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.

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The Times They Are A-Changin': The Seekers were Australia's equivalent to Peter, Paul & Mary, releasing 6 studio albums with the original members between 1963 - 1967. Their 4th album, "A World Of Our Own" was recorded at Abbey Road Studios and included 9 cover songs (Dylan, Woody Guthrie, Clancy Brothers, Ian Tyson, Tom Springfield) and 2 originals. On side 1, track 6, there is an upbeat, radio-friendly 2min 32sec version of "The Times They Are-A Changin'".
During the course of preparing this Dylan covers chart, the Seekers' lead singer, Judith Durham passed away ~ 5 August 2022, aged 79.
It is estimated that there are over 430 different cover versions of this song.
Dylan recorded "The Times They Are A-Changin'" on 23 October 1963 and it was released as the opening (and title) track on his January 1964 "The Times They Are A-Changin'" album ~ his 3rd studio album, which peaked at #4 in the UK & # 20 in the US.
Dylan opened all his major US concerts during 1964 and his famous mid 1965 UK concerts (Free Trade Hall & Royal Albert Hall) with this song. He has performed the song almost 600 times, placing it in the top 30 of songs performed in concert. The first performance was at Carnegie Hall, NY on 26 October 1963; and the last performance was at The White House - Celebration of Music from the Civil Rights Movement on 9 February 2010. On 1 February 1964, Dylan recorded footage of 6 songs (including The Times They Are-A Changin') for the CBC TV, Toronto 'Quest' show - which was aired on 10 March 1964.
"And don't criticize what you can't understand"
[First added to this chart: 05/26/2022]
Year of Release:
1965
Appears in:
Rank Score:
29
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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]
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank in 1981:
None
Rank in 1980s:
None
Average Rating:
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This Wheel's On Fire: Flake (an Australian pop rock group of the late 60's-early 70's) do a credible version of "This Wheel's On Fire" (side 1, track 5 of the album) ~ the single reached #20 on the Australian charts and stayed in the top 60 chart for an amazing 22 weeks. The Hollies cover of "This Wheel's On Fire" was one of several fine versions and included on their 1969 Dylan dedication album ~ 'Hollies Sing Dylan'.
Dylan recorded 'This Wheel's On Fire' (co-written with Rick Danko) in The Band's Big Pink basement, in Woodstock NY, between April - October 1967, but not officially released (side 4, track 6) until his June 1975 'The Basement Tapes' as well as the March 1978 'Masterpieces' albums. The Band's version of the song appeared on their July 1968 album , "Music From Big Pink".
Dylan has performed 'This Wheel's On Fire' over 125 times; for the first time (with The Band) on 14 January 1974 at Boston Garden, Boston, MA; and for the final time on 22 July 2012 at La Prairie de Kerampuilh, Carhaix-Plouguer, France.
'But you know that we shall meet again/if your memory serves you well'
[First added to this chart: 07/13/2022]
Year of Release:
1971
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3
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I Shall Be Released: Richard Clapton is an icon of Australian music ~ with a career that began in 1973 and continues to today (2022); and includes 16 studio albums. In 2010, Richard was inducted into the Australian Songwriters Hall of Fame.
On this 12 track celebration of the 'music is love' era, Richard offers seven tracks from the combined & individual efforts of CSN&Y and closes the album with an excellent version of Dylan's 'I Shall Be Released'.
Dylan recorded two versions of 'I Shall Be Released': the first between April-October 1967 during his self imposed exile at Woodstock with The Band; the second on 24 September 1971 at Columbia Studios NY, with Happy Traum providing banjo, bass, guitar and back up vocal. It is this latter version that was released (side 4, track 5) on his November 1971 'Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol II' double album. The 'Woodstock' version was belatedly released (CD2, track 13) on the 3CD 'The Bootleg Series Volumes 1-3 (Rare & Unreleased)' boxset.
Dylan first performed 'I Shall Be Released' in concert at the opening of his Rolling Thunder Review 1 tour ~ War Memorial Auditorium, Plymouth, MA on 30 October 1975 ~ and it remained a set list regular until a final performance on 7 June 2008 at Klub Stadola, Warsaw ~ being performed over 500 times during that period.
'I see my light come shining/from the west unto the east'
[First added to this chart: 07/18/2022]
Year of Release:
2021
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4
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Caribbean Wind: 'The Revelators' were an offshot of the iconic & highly regarded Australian band ~ The Black Sorrows ~ both led by the esteemed Joe Camilleri. As Joe says: "The 'Amazing Stories' album was an opportunity to pay homage to some of the great writers of our time" ~ and they do so on 11 tracks, with track 4 being Dylan's largely unknown 'Caribbean Wind'.
Dylan recorded 'Caribbean Wind' on 7 April 1981 in the lead up to the full recording sessions that would provide the final tracks for his August 1981 'Shot Of Love' album. 'Caribbean Wind' missed the cut for 'Shot Of Love' and was subsequently released on the November 1985 'Biograph' 53 track/5LP box set (side 7, track 4)
The one & only known 'live' performance of Caribbean Wind is at the Fox Warfield Theatre, San Francisco on 12 November 1980 ~ song 16 on the set list, sandwiched between 'Just Like A Woman' and 'In The Garden'.
'Bringing everything that's near to me, nearer to the fire'
[First added to this chart: 05/30/2022]
Year of Release:
1991
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4
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Overall Rank:
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Silvio: Shane was the mainstay of Australian band "Goanna" before pursuing a solo career that continues to this day (circa August 2022). On the final track (song 16) of his 3rd solo studio album 'Time Will Tell' Shane delivers a captivating and spirited version of Silvio that is definitely worthy of inclusion in this chart. As a side note, at track 2 on the same album, Shane does another Dylan cover ~ 'I Shall Be Released'.
'Silvio' was a co-write between Dylan and Robert Hunter (distinguished American song lyricist). Dylan recorded 'Silvio' on 16 June 1987 and it was released as a single in June 1988 (charting at #5 in the US) and as track 7 on his May 1988 "Down In The Groove" album. The album was, IMHO, rightfully panned but I always found Silvio (one of only 4 tracks on the 10 track album to be written/co-written by Dylan) to be a standout.
As a side note, Robert Hunter (the co-writer of Silvio) is best known as being the lyricist for Grateful Dead - in fact, in 1994 he was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame with The Grateful Dead ~ thus having the distinguished title of being the only non-performer to be inducted as a member of a band.
Dylan has played 'Silvio' almost 600 times in concert ~ the first time (to coincide with the released of the single) on 21 June, 1988 at the Blossom Music Centre, Cuyahoga Falls. Ohio. The song continued to be performed over the next 6 years, with the final performance on 16 March 2004 at State Theatre, Detroit, MI.
'One of these days and it won't be long/Going down the valley and sing my song/Gonna sing it loud and sing it strong/Let the echo decide if I was right or wrong'
[First added to this chart: 05/30/2022]
Year of Release:
1994
Appears in:
Rank Score:
0
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I Contain Multitudes: Emma is an Australian singer, now residing in Nashville, Her 8 track "Blonde On The Tracks" tribute album, which reached #9 on the Australian charts, covers Dylan songs from the 60's (3); 70's (4) and the 20's (1). At track 2, Emma does a commendable cover version of Dylan's 'I Contain Multitudes' from his 2020 studio album 'Rough & Rowdy Ways'. This is quite an achievement, given the original song was only released as a single 4 months before Emma's album hit the market.
As a side note, Emma's partner is Robyn Hitchcock who is also featured in this chart at entry #32 for his cover of 'Visions Of Johanna'.
Dylan recorded 'I Contain Multitudes' in January-February 2020 and it was released as the opening track on his June 2020 'Rough & Rowdy Ways' ~ an album that peaked at #1 in the UK and #2 in the US & Australia. The song was also released as a single on 17 April 2020, reaching #5 on the Billboard Rock Digital Song Sales chart.
Dylan has performed 'I Contain Multitudes' 114 times to date during his 'Rough & Rowdy Ways' world tour, beginning with the opening concert of the tour on 2 November 2021 at Riverside Theatre, Milwaukee, WI ~ and concluding (so far) on 20 April 2023 with the final Nagoya, Japan concert.
'Today and tomorrow, and yesterday, too/The flowers are dyin' like all things do'
[First added to this chart: 05/23/2022]
Year of Release:
2020
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5
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Total albums: 7. Page 1 of 1

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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%
Country Albums %


United States 50 50%
United Kingdom 24 24%
Mixed Nationality 10 10%
Australia 7 7%
Canada 3 3%
New Zealand 2 2%
Israel 1 1%
Show all
Compilation? Albums %
No 90 90%
Yes 10 10%
Live? Albums %
No 88 88%
Yes 12 12%
Soundtrack? Albums %
No 98 98%
Yes 2 2%

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1970's: albums 101 - 200 by Moondance (2023)
Dylan albums rated by Moondance (2023)
1980's: albums 101 - 200 by Moondance (2023)
1990's: albums 101 - 200 by Moondance (2023)
1960's: albums 101 - 200 by Moondance (2022)
2000-09: albums 101 - 200 by Moondance (2023)
My top 100 artists/albums: Australia by Moondance (2023)
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My top 100 artists/albums: Canada by Moondance (2023)
My top 100 artists/albums: Ireland by Moondance (2023)
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Dylan Cover 5cb: UK minor/unknown artists by Moondance (2024)

Dylan covers 1: top 100 Dylan cover songs ratings

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89/100 (from 3 votes)
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