of taste and how mass-audience TV shows depend on broader public appeal.
This echoes comments he made back in 2007, when he said Dylan’s music “bored him to tears,” and that having a lineup full of “10 Dylans” would tank the show’s ratings.
For years there were even rumors (as far back as 2004) that Dylan might serve as an American Idol judge, but Cowell’s repeated remarks leave little doubt about how he views Dylan’s style in the context of mainstream TV talent competitions.