10
'You Ain't Goin' Nowhere'
After his 1966 motorcycle accident, Dylan disappeared from public view and began writing new songs, one of which was 'You Ain't Goin' Nowhere.' Although Dylan recorded the song the next year with the Band, that version didn't see the light of day until 1975's 'The Basement Tapes' -- four years after he recorded a new version for 'Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II.'
09
'I Want You'
This rollicking, uptempo Bob Dylan song appeared on his epochal 1966 double album, 'Blonde on Blonde,' and remains one of the most-discussed Dylan tracks -- thanks to its tangled web of lyrics about guilty undertakers, silver saxophones and Chinese suits. Some big names have covered the song: Cher recorded a version for her 1966 self-titled album and Bruce Springsteen played it at his widely bootlegged 1975 Main Point concert.
08
'It Ain't Me Babe'
Dylan's 1964 album promised 'Another Side of Bob Dylan,' delivering songs that were a bit more personal and less issue-oriented than his earlier work. The album closer, 'It Ain't Me Babe,' was seen by some as a metaphorical message from Dylan that he was moving away from folk and toward popular music. Joan Baez, Nancy Sinatra and the Turtles all recorded the track in the '60s, with the Turtles' version hitting the Top 10 on the Billboard singles chart.
07
'Don't Think Twice, It's All Right'
'Don't Think Twice, It's All Right' is a breakup song, in which Dylan kicks an old love to the curb without concern or regret. Singing in a resigned tone over acoustic guitar and harmonica, Dylan croons, "Goodbye's too good a word/So I'll just say fare thee well." The song appeared on Dylan's second album, 1963's 'The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan.'
06
'Blowin' in the Wind'
Another track from 'The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan,' 'Blowin' in the Wind' is a folk-rock classic, with Dylan asking profound questions and then providing the simple, but ambiguous reply, "The answer is blowin' in the wind." Peter, Paul and Mary's remake introduced the tune to a more widespread audience, reaching No. 2 on the US pop singles chart. In 1994, Dylan's version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
05
'Tangled Up in Blue'
'Tangled Up in Blue' was one of the high points of Dylan's landmark 1975 record, 'Blood on the Tracks' -- an album that documented the marital struggles between Dylan and his wife. Even his son Jakob said he believed the record was "my parents talking." Dylan claimed the song took two years to write, and it lives on decades later as one of his best.
04
'Positively 4th Street'
Recorded in 1965 during the 'Highway 61 Revisited' sessions, 'Positively 4th Street' never appeared on that album, issued only as a single. The song was seemingly directed at some of Dylan's old friends in New York's Greenwich Village, where Dylan had once lived. A resentful Dylan sang, "I wish that for just one time you could stand inside my shoes/You'd know what a drag it is to see you."
03
'Like a Rolling Stone'
The only single from 'Highway 61 Revisited,' 'Like a Rolling Stone' became one of Dylan's most anthemic songs, thanks to its electric guitars, organs, spirited vocals and lyrics that show off Dylan's trademark storytelling abilities. Even a radio-unfriendly running time of 6:09 couldn't keep it from reaching No. 2 in 1965, tying with 'Rainy Day Women #12 & 35' as the highest-charting song of Dylan's career.
02
'Knockin' on Heaven's Door'
Facing one's mortality has long been a theme in many of Bob Dylan's songs. A great example is 'Knockin' on Heaven's Door,' from the 1973 soundtrack for the film 'Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid.' The song is a perfect fit for the scene in which Slim Pickens' character is shot and prepares to die. Both Eric Clapton and Guns N' Roses recorded notable covers: respectively, a 1975 reggae version (later included on 'Time Pieces: The Best of Eric Clapton') and a hard-rock rendition (found on GN'R's 1992 album 'Use Your Illusion II').
01
'The Times They Are A-Changin''
'The Times They Are A-Changin'' was a message of inspiration and a call to action. The 1964 politically and socially driven track, from the album of the same name, is one of Dylan's most recognizable works and remains one of music's most notable protest songs: "If your time to you/Is worth savin'/Then you better start swimmin'/Or you'll sink like a stone/For the times they are a-changin'."
1. Truly, not a bad top ten of Dylan. Of course, there are so many aspects to Dylan, one could emphasize the social, relationship, or more esoteric sides. But here it's pretty much all captured for the average listener. There might've been one listed from the past three or four albums though. The Times Are A-Changing does represent a moment, a mood, a spirit and has a sound that has the ring of timelessness.
Posted at 10:33AM on Jul 10th 2010 by Shawn