Bob Dylan: Albums ranked.
by garycottier 
- Chart updated: 11/29/2017 19:24
- (Created: 07/16/2016 16:06).
- Chart size: 37 albums.
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Blonde on blonde, sees Bob Dylan at the peak of his many powers. It may not be as important as, The freewheelin' Bob Dylan, as significant as, Bringing it all back home, or as influential as, Highway 61 revisited, but as far as i'm concerned, it's his greatest achievement. One of the first double album's released(The mothers of invention's, Freak out!, preceded it), it's a wonderful collection of brilliantly inventive songs. Dylan said these recordings were the closest he ever got to replicating the sound in his head in the studio, that 'thin wild mercury sound' he called it. There are so many highlights here, from the brass band blues of opener, Rainy day women nos:12-35, to the stunning, Visions of Johanna, from the lovely, I want you, to the excellent, Stuck inside of mobile with the Memphis blues again. Personal favourites are the driving, Absolutely sweet Marie, the gorgeous, Just like a woman, and the epic closing track, Sad eyed lady of the lowlands. It's no exaggeration to claim, Blonde on blonde, as not only a timeless masterpiece but my all time personal favourite Dylan album. Absolute genius.
Favourite three tracks:Just like a woman; Absolutely sweet Marie; Sad eyed lady of the lowlands. [First added to this chart: 07/16/2016]
Favourite three tracks:Just like a woman; Absolutely sweet Marie; Sad eyed lady of the lowlands. [First added to this chart: 07/16/2016]
Year of Release:
1966
Appears in:
Rank Score:
25,001
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Time out of mind, was Dylan's first album of originals for seven years, so in some ways it can be seen as a comeback album, and what a comeback! Time out of mind, is probably Dylan's best album since, Blood on the tracks, more than twenty years earlier. One of the reasons for the album's success is the return of Daniel Lanois as producer who was at the helm for Dylan's best album of the eighties, Oh mercy, and like that superb album Lanois gives Dylan's songs room to live and breathe. And that's the other factor in the record's success, Dylan's songwriting. Dylan sounds inspired again, recharged and with something to say. Recent health scares had forced Dylan to question his mortality and death is a recurring theme here. One of the first thing's you notice about this album is Dylan's voice, it's shot beyond repair, but it suits the material perfectly. As far as the songs themselves are concerned there is some great stuff here, from the atmospheric and brooding opener, Love sick, to the death anthem, Not dark yet, a kind of companion piece to, Knockin' on heaven's door. Other standouts include the metallic blues of, Cold irons bound, the lovely ballad, Make you feel my love, and the epic closing track, the darkly humorous, Highlands. Time out of mind, is a great album, it's dark, sad and extremely funny and is the perfect example of a great artist firing on all cylinders again.
Favourite three tracks:Love sick; Not dark yet; Cold irons bound. [First added to this chart: 07/16/2016]
Favourite three tracks:Love sick; Not dark yet; Cold irons bound. [First added to this chart: 07/16/2016]
Year of Release:
1997
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,344
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Whether this is your favourite Dylan album or not, is beside the point, the fact is that, Highway 61 revisited, is Bob Dylan's most important, most significant and most influential LP. It's the ultimate singer/songwriteralbum. It's also Dylan's first all electric record. Kicking off with probably Dylan's most iconic song, Like a rolling stone, is six minutes of absolute genius and one of the greatest songs ever written. Tombstone blues, follows, a scorcher of a song, energetic, gritty and completely absorbing, it's Dylan at his fiery best. Other highlights include the vitriolic, Ballad of a thin man, the blistering title track and the epic closing cut, Desolation row. If Dylan had never made another record after this he would still be regarded as the most important songwriter in the history of rock. Highway 61 revisited, is an essential album, anyone who wants to know how great rock'n'roll can be, then this album is a must. Raw, ballsy and brilliant, it's without doubt one of the top three albums of all time.
Favourite three tracks:Like a rolling stone; Tombstone blues; Highway 61 revisited. [First added to this chart: 07/16/2016]
Favourite three tracks:Like a rolling stone; Tombstone blues; Highway 61 revisited. [First added to this chart: 07/16/2016]
Year of Release:
1965
Appears in:
Rank Score:
27,330
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Bringing it all back home, is one of Dylan's, maybe even his most important album. It literally is a record of two halves, part acoustic, part electric. The album kicks off with the electric side, which is the wrong way round as far as i'm concerned. Still, it opens with one Dylan's most iconic tracks. Subterranean homesick blues, is a brilliantly witty and stinging piece of poetry, basically a rap of wonderful imagery. Other highlights on side one are the lovely, She belongs to me, the scorching, Maggie's farm, and the beautiful, Love minus zero/No limit. The final three cuts on side one are okay, but they are the album's only expendable tracks. The second side is stunning. Although musically they are all acoustic and similar to what he had done before, lyrically Dylan has made an incredible leap forward. There's the brilliant, Mr. Tambourine man, the eerie, Gates of Eden, and Dylan's wonderful farewell to acoustic/protest music, It's all over now, baby blue. The best track though, and my all time favourite Dylan song, is, It's alright ma, I'm only bleeding, an absolutely stunning achievement, nothing like it had ever been heard before, it's a true masterpiece. Bringing it all back home, is a great album, but amazingly, the next two records that Dylan would make would be even better.
Favourite three tracks:It's alright,ma(I'm only bleeding); Love minus Zero/no limit; Subterranean homesick blues. [First added to this chart: 07/16/2016]
Favourite three tracks:It's alright,ma(I'm only bleeding); Love minus Zero/no limit; Subterranean homesick blues. [First added to this chart: 07/16/2016]
Year of Release:
1965
Appears in:
Rank Score:
11,840
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Dylan's classic heartbreaker. Blood on the tracks, is the first great Dylan album for almost a decade and predominately an account of Dylan's deteriorating relationship with his wife Sara. Musically and lyrically he's at the top of his game again. Opening with arguably Dylan's greatest song of the seventies, Tangled up in blue, is grade A Dylan, a superbly written and brilliantly executed masterpiece, easily in Dylan's all time top ten. Other standouts include, the lovely, If you see her, say hello, the wonderful, You're gonna make me lonesome when you go, and my personal favourite on the album, the stinging, Idiot wind. Also on a personal level I do find, Rosemary, Lily, and the Jack of hearts, overlong, and, Shelter from the storm, a little bit boring. Still, Blood on the tracks, is easily Dylan's best of the decade and a superb example of an artist truly inspired and once again reaching those incredible highs of the mid-sixties. Great record.
Favourite three tracks:Idiot wind; Tangled up in blue; If you see her, say hello. [First added to this chart: 07/16/2016]
Favourite three tracks:Idiot wind; Tangled up in blue; If you see her, say hello. [First added to this chart: 07/16/2016]
Year of Release:
1975
Appears in:
Rank Score:
20,864
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Dylan's brilliant follow up to his 'comeback' masterpiece, Time out of mind. "Love and theft", sounds like Dylan is firmly back in the groove, inspired, confident, and he sounds like he's genuinely enjoying himself making music again. At least half the tracks are based firmly in the blues, but he's also started to write in a kind of jazz/pop style which he would continue to do on his next record. There are plenty of highlights on, Love and theft, including the superb, High water, the enjoyable, Floater, and the excellent, Po' boy. Best of all though is, Mississippi. Recorded at the, Time out of mind, sessions, and quite rightly held back for this record, it's one of Dylan's 'latter day' classics, a great track, and the album's standout moment. Unlike the major disappointment of, Under the red sky, in 1990, following the previous years triumphant, Oh mercy, Love and theft, proved that, Time out of mind, thankfully wasn't a one off. Bob was rolling again.
Favourite three tracks:Mississippi; Floater; High water. [First added to this chart: 07/16/2016]
Favourite three tracks:Mississippi; Floater; High water. [First added to this chart: 07/16/2016]
Year of Release:
2001
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,528
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The jump taken by Bob Dylan on this, his second LP, from his first self titled debut is as revolutionary as any of Dylan's leaps forward would be. Here, on, The freewheelin',is Bob Dylan's first record of all self penned compositions, and is his first major artistic statement. Ranging from ballads to protest numbers, from talking blues to rockers, it's an extraordinary album from someone who was still only twenty-one years old. There are four out and out Dylan classics here including the beautiful, Blowin' in the wind, the scathing, Masters of war, the cryptic apocalyptic imagery of, A hard rain's-a-gonna falll, and the sublime, Don't think twice, it's alright. They are still considered four of Dylan's most important songs more than fifty years later. Elsewhere, there's the humourus, Talkin' world war three blues, the lovely, Girl from the North country, and, Corinna, Corrina, which features, heaven forbid, a full band backing, although it's minimal and discreet enough not to damage the album's overall sonic vibe. If Dylan had only released this record he would probably still be remembered now, as it is this was only the start of an incomparable career which would take many twists and turns but the heart of Dylan's music would always wind back to this excellent album.
Favourite three tracks:Blowin' in the wind; Don't think twice,it's alright; A hard rains-a-gonna fall. [First added to this chart: 07/16/2016]
Favourite three tracks:Blowin' in the wind; Don't think twice,it's alright; A hard rains-a-gonna fall. [First added to this chart: 07/16/2016]
Year of Release:
1963
Appears in:
Rank Score:
7,945
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Average Rating:
Comments:
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After a terrible run of appalling albums, Bob Dylan, on a recommendation from U2 frontman Bono turned to the highly regarded producer Daniel Lanois for his next album. Famed for his work with the Irish rock giants and most recently Dylan's ex-bandmate Robbie Robertson, it was an inspired choice. Dylan seems more hungry here and motivated than he had done for years and more importantly this was Dylan's strongest set of songs for well over a decade. The atmospheric soundscapes that are associated with Lanois are evident here but never do they detract from the songs themselves. Political world, kicks the album off with Dylan sounding completely unlike he's ever done before with the production complimenting the songs perfectly. The middle part of the record is the strongest with, Ring them bells, The man in the long dark coat, and especially, Most of the time, brilliant enough to stand alongside Dylan's very best work. The album ends on another high note with the lovely, Shooting star. This looked like the beginning of a new purple patch for Dylan and though unfortunately that wouldn't quite be the case, still, Oh mercy, is one of Dylan's best albums of his whole career and certainly his best effort of the eighties.
Favourite three tracks:Most of the time; Ring them bells; the man in the long black coat. [First added to this chart: 07/16/2016]
Favourite three tracks:Most of the time; Ring them bells; the man in the long black coat. [First added to this chart: 07/16/2016]
Year of Release:
1989
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,293
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Aside from the superb, Oh mercy, in 1989, Dylan's output of album's since the early eighties was, putting it nicely, extremely patchy. It's obvious that Dylan had got lost somewhere along the way in that awkward of all decades for the great sixties artists. Somehow Dylan needed to 'bring it all back home', so he decided he was going to go back to his roots, to the music that inspired him in the first place. Originally to be a full band album these sessions ended up with just Dylan, his acoustic guitar and the trusty old harmonica. Good as I've been to you, is a thirteen track LP of traditional and old folk tunes and it's a fine record. Gritty, raw and earthy it sees Dylan on a mission to get his mojo working again. Great versions of, Hard times, Jim Jones, Canadee-i-o, and tomorrow night, are all spot on and all help to make this a beautiful album, one of Dylan's most enjoyable for years. It may be slightly overlong, but it's one of Dylan's most important records in the second half of his career, and the album that can be seen as the first step on a road that would eventually lead him into making his great 'comeback' in 1997 with, Time out of mind.
Favourite three tracks:Frankie & Albert; Hard times; Tomorrow night. [First added to this chart: 07/16/2016]
Favourite three tracks:Frankie & Albert; Hard times; Tomorrow night. [First added to this chart: 07/16/2016]
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Desire, is another excellent album from Dylan following hot on the heels of the magnificent, Blood on the tracks. While, Blood on the tracks, was a lovely acoustic based album, Desire, is musically a much more atmospheric affair. As for the songs themselves most were co-written with Jacques Levy while the music itself is beautifully complemented by Emmylou Harris's sublime backing vocals and Scarlet Rivera's wonderful violin which dominates the musical side of the songs for most of the album. The most famous song on the album is the protest number, Hurricane, that while being an overly romanticized and biased version of events is still a powerful and enjoyable opener. Other highlights include the cryptic, Isis, the gypsy folk of, One more cup of coffee, and the short and sweet, Mozambique. The only dud on the album is the overlong, Joey, which is not only a dubious glorification of a murderous gangster but is also incredibly boring. Aside from that though, Desire, is a fine album and should just about be in everyone's Dylan top ten.
Favourite three tracks:Hurricane; one more cup of coffee; Mozambique. [First added to this chart: 07/16/2016]
Favourite three tracks:Hurricane; one more cup of coffee; Mozambique. [First added to this chart: 07/16/2016]
Year of Release:
1976
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,072
Rank in 1976:
Rank in 1970s:
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Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 37. Page 1 of 4
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Bob Dylan: Albums ranked. composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1960s | 9 | 24% | |
| 1970s | 9 | 24% | |
| 1980s | 7 | 19% | |
| 1990s | 4 | 11% | |
| 2000s | 4 | 11% | |
| 2010s | 4 | 11% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Bob Dylan | 36 | 97% | |
| Bob Dylan & The Band | 1 | 3% |
Bob Dylan: Albums ranked. chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 6 from 30th to 24th Triplicate by Bob Dylan |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 1 from 24th to 25th Infidels by Bob Dylan |
| Down 1 from 25th to 26th Shadows In The Night by Bob Dylan |
| Down 1 from 26th to 27th Shot Of Love by Bob Dylan |
Bob Dylan: Albums ranked. similar charts
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| Top 20 Greatest Music Albums | Darl12Bundren | Overall chart | 2010 | |
Bob Dylan: Albums ranked. similarity to your chart(s)
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Bob Dylan: Albums ranked. ratings
Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AVwhere:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
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N.B. The average rating for this chart will not be reliable as it has been rated very few times.
Showing all 4 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 08/05/2022 10:00 | Moondance | 476 | 85/100 |
| ! | 07/22/2018 12:08 |  Repo | 562 | 100/100 |
| ! | 09/06/2017 02:58 |  Brandon8 | 40 | 88/100 |
| ! | 11/18/2016 11:05 | TheSmiths82-87 | 1,831 | 83/100 |
Bob Dylan: Albums ranked. favourites
Bob Dylan: Albums ranked. comments
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From Moondance 08/05/2022 10:03 | #288133
While we differ widely on our rating of Dylan albums, I really enjoyed your thoughtful comments on each of the albums. I will take exception on who had the first double album in rock/pop history ~ Blonde on Blonde was released one week BEFORE Freak Out!.
Other than that, excellent chart.
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