For Patrick Humphries, "rarely has one album so effectively reflected the times which produced it. "Freewheelin" spoke directly to the concerns of its audience. and addressed them in a mature and reflective manner: it mirrored the state of the nation." Stephen Thomas Erlewine's verdict on the album in the Allmusic guide was: "It's hard to overestimate the importance of "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan", the record that firmly established Dylan as an unparalleled songwriter ... This is rich, imaginative music, capturing the sound and spirit of America as much as that of Louis Armstrong, Hank Williams, or Elvis Presley. Dylan, in many ways, recorded music that equaled this, but he never topped it."