Dylan covers 1: top 100 Dylan cover songs by Moondance 
This chart reveals/uncovers the incredibly rich and diverse realm of Bob Dylan cover songs. One estimate puts the number of Dylan cover songs to be over 105,000; however my own research suggests that the number of verified, publicly available number of Dylan cover songs is closer to 10,000! In any event, to make a chart of my top 100 Dylan cover songs is both hard & easy.
To fully acknowledge and represent this diversity and to cover Dylan's entire 60 year recording career, I set certain parameters:
* Limit any artist to only one cover song;
* Limit any Dylan tribute album to only one cover song ~ Note: the number/diversity of Dylan tribute albums discovered during the making of this chart has amazed me. Despite having listened to over 50 tribute album, including the 30 tribute albums listed in this chart, I have only scratched the surface {elsewhere on the BEA site I am aware of a user who has a 'top 100 chart of 100% Dylan cover albums'; and during my research, I stumbled across a website that listed over 400 albums comprising between 50% - 100% Dylan cover songs};
* For Dylan albums with only a small number of original songs (eg 'Bob Dylan'; 'Greatest Hits Vol II'; 'Self Portrait'; 'Masterpieces'; 'Knocked Out Loaded' etc), this chart includes at least one cover song to showcase those albums;
* For each of the 27 Dylan albums that contain all or mostly original songs, this chart includes between two - four cover songs with the exception of 'Under The Red Sky' ~ for which finding quality cover songs proved a challenge and thus only one cover song is included in this chart;
* In other words, every Dylan album that includes, in part or in full, original songs is referenced in this chart (at last count, that added up to 40 Dylan albums);
* Some songs written/co-written by Dylan but never recorded by Dylan have been included in this chart (eg Clapton, Goffin, O'Keefe);
* Dylan side projects (eg Traveling Wilbury's, movie soundtracks) have also been included in this chart, to give this chart the most comprehensive feel that I could put together.
The order of the chart listing will be chronological - based on the release date of the corresponding contemporaneous studio album or the recording date for those songs that were released much later on compilation albums (Greatest Hits VolII, Masterpieces), the 1975 Basement Tapes or the various Bootleg Series albums.
The only exception to the chronological order is the #1 entry by Linda Mason, which is recognised as the first album to be released that was 100% dedicated to covering the songs of Bob Dylan.
The data in this chart - eg number of times Dylan has performed a particular song in concert is as at June 2023.
- Chart updated: 03/20/2024 10:45
- (Created: 05/22/2022 06:40).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
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Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?: The Hold Steady are an American rock band, originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota ~ a place frequented by a young Dylan, before he moved to New York and began his extraordinary career. The Hold Steady have released 8 studio albums over tyhe period 2004 - 2021.
At CD2, track 8 on the 34 track/2CD soundtrack to the Bob Dylan biopic "I'm Not There", The Hold Steady do a wonderful cover of Dylan's 'Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?'.
The soundtrack is full of exceptional covers of Dylan songs that cover his career from 1963 - 1997; performed by a smorgasbord of exceptional talent ~ and I make special mention of John Doe's interpretation of "Pressing On".
Dylan recorded "Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?" on two separate occasions:
i. 30 July 1965, with backing by Bloomfield, Kooper, Griffin, Gregg & Brooks;
ii. 30 November 1965, with backing by The Band (the known as The Hawks).
Neither versions were included in studio albums at the time, but the latter version was released as a single, with 'Highway 61 Revisited' on the 'b' side ~ the single peaked in early 1966 at #58 (US); #17 (UK); & #23 (Canada). The latter version also circulated on an official bootleg titled "Now Your Mouth Cries Whoops" and was officially (belatedly) released on the 1978 'Masterpieces (album 2, side 1, track 3)'; the 1985 'Biograph' (album 4, side 1, track 1); and the 2015 'The Bootleg Series Vol 12: The Cutting Edge 1965-1966' (CD2, Track 3).
Dylan performed 'Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?' on only one occasion ~ Carnegie Hall, NY on 1 October 1965.
"With his businesslike anger and his bloodhounds that kneel/If he needs a third eye he just grows it" [First added to this chart: 05/24/2022]
At CD2, track 8 on the 34 track/2CD soundtrack to the Bob Dylan biopic "I'm Not There", The Hold Steady do a wonderful cover of Dylan's 'Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?'.
The soundtrack is full of exceptional covers of Dylan songs that cover his career from 1963 - 1997; performed by a smorgasbord of exceptional talent ~ and I make special mention of John Doe's interpretation of "Pressing On".
Dylan recorded "Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?" on two separate occasions:
i. 30 July 1965, with backing by Bloomfield, Kooper, Griffin, Gregg & Brooks;
ii. 30 November 1965, with backing by The Band (the known as The Hawks).
Neither versions were included in studio albums at the time, but the latter version was released as a single, with 'Highway 61 Revisited' on the 'b' side ~ the single peaked in early 1966 at #58 (US); #17 (UK); & #23 (Canada). The latter version also circulated on an official bootleg titled "Now Your Mouth Cries Whoops" and was officially (belatedly) released on the 1978 'Masterpieces (album 2, side 1, track 3)'; the 1985 'Biograph' (album 4, side 1, track 1); and the 2015 'The Bootleg Series Vol 12: The Cutting Edge 1965-1966' (CD2, Track 3).
Dylan performed 'Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?' on only one occasion ~ Carnegie Hall, NY on 1 October 1965.
"With his businesslike anger and his bloodhounds that kneel/If he needs a third eye he just grows it" [First added to this chart: 05/24/2022]
2
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Love Minus Zero/No Limit: Steve Harley is an English singer/songwriter who is best known as the frontman of the rock group Cockney Rebel., with whom he has released 6 studio albums (1973 - 1976 & 2005). Steve's solo career, which spans 1978 - 2020, has produced a further 6 studio albums.
At track 7, on his fourth solo studio album, Steve Harley does a very delicate ~ violin inspired ~ version of Dylan's 'Love Minus Zero/No Limit'.
Dylan recorded 'Love Minus Zero/No Limit' on 15 January 1965 with session musicians including Bruce Langhorne, John Hammond Jr, William E Lee & Bobby Gregg. The song was released nine weeks later (side 1, track 4) on his March 1965 'Bringing It All Back Home' album ~ his 5th studio album, featuring (for the first time) an 'electric' side 1 & 'mostly acoustic' side 2. The album reached #1 in the UK and #6 in the US.
Dylan included the song, for the first time, in his live performance at Troy Armory, Troy, NY on 12 February 1965; and for the final time at 1st Bank Center, Broomfield, CO on 30 October 2012. Dylan has performed the song over 370 times, ranking it in the top 50 live performance songs.
"My love, she's like some raven/At my window with a broken wing" [First added to this chart: 05/25/2022]
At track 7, on his fourth solo studio album, Steve Harley does a very delicate ~ violin inspired ~ version of Dylan's 'Love Minus Zero/No Limit'.
Dylan recorded 'Love Minus Zero/No Limit' on 15 January 1965 with session musicians including Bruce Langhorne, John Hammond Jr, William E Lee & Bobby Gregg. The song was released nine weeks later (side 1, track 4) on his March 1965 'Bringing It All Back Home' album ~ his 5th studio album, featuring (for the first time) an 'electric' side 1 & 'mostly acoustic' side 2. The album reached #1 in the UK and #6 in the US.
Dylan included the song, for the first time, in his live performance at Troy Armory, Troy, NY on 12 February 1965; and for the final time at 1st Bank Center, Broomfield, CO on 30 October 2012. Dylan has performed the song over 370 times, ranking it in the top 50 live performance songs.
"My love, she's like some raven/At my window with a broken wing" [First added to this chart: 05/25/2022]
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Mr Tambourine Man: in my opinion, the Byrds version of Mr Tambourine Man, is the iconic Dylan cover (much like The Animals version of the traditional song 'House of the Rising Sun' became the iconic version ~ note: Dylan also did a cover of 'House of the Rising Sun' on his debut 1962 self titled album ~). The vocals on the Byrds version team up Jim (Roger) McGuinn & David Crosby (later of CSN&Y fame).
What is most fascinating about The Byrds version is that they take Dylan's 5m30s, 5 chorus/4 verse original and convert it into a 2m30s, 2 chorus/1 verse cover (only verse 2 was used) and this hyper radio-friendly version, released as a single, reached #1 in both the UK & US in April 1965. The Byrds debut album of the same name, which opened with the title song, peaked at #6 (US) & #7 (UK); which shows the commercial power of Dylan's songs when placed in the right hands. It is widely recognised that The Byrds cover version of 'Mr Tambourine Man' announced the beginning of a new music genre known as 'folk rock'
Dylan recorded 'Mr Tambourine Man' on 15 January 1965 and it was released (side 2, track 1) on his March 1965 "Bringing It All Back Home" album.
Dylan's earliest public performance of Mr Tambourine Man was at the Royal Festival Hall, London on 17 May 1964. Dylan played 'Mr Tambourine Man' at most of his major concerts up to the end of the Rolling Thunder Review series in December 1978. Between the August 1965 release of 'Highway 61 Revisited' and his hibernation in Woodstock around mid 1966, Dylan performed his concerts in two parts ~ the first half was devoted to acoustic/solo Dylan and the second half devoted to electric Dylan, backed by the Hawks (subsequently The Band). Dylan chose 'Mr Tambourine Man' as his preferred song to close out the acoustic first half.
'Mr Tambourine Man' also featured in Dylan's 'Concert for Bangla Desh' performance. The last time the song was performed in concert was on 28 June 2010 at Theatre Jean-Deschamps, Carcassonne, France.
Dylan has performed 'Mr Tambourine Man' over 930 times in concert - ranking it as the 12th most performed song in concert.
'Let me forget about today until tomorrow' [First added to this chart: 05/22/2022]
What is most fascinating about The Byrds version is that they take Dylan's 5m30s, 5 chorus/4 verse original and convert it into a 2m30s, 2 chorus/1 verse cover (only verse 2 was used) and this hyper radio-friendly version, released as a single, reached #1 in both the UK & US in April 1965. The Byrds debut album of the same name, which opened with the title song, peaked at #6 (US) & #7 (UK); which shows the commercial power of Dylan's songs when placed in the right hands. It is widely recognised that The Byrds cover version of 'Mr Tambourine Man' announced the beginning of a new music genre known as 'folk rock'
Dylan recorded 'Mr Tambourine Man' on 15 January 1965 and it was released (side 2, track 1) on his March 1965 "Bringing It All Back Home" album.
Dylan's earliest public performance of Mr Tambourine Man was at the Royal Festival Hall, London on 17 May 1964. Dylan played 'Mr Tambourine Man' at most of his major concerts up to the end of the Rolling Thunder Review series in December 1978. Between the August 1965 release of 'Highway 61 Revisited' and his hibernation in Woodstock around mid 1966, Dylan performed his concerts in two parts ~ the first half was devoted to acoustic/solo Dylan and the second half devoted to electric Dylan, backed by the Hawks (subsequently The Band). Dylan chose 'Mr Tambourine Man' as his preferred song to close out the acoustic first half.
'Mr Tambourine Man' also featured in Dylan's 'Concert for Bangla Desh' performance. The last time the song was performed in concert was on 28 June 2010 at Theatre Jean-Deschamps, Carcassonne, France.
Dylan has performed 'Mr Tambourine Man' over 930 times in concert - ranking it as the 12th most performed song in concert.
'Let me forget about today until tomorrow' [First added to this chart: 05/22/2022]
Year of Release:
1965
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,754
Rank in 1965:
Rank in 1960s:
Overall Rank:
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It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding): Hamell On Trial is an American punk rock & spoken word musician with 16 studio albums to his credit, released between 1989 - 2020. Hamell does a most remarkable version of Dylan's classic "It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)" ~ comprising, 15 verses + 5 sub verses) ~ to open the second in a series of compilation albums dedicated solely to the songs of Bob Dylan, issued free with the June 2002 edition of UK's Uncut magazine. Volume One of the series was also issued with this edition of Uncut and will referenced in a subsequent Dylan covers chart - part 2.
Dylan recorded 'It's Alright , Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) on 15 January 1965 and it was released (side 2, track 3) on his March 1965 'Bringing It All Back Home' album.
Dylan performed 'It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)' for the first time at Ann Arbor High School, Ann Arbor, MI on 19 September 1964. The song was then performed at Dylan's major concerts from October 1964 (Town Hall, Philadelphia) to May 1965 (Royal Albert Hall, London), before it made a regular reappearance during the 1974 Tour of America with The Band - kicking off at Chicago Stadium on 3 January. The final performance of the song was on 12 October 2013 at Stockholm Waterfront, Stockholm, Sweden.
Dylan has performed 'It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)' on over 730 occasions, making it his 21st most performed song in concert.
"And if my thought-dreams could be seen/They'd probably put my head in a guillotine/But it's alright, Ma/Its life, and life only" [First added to this chart: 06/03/2022]
Dylan recorded 'It's Alright , Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) on 15 January 1965 and it was released (side 2, track 3) on his March 1965 'Bringing It All Back Home' album.
Dylan performed 'It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)' for the first time at Ann Arbor High School, Ann Arbor, MI on 19 September 1964. The song was then performed at Dylan's major concerts from October 1964 (Town Hall, Philadelphia) to May 1965 (Royal Albert Hall, London), before it made a regular reappearance during the 1974 Tour of America with The Band - kicking off at Chicago Stadium on 3 January. The final performance of the song was on 12 October 2013 at Stockholm Waterfront, Stockholm, Sweden.
Dylan has performed 'It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)' on over 730 occasions, making it his 21st most performed song in concert.
"And if my thought-dreams could be seen/They'd probably put my head in a guillotine/But it's alright, Ma/Its life, and life only" [First added to this chart: 06/03/2022]
Year of Release:
2002
Appears in:
Rank in 2002:
None
Rank in 2000s:
None
Average Rating:
Comments:
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It's All Over Now, Baby Blue: Graham Bonnet is an English rock singer with some 30 solo/band albums to his credit, released between 1970 - 2022. On his debut solo album, Bonnet opens up with a powerful interpretation of Dylan's 'It's All Over Now Baby Blue'. The single of the song made an impact on the Australian & New Zealand charts in 1977, peaking at #3.
Dylan recorded 'It's All Over Now, Baby Blue on 15 January 1965 and it was released (side 2, track 4) on his March 1965 "Bringing It All Back Home" album.
The first known performance by Dylan of "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" is on the Les Crane show, broadcast live on WABC TV on 17 February 1965. Following the release of 'Bringing It All Back Home', Dylan performed the song, always as the last song in the concert (as if to make a point about the transition from acoustic folk to electric rock) ~ beginning with the Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica on 27 March 1965 until he retreated into Woodstock around mid 1966. The final performance of the song was on 23 October 2019 at Stephens Auditorium, Ames, IA.
Dylan has performed 'It's All Over Now, Baby Blue' over 570 times ~ making it the 29th most performed song in concert.
"You must leave now, take what you need, you think will last" [First added to this chart: 05/22/2022]
Dylan recorded 'It's All Over Now, Baby Blue on 15 January 1965 and it was released (side 2, track 4) on his March 1965 "Bringing It All Back Home" album.
The first known performance by Dylan of "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" is on the Les Crane show, broadcast live on WABC TV on 17 February 1965. Following the release of 'Bringing It All Back Home', Dylan performed the song, always as the last song in the concert (as if to make a point about the transition from acoustic folk to electric rock) ~ beginning with the Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica on 27 March 1965 until he retreated into Woodstock around mid 1966. The final performance of the song was on 23 October 2019 at Stephens Auditorium, Ames, IA.
Dylan has performed 'It's All Over Now, Baby Blue' over 570 times ~ making it the 29th most performed song in concert.
"You must leave now, take what you need, you think will last" [First added to this chart: 05/22/2022]
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Positively 4th Street: Johnny Rivers is an American singer/songwriter, primarily from the 60's & 70's, with 20 studio albums to his credit. His best known album, 'Realizations', peaked at #5 in the US charts.
In "Chronicles Volume 1, pp60-61", Dylan writes: "Of all the versions of my recorded songs, the Johnny Rivers one was my favourite. When I listened to Johnny's version of 'Positively 4th Street', I liked his version better than mine. I listened to it over and over again".
On this 10 track album, featuring 3 originals and 7 covers (including classics like Hey Joe & Whiter Shade of Pale), Johnny brings the album (side 2, track 5) to a close with his own take of 'Positively 4th Street'. Dylan further writes that Johnny's version had "the attitude and melodic sense to complete and surpass even the feeling that I had put into it". Fine praise indeed.
Dylan recorded "Positively 4th Street" on 29 July 1965 and it was released as a single on 7 September 1965 ~ peaking at #1 (Canada); #7 (US) & #8 (UK).
The song was not included on any contemporaneous studio album but found its way onto Dylan's March 1967 "Greatest Hits" album as well as several subsequent compilation albums. The inclusion of 'Positively 4th Street' on Dylan's debut 'greatest hits' compilation as the only non-album track indicates the esteem which Dylan placed on the song, at that stage of his life/career.
Dylan first performed 'Positively Fourth Street', at Carnegie Hall, NY on 1 October 1965 and for the final time at Atlantico Live, Rome on 7 November 2013.
Overall, Dylan performed 'Positively Fourth Street' on 370 occasions, including the Sydney Entertainment Centre concert on 11 February 1986, when it happened to be the opening song ~ a concert where I was in the audience.
"You just want to be on the side that's winning". [First added to this chart: 06/15/2022]
In "Chronicles Volume 1, pp60-61", Dylan writes: "Of all the versions of my recorded songs, the Johnny Rivers one was my favourite. When I listened to Johnny's version of 'Positively 4th Street', I liked his version better than mine. I listened to it over and over again".
On this 10 track album, featuring 3 originals and 7 covers (including classics like Hey Joe & Whiter Shade of Pale), Johnny brings the album (side 2, track 5) to a close with his own take of 'Positively 4th Street'. Dylan further writes that Johnny's version had "the attitude and melodic sense to complete and surpass even the feeling that I had put into it". Fine praise indeed.
Dylan recorded "Positively 4th Street" on 29 July 1965 and it was released as a single on 7 September 1965 ~ peaking at #1 (Canada); #7 (US) & #8 (UK).
The song was not included on any contemporaneous studio album but found its way onto Dylan's March 1967 "Greatest Hits" album as well as several subsequent compilation albums. The inclusion of 'Positively 4th Street' on Dylan's debut 'greatest hits' compilation as the only non-album track indicates the esteem which Dylan placed on the song, at that stage of his life/career.
Dylan first performed 'Positively Fourth Street', at Carnegie Hall, NY on 1 October 1965 and for the final time at Atlantico Live, Rome on 7 November 2013.
Overall, Dylan performed 'Positively Fourth Street' on 370 occasions, including the Sydney Entertainment Centre concert on 11 February 1986, when it happened to be the opening song ~ a concert where I was in the audience.
"You just want to be on the side that's winning". [First added to this chart: 06/15/2022]
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It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry: Although the album is credited to Bloomfield, Kooper & Stills, the story goes that Kooper booked a studio for 2 days and Bloomfield joined him for day 1 & then left town. Kooper then hurriedly invited Stills to join him for day 2 of recordings. In was on day 2 that Kooper & Stills recorded a high energy cover of Dylan's 'It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry', which is on side 2, track 1 of the album.
Dylan recorded 'It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train to Cry' on 29 July 1965 backed by Bloomfield (guitar) & Kooper (organ) along with a few others. The song was released (side 1, track 3) one month later on Dylan's August 1965 'Highway 61 Revisited' ~ his 6th studio album, where he was backed with rock musicians on every track apart from the 'acoustic' final track - 'Desolation Row'. The album peaked at #3 (US) and #4 (UK) and in 2002 was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Dylan first performed 'It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry' at the Newport Folk Festival on 25 July 1965 (4 days prior to the release of the album), with backing by Bloomfield (guitar) & Kooper (organ). The song's next public appearance was at The Concert for Bangla Desh at Madison Square Gardens on 1 August 1971 (afternoon & evening concerts).
Dylan has performed 'It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train to Cry' over 250 times, with its last performance on 3 November 2021 at the Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL.
As a side note: American rock band Little Feat have performed 'It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train to Cry' more than Dylan himself - clocking in 415 'live' performances between 30 May 1999 - 4 January 2009.
'Well, I wanna be your lover, baby/I don't wanna be your boss' [First added to this chart: 05/23/2022]
Dylan recorded 'It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train to Cry' on 29 July 1965 backed by Bloomfield (guitar) & Kooper (organ) along with a few others. The song was released (side 1, track 3) one month later on Dylan's August 1965 'Highway 61 Revisited' ~ his 6th studio album, where he was backed with rock musicians on every track apart from the 'acoustic' final track - 'Desolation Row'. The album peaked at #3 (US) and #4 (UK) and in 2002 was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Dylan first performed 'It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry' at the Newport Folk Festival on 25 July 1965 (4 days prior to the release of the album), with backing by Bloomfield (guitar) & Kooper (organ). The song's next public appearance was at The Concert for Bangla Desh at Madison Square Gardens on 1 August 1971 (afternoon & evening concerts).
Dylan has performed 'It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train to Cry' over 250 times, with its last performance on 3 November 2021 at the Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL.
As a side note: American rock band Little Feat have performed 'It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train to Cry' more than Dylan himself - clocking in 415 'live' performances between 30 May 1999 - 4 January 2009.
'Well, I wanna be your lover, baby/I don't wanna be your boss' [First added to this chart: 05/23/2022]
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Ballad Of A Thin Man: The Sports, a well known Australian band of the late 70's, do an interesting and engaging take on 'Ballad Of A Thin Man'. The extended EP opens with a Donovan song, then follows 'Ballad Of A Thin Man'; then 3 further Dylan songs (including the unlikely 'All The Tired Horses' - released on the 'Self Portrait album). This recording is one of Stephen Cummings' last vocal performances with The Sports before the band split and Stephen began his own illustrious solo career.
Dylan recorded 'Ballad Of A Thin Man' on 2 August 1965 and it was released (side 1, track 5) 28 days later on his August 1965 "Highway 61 Revisited" album.
Dylan first performed 'Ballad Of A Thin Man' at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, Queens, NY on 28 August 1965 (two days before the release of the album) and its final performance was at The Anthem, Washington, DC on 8 December 2019.
Dylan has performed 'Ballad Of A Thin Man' on over 1300 occasions ~ making it the 6th most performed song from Dylan's vast anthology.
"Because something is happening here/but you don't know what it is" [First added to this chart: 05/30/2022]
Dylan recorded 'Ballad Of A Thin Man' on 2 August 1965 and it was released (side 1, track 5) 28 days later on his August 1965 "Highway 61 Revisited" album.
Dylan first performed 'Ballad Of A Thin Man' at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, Queens, NY on 28 August 1965 (two days before the release of the album) and its final performance was at The Anthem, Washington, DC on 8 December 2019.
Dylan has performed 'Ballad Of A Thin Man' on over 1300 occasions ~ making it the 6th most performed song from Dylan's vast anthology.
"Because something is happening here/but you don't know what it is" [First added to this chart: 05/30/2022]
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank in 1981:
None
Rank in 1980s:
None
Average Rating:
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Highway 61 Revisited: Johnny Winter is a distinguished singer/guitarist with close to 20 studio albums released between 1968 and 2014. Johnny passed away on 16 July 2014, aged 70. At side 2, track 4 of his third studio album ('Second Winter' - which happened to be a 3 sided LP, with the 4th side blank) Johnny does a signature version of Dylan's 'Highway 61 Revisited' ~ a song he 'owned' and played over 300 times at his live concerts. Johnny's version at Dylan's 30th Anniversary Concert (CD1, track 11) ~ Madison Square Gardens, NY on 16 October 1992 ~ is a classic and a highlight among a score of highlights.
Dylan recorded 'Highway 61 Revisited' on 2 August 1965 (with full backing band and Al Kooper on police car siren whistle) and it was released (side 2, track 2) 28 days later on his 30 August 1965 'Highway 61 Revisited' album.
Dylan performed 'Highway 61 Revisited' for the first time at the Isle Of Wight on 31 August 1969. Apart from the 1974 US tour with The Band, the song remained off set list until May 1984 ~ and since then it has been a staple of Dylan concerts, clocking up over 2060 performances ~ the 2nd highest played song in Dylan's career. The song was last performed on 8 December 2019 at The Anthem, Washington, DC ~ where a number of Dylan 'classics' were given an indefinite hiatus as Dylan prepared for the recording (January - February 2020) & release (June 2020) of 'Rough & Rowdy Ways' and subsequently launched his 2021-22 'Rough & Rowdy Ways' tour.
Note: Highway 61 starts in Duluth, Minnesota ~ the place Dylan called 'home' during the 40's/50's of his childhood & youth.
'Oh God said to Abraham 'kill me a son'/Abe says 'Man, you must be puttin' me on' [First added to this chart: 05/26/2022]
Dylan recorded 'Highway 61 Revisited' on 2 August 1965 (with full backing band and Al Kooper on police car siren whistle) and it was released (side 2, track 2) 28 days later on his 30 August 1965 'Highway 61 Revisited' album.
Dylan performed 'Highway 61 Revisited' for the first time at the Isle Of Wight on 31 August 1969. Apart from the 1974 US tour with The Band, the song remained off set list until May 1984 ~ and since then it has been a staple of Dylan concerts, clocking up over 2060 performances ~ the 2nd highest played song in Dylan's career. The song was last performed on 8 December 2019 at The Anthem, Washington, DC ~ where a number of Dylan 'classics' were given an indefinite hiatus as Dylan prepared for the recording (January - February 2020) & release (June 2020) of 'Rough & Rowdy Ways' and subsequently launched his 2021-22 'Rough & Rowdy Ways' tour.
Note: Highway 61 starts in Duluth, Minnesota ~ the place Dylan called 'home' during the 40's/50's of his childhood & youth.
'Oh God said to Abraham 'kill me a son'/Abe says 'Man, you must be puttin' me on' [First added to this chart: 05/26/2022]
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Desolation Row: Chris Smithers is one of those largely unknown American folk/blues songwriting troubadours who has been putting out reasonable recordings for the past 50 years ~ in fact, 18 studio albums between 1970 - 2020. At track 6 on his 10th studio album 'Train Home', Chris does an excellent cover of Dylan's 'Desolation Row' - with Bonnie Raitt providing sliding guitar and back up vocals. Chris converts Dylan's 11m 21s, 10 verse (120 line), epic into 7m 10s, 5 verses; although the 5 verses chosen by Chris are quite unorthodox. He begins with verse 1, then moves to verse 5, then a hybrid of verse 4 lines 1-4/verse 2 lines 5-8/verse 6 lines 9-12, then a hybrid of verse 2 lines 1-4/verse 4 lines 5-8/verse 2 lines 9-12, before ending with verse 10.
Dylan recorded 'Desolation Row' on 4 August 1965 and it was released 26 days later as the final track (side 2, track 4) of his August 1965 'Highway 61 Revisited' album. This 11 minute epic, is the only song on the album to be recorded with acoustic guitar only.
Dylan performed 'Desolation Row' for the first time at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, Queens, NY, two days before the release of the album (ie 28 August 1965) and remained on the set list until Dylan's temporary retreat from public life in mid 1966. Over his career, Dylan has performed the song over 620 times up ~ making it his 23rd most performed song ~ and it was last played on 26 August 2018 at Spark Arena, Auckland, NZ.
"And though her eyes are fixed upon Noah's great rainbow/She spends her time peeking into into Desolation Row" [First added to this chart: 05/27/2022]
Dylan recorded 'Desolation Row' on 4 August 1965 and it was released 26 days later as the final track (side 2, track 4) of his August 1965 'Highway 61 Revisited' album. This 11 minute epic, is the only song on the album to be recorded with acoustic guitar only.
Dylan performed 'Desolation Row' for the first time at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, Queens, NY, two days before the release of the album (ie 28 August 1965) and remained on the set list until Dylan's temporary retreat from public life in mid 1966. Over his career, Dylan has performed the song over 620 times up ~ making it his 23rd most performed song ~ and it was last played on 26 August 2018 at Spark Arena, Auckland, NZ.
"And though her eyes are fixed upon Noah's great rainbow/She spends her time peeking into into Desolation Row" [First added to this chart: 05/27/2022]
Year of Release:
2003
Appears in:
Rank in 2003:
None
Rank in 2000s:
None
Average Rating:
Comments:
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Dylan covers 1: top 100 Dylan cover songs composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
|
| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1960s | 15 | 15% | |
| 1970s | 14 | 14% | |
| 1980s | 4 | 4% | |
| 1990s | 14 | 14% | |
| 2000s | 28 | 28% | |
| 2010s | 14 | 14% | |
| 2020s | 11 | 11% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
 |
|
|
| Various Artists | 9 | 9% | |
| Bryan Ferry | 1 | 1% | |
| Bobby Vee | 1 | 1% | |
| Carrie Myers + The Proper Way | 1 | 1% | |
| Steve Harley | 1 | 1% | |
| Dave Van Ronk | 1 | 1% | |
| Bettye LaVette | 1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
50 | 50% | |
 |
24 | 24% | |
 |
10 | 10% | |
| |
7 | 7% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
Dylan covers 1: top 100 Dylan cover songs chart changes
| New entries |
|---|
 The Adobe Sessionsby Bobby Vee |
| Leavers |
|---|
 The Hills Of Indianaby Lonnie Mack |
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Dylan covers 1: top 100 Dylan cover songs similarity to your chart(s)
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Dylan covers 1: top 100 Dylan cover songs ratings
89/100 (from 3 votes)
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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 3 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 100/100  | 08/14/2022 01:46 |  sssvnnn | | 83/100 |
| 95/100 | 05/31/2022 22:13 | arnellarsen | | 92/100 |
| 100/100 | 05/24/2022 10:30 | mikepen | | 93/100 |
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100/100
From mikepen 05/24/2022 10:31
Superb!
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