Simon Cowell doesn’t think that Bob Dylan would have made the cut on American Idol.
In an interview with the Rolling Stone Music Now podcast, Cowell gave his thoughts about the legendary singer auditioning for the reality competition that he judged.
“When I heard Bob Dylan’s version of that Adele song, ‘Make You Feel My Love,’ I didn’t know he wrote the song,” said Cowell, referencing Dylan’s 1997 track famously covered by Adele in 2008. “I think if he’d walked in and sang that version, I’m not gonna lie, I would’ve gone, ‘Forget it.’ Seriously. Because I didn’t even know he wrote the song, when I heard his version, I was like, ‘Whoa.’ I just don’t think that would have been a great audition.”
Cowell acknowledged that even though he doesn’t like Dylan’s music, he realizes everyone has different preferences. “Look, I’m not a fan of Bob Dylan, but if people like him, then they like him, and if you don’t, that’s what I learnt from my career,” Cowell said. “Everybody has different tastes, whether it’s food, entertainment, or whatever.”
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This isn’t the first time Cowell has criticized Dylan. Back in 2007, he said that the singer’s music “bored him to tears.”
“I’ve got to tell you, if I had 10 Dylans in the final of American Idol, we would not be getting 30 million viewers a week,” Cowell added. “I don’t believe the Bob Dylans of this world would make American Idol a better show.”
In other news, Dylan earned an Honorary Doctorate from Berklee College of Music earlier this month.