By 1965,
Bob Dylan had achieved the status of leading songwriter of the
American folk music revival. The response to his albums
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan and
The Times They Are a-Changin' led to him being labelled as the "spokesman of a generation" by the media. In March 1965, Dylan released his fifth album,
Bringing It All Back Home. Side One featured Dylan backed by an electric band. Side Two featured Dylan accompanying himself on acoustic guitar. On July 20, 1965, Dylan released his single, "
Like a Rolling Stone", featuring a
rock sound. On July 25, 1965, Dylan performed with a rock band at the
Newport Folk Festival. Some sections of the audience booed Dylan's performance. Leading members of the folk movement, including
Irwin Silber and
Ewan MacColl criticized Dylan for moving away from political songwriting, and performing with an electric band.