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In a modern world of Britney Spears and hip hop music about the virtues of wearing thongs , it is often difficult to see the sanctity of popular music . However , there remain artists that create music considered sacred , and they come from a long line of artists that sought to perpetuate the importance and transcendent qualities of their musical art . Artists made their music sacred to themselves and countless millions by seeking and promoting the concept of authenticity and the independence of spirit . A similar spirit persists today , as musical artists connect the

art of yesterday with the movements of today borrowing what works , discarding what does not , and all the while creating something completely new from the old . Artists like Bob Dylan Amy Winehouse , and Sublime have each carved out a unique niche for themselves , often transcending simple definitions and creating their own

There are few fans of music alive today that do not know of Bob Dylan and the significant impact he has had on popular music , though many without the good fortune to see him in his prime know him merely as the elder statesmen of music with a message . While Bob Dylan began his career in the tradition of previous folk musicians , emulated his own idols such as Woody Guthrie , and he even borrowed his name from a poet he admired , and he used these traditions to create something uniquely his own . By building upon the folk ethic and poetry , he empowered himself and created a new type of music and new consciousness in American music and society . In interviews and in his actions , it was apparent that Dylan refused to let others define him in any terms he felt uncomfortable with . Despite his immense success in the folk world and through his songs with messages that represented well many of the sentiments that the protest movement tried to express , Dylan refused to be defined by either movement and defined himself . He stopped writing protest songs to avoid being labeled a prophet or spokesman , and he added electric instruments to his music , alienating a large percentage of his fans but getting many more . He even disappeared from public life after the most critically hailed period of his career and continued to evolve and create his persona seemingly free of social influence However , tradition played a large part in not only how Bob Dylan sought to define himself authentically , but it was also a key part of his success and why millions held him and his music with such sacred reverence . According to Eyerman and Jamison , traditions have a magical quality and these beliefs and practices are passed on from one generation to the next (27 . The true tradition that Bob Dylan continued goes beyond the folk or protest movement , beyond rock and roll or popular music , to the endless line of philosopher-artists that have persisted in creating poignant art since the beginning of humanity These efforts provided inspiration to generations , and the tradition is constantly renewed , evolving...