Bob Dylan haters (and I know you’re out there) skip to the next post!
It seems there is an endless queue of commentators in the music industry who want to select their 50 greatest Bob Dylan songs. So, as we near the great man’s 80th birthday (May 24, 2021), I thought ‘why can’t a real fan get involved?’. So here is a countdown of my 50 favourite (not greatest) Dylan songs. A few so-called classics may have been left out. And, there may even be a few you have never heard before. All are worth a listen. The album they came from is in brackets. Most have a version available on YouTube (as well as countless cover versions of varying standard) and all should be available on music streaming services. For Dylan newbies, the original studio versions are best. For the Dylan nerds … anything goes.
50. Forever Young (Planet Waves).
49. Cross The Green Mountain (From Gods And Generals soundtrack)
48. Subterranean Homesick Blues (Bringing It All Back Home)
47. Just Like A Woman (Blonde On Blonde)
46. Things Have Changed (Wonderboys soundtrack)
45. Caribbean Wind (Out-take from Shot of Love. Released on Biograph)
44. Ballad of a Thin Man (Highway 61 Revisited)
43. Joey (Desire)
42. Ballad Of Hollis Brown (The Times They Are a-Changin’)
41. Knocking On Heaven’s Door (Pat Garrett & Bill The Kid soundtrack)
40. In the Summertime (Shot of Love)
39. Ring Them Bells (Oh Mercy)
38. Something's Burning Baby (Empire Burlesque)
37. Hurricane (Desire)
36. Shelter From The Storm (Blood On The Tracks)
35. It’s All Over Now Baby Blue (Bringing It All Back Home)
34. If You See Her Say Hello (Blood On The Tracks)
33. Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll (The Times They Are a-Changin’)
32. All Along the Watchtower (John Wesley Harding)
31. Highway 61 Revisited (Highway 61 Revisited)
30. My Back Pages (Another Side of Bob Dylan)
29. To Ramona (Another Side of Bob Dylan)
28. When the Ship Comes In (The Times They Are a-Changin’)
27. Isis (Desire)
26. I Shall be Released (The Bootleg Series Volumes 1-3)
25. Shooting Star (Oh Mercy)
24. Simple Twist of Fate (Blood On The Tracks)
23. Trying To Get To Heaven (Time Out of Mind)
22. Tangled Up In Blue (Blood On The Tracks)
21. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues (Highway 61 Revisited)
20. Blowin’ In The Wind (The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan)
19. The Times They Are a-Changin’ (The Times They Are a-Changin’)
18. Not Dark Yet (Time Out of Mind)
17. Boots Of Spanish Leather (The Times They Are a-Changin’)
16. Changing Of The Guards (Street Legal)
15. Billy 7 (Pat Garrett & Bill The Kid soundtrack)
14. Chimes Of Freedom (Another Side of Bob Dylan)
13. It Ain’t Me Babe (Another Side of Bob Dylan)
12. Gates Of Eden (Bringing It All Back Home)
11. Blind Willie McTell (Out-take from Infidels)
10. Mr Tambourine Man (Bringing It All Back Home)
9. One More Cup Of Coffee (Desire)
8. When He Returns (Slow Train Coming)
7. No Time To Think (Street Legal)
6. Like a Rolling Stone (Highway 61 Revisited)
5. Love Minus Zero, No Limits. (Bringing It All Back Home)
4. Every Grain Of Sand (Shot Of Love)
3. Visions Of Johanna (Blonde on Blonde)
2. Desolation Row (Highway 61 Revisited)
1. A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall (The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan)