By Dave Scurry
When it comes to lists of an artist’s top 10, or top 20, or even top 50 best songs, the hardest part is finding enough songs of sufficient quality that justify belonging to such a list. If it’s a genuinely great artist it’s a little easier, but the bigger the list the more difficult it becomes to pick out enough absolute cream.
Except of course, if the artist is Bob Dylan.
With The Bob the only hard part is working out which songs to leave out. As soon as I started to put together this list (at only the slightest encouragement), I was not that surprised at how quickly I jotted down 50 songs without too much thought. I then realised how many I hadn’t even gotten to yet. My initial short list of 50 expanded to exactly 107 when I stopped going through the albums. I could have easily added several more but that would have only made the next part even more difficult: Picking out 50 and then putting them in order.
The hardest thing for me was in trying to find a balance between my own personal favourites versus historical and cultural importance. For example, “Blowin’ In The Wind” sits where it does because I’ve leaned towards importance ahead of personal taste. Just. I’ve done that a handful of times throughout the list.
I hope you enjoy it. I’ve included the albums the songs come from and the year of release. For both the Bootleg Series and Basement Tapes, I’ve put the year of recording for that material as both were released several years after the recordings and as such, don’t refect what The Bob was producing at the time of their eventual release. Does that make sense? I think it does, but I guess I would. Hopefully, some of you do too.
Okay then, here goes. I would just like to put in a dedication to Shebs, who inspired me to assemble this list of incredible songs. It is also through her intelligent and insightful reactions (to Dylan and Hendrix in particular) that make my heart smile in the knowledge that this incredible music made decades ago is still able to connect with younger music fans today. It’s a measure of the quality of these artists that this is possible. So much of the music made back then, in particular between the early 1960’s through to the mid ’70’s, has a timeless quality about it and continues to resonate through the decades. What was in the water back then? And you can go back even further. So much of the jazz and blues/rhythm and blues music from the 1920’s through to the mid ’60’s has a similar appeal. Is it because so much of the recorded music then was (mostly) recorded live in the studio, giving the music a totally different sound and feel to today? Was it because the artists and the record labels with vision were always looking for something different (which seems to be the polar opposite of today)? Was it the quality of the songwriters and/or the innovation of the artists and producers? To me it’s a musical version of the renaissance period. And then, sometime in the ’70’s, for all sorts of reasons, it started gradually going downhill, but that’s another story for another time.
So, back to the man who has, through his ability to know when to change direction before anyone else realises he’s doing it (and his pure musical and lyrical genius), managed to stay relevant for the last 65 years. That alone is an achievement which is, in my humble opinion, unsurpassed and possibly unequalled.
Bob Dylan – Top 50 Songs
1. Like A Rolling Stone – Highway 61 Revisited (1965)
2. Mr. Tambourine Man – Bringing It All Back Home (1965)
3. The Times They Are A-Changin’ – The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (1964)
4. Desolation Row – Highway 61 Revisited (1965)
5. Visions Of Johanna – Blonde On Blonde (1966)
6. It’s Alright Ma, I’m Only Bleeding – Bringing It All Back Home (1965)
7. Masters Of War – The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (1963)
8. Tangled Up In Blue – Blood On The Tracks (1975)
9. It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue – Bringing It All Back Home (1965)
10. Not Dark Yet – Time Out Of Mind (1997)
11. One Of Us Must Know (Sooner Or Later) – Blonde On Blonde (1966)
12. Ballad Of A Thin Man – Highway 61 Revisited (1965)
13. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right – The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (1963)
14. Subterranean Homesick Blues – Bringing It All Back Home (1965)
15. Positively 4th Street – non album single (1965)
16. All Along The Watchtower – John Wesley Harding (1967)
17. Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again – Blonde On Blonde (1966)
18. Blowin’ In The Wind – The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (1963)
19. It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry – Highway 61 Revisited (1965)
20. My Back Pages – Another Side Of Bob Dylan (1964)
21. Maggie’s Farm – Bringing It All Back Home (1965)
22. A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall – The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (1963)
23. Cold Irons Bound – Time Out Of Mind (1997)
24. Ain’t Talkin’ – Modern Times (2006)
25. Tombstone Blues – Highway 61 Revisited (1965)
26. Chimes Of Freedom – Another Side Of Bob Dylan (1964)
27. I Want You – Blonde On Blonde (1966)
28. Shelter From The Storm – Blood On The Tracks (1975)
29. Mississippi – “Love And Theft” (2001)
30. The Man In Me – New Morning (1970)
31. The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll – The Times They Are A-Changing (1964)
32. Love Minus Zero/No Limit – Bringing It All Back Home (1965)
33. The Ballad Of Frankie Lee And Judas Priest – John Wesley Harding (1967)
34. If You See Her, Say Hello – Blood On The Tracks (1975)
35. When I Paint My Masterpiece – The Bootleg Series Vol.10: Another Self-Portrait (1971)*
36. Just Like A Woman – Blonde On Blonde (1966)
37. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues – Highway 61 Revisited (1965)
38. Trying To Get To Heaven – Time Out Of Mind (1997)
39. Jokerman – Infidels (1983)
40. Red River Shore – The Bootleg Series Vol.8: Tell Tale Signs (1997)*
41. Highway 61 Revisited – Highway 61 Revisited (1965)
42. I Pity The Poor Immigrant – John Wesley Harding (1967)
43. Simple Twist Of Fate – Blood On The Tracks (1975)
44. It Ain’t Me Babe – Another Side Of Bob Dylan (1964)
45. The Ballad Of Hollis Brown – The Times They Are A-Changin (1964)
46. Groom’s Still Waiting At The Altar – Shot Of Love (1981)
47. Idiot Wind – Blood On The Tracks (1975)
48. Hurricane – Desire (1976)
49. High Water (For Charley Patton) – “Love And Theft” (2001)
50. As I Went Out One Morning – John Wesley Harding (1967)
I’m sure if I was to do this again in a year or so there might be a bit of shuffling and repositioning. A few omissions, a few additions, you know how it goes. It would probably end up being very similar to this one.
And I’ve got a little bit extra here (for you Shebs). About 50 songs extra. I’d whittled it down to a short list of 107 or so, and I thought, what the hell? I may as well make it a top 100.
So these ones are probably a little more interchangeable than the preceding 50, but that says more about the sheer volume and quality of the man’s music. There is so many great songs! I could probably add another 50 (I won’t, lol).
So, completely unsolicited and unnecessary for a top 50, here is The Bob’s next best 50…
51. Can’t Wait – Time Out Of Mind (1997)
52. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 – Blonde On Blonde (1966)
53. Dear Landlord – John Wesley Harding (1967)
54. You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere (Take 2) – The Basement Tapes (1967)**
55. Lay Lady Lay – Nashville Skyline (1969)
56. Señor (Tales Of Yankee Power) – Street Legal (1978)
57. I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight – John Wesley Harding (1967)
58. I Shall Be Released – The Basement Tapes (1967)**
59. Girl From The North Country – The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (1963)
60. Where Are You Tonight? – Street Legal (1978)
61. This Wheel’s On Fire – The Basement Tapes (1967)**
62. Knocking On Heaven’s Door – Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid (1973)
63. You’re A Big Girl Now – Blood On The Tracks (1975)
64. Changing Of The Guards – Street Legal (1978)
65. I Threw It All Away – Nashville Skyline (1969)
66. I Dreamed I saw St. Augustine – John Wesley Harding (1967)
67. Every Grain Of Sand – Shot Of Love (1981)
68. Gotta Serve Somebody – Slow Train Coming (1979)
69. Love Sick – Time Out Of Mind (1997)
70. Most Of The Time – The Bootleg Series Vol.8: Tell Tale Signs (1989)*
71. Absolutely Sweet Marie – Blonde On Blonde (1966)
72. Highlands – Time Out Of Mind (1997)
73. With God On Our Side – The Times They Are A-Changin’ (1964)
74. Can’t Escape From You – The Bootleg Series Vol.8: Tell Tale Signs (2005)*
75. Crash On The Levee (Down In The Flood) – The Basement Tapes (1967)**
76. Floater (Too Much To Ask) – “Love And Theft” (2001)
77. Working Man’s Blues #2 – Modern Times (2006)
78. Huck’s Tune – The Bootleg Series Vol.8: Tell Tale Signs (2006)*
79. Only A Pawn In Their Game – The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (1964)
80. False Prophet – Rough And Rowdy Ways (2020)
81. To Ramona – Another Side Of Bob Dylan (1964)
82. Queen Jane Approximately – Highway 61 Revisited (1965)
83. John Wesley Harding – John Wesley Harding (1967)
84. Summer Days – “Love And Theft” (2001)
85. Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands – Blonde On Blonde (1966)
86. Million Dollar Bash – The Basement Tapes (1967)**
87. Boots Of Spanish Leather – The Times They Are A-Changin (1964)
88. Thunder On The Mountain – Modern Times (2006)
89. Murder Most Foul – Rough And Rowdy Ways (2020)
90. Leopard Skin Pill-Box Hat – Blonde On Blonde (1966)
91. Time Passes Slowly – The Bootleg Series Vol.10: Another Self-Portrait (1970)*
92. Tears Of Rage – The Basement Tapes (1967)**
93. Long And Wasted Years – Tempest (2012)
94. Standing In The Doorway – Time Out Of Mind (1997)
95. Bob Dylan’s 115th Dream – Bringing It All Back Home (1965)
96. Lonesome Day Blues – “Love And Theft” (2001)
97. Spanish Harlem Incident – Another Side Of Bob Dylan (1964)
98. Po’ Boy – “Love And Theft” (2001)
99. Tin Angel – Tempest (2012)
100. Make You Feel My Love – Time Out Of Mind (1997)
*Bootleg Series tracks have the year of the recording, not the year of release, as they were all released several years later.
**Basement Tapes tracks have the year of the recording (1967) as they were not officially released until 1975. They were not released in complete form until 2014, as The Bootleg Series Vol.11: The Basement Tapes Complete.
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