(As a side note, it's quite false to classify Dylan as an "anti-war protest singer," especially since only 2 of his 30+ albums could be accurately classified in that genre, and both were released before out involvement in Vietnam. He's simply a rock and roller with a poetic genius).
Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison have admitted as much.
And they convinced him to "Go Electric".
No doubt about it, the two put the blood in the water and much greater music flowed from the well. (I LOVE mixing metaphors).
BTW...speaking of Dylan, I consider The Band (based on their first two albums) to be second only to The Beatles.