Two hundred years from now, cultural historians may argue about which of the two was more important and influential: the 20th-century singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, or the 18th-century Scots poet Robert Burns.

Both men, it is fair to say, wrote two of the greatest seduction ballads of all time. But whether Lay Lady Lay persuaded more couples into bed than A Red, Red Rose must remain an unresolved debate.

What is known, however, is that Dylan has credited Burns as his source of greatest inspiration, selecting A Red, Red Rose, written in 1794, as the lyric or verse that has had the biggest effect on his life. He selected Burns for My Inspiration, an advertising campaign by HMV, to discover pop stars' influences.

David Bowie, the first to take part two years ago, selected lyrics by the late Pink Floyd star Syd Barrett.

Most other artists have followed suit by choosing other musicians, including Sir Elton John, who chose the Scissor Sisters' Take Your Mama, Ozzy Osbourne (John Lennon's Working Class Hero), Paul Weller (The Beatles' Strawberry Fields Forever), Razorlight (the Kinks' Waterloo Sunset), the Killers (Bruce Springsteen's Born To Run) and the Fratellis (Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline).Burns referred to A Red, Red Rose as a “simple old Scots song which I had picked up in the country”. Gerard Carruthers, director of the centre for Burns study at the University of Glasgow, said: “It is one of the greatest love songs of all time. It's a song that resonates down the ages. It's one of his most emotive and emotional, perhaps his biggest expression of love.”

“It's very much about comparing love to the joyous things of nature and in the arts - it's from the love gut.

“Some of the songs by Burns are dedicated to particular women. This is perhaps his greatest so it's slightly strange that it's not dedicated to a particular woman.”

Dr Carruthers added: “I imagine Dylan will still be loved in 200 years as much as Burns is.”

Paul Rees, the editor-in-chief of Q magazine, said: “You can rely on Dylan to be different.”

Dylan's selection of lines from A Red, Red Rose was:

O my luve is like a red, red rose

That's newly sprung in June;

O my luve's like the melodie

That's sweetly play'd in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonny lass

So deep in luve am I;

And I will luve thee still, my dear,

Till a' the seas gang dry.

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