Top 10 Best Bob Dylan Songs
Bob Dylan's influence on modern music is undeniable. Over the course of more than six decades, he's shaped not only the sound but the lyrical depth of folk, rock, and countless other genres. From his early days as a voice of protest in the 1960s, writing songs that became anthems of the civil rights and anti-war movements, to his later work exploring love, spirituality, and storytelling, Dylan's songwriting has always stood out for its poetic genius and fearless experimentation.You've likely heard some of his most iconic songs in everything from movie soundtracks to protest marches, but Dylan's catalog is so vast and varied that narrowing down his best work can be a challenge. The beauty of his music is that there's something for everyone: you might love his scathing political critiques, his tender love songs, or his complex narratives that feel like they belong in a great American novel. No two fans are going to agree on the same handful of songs, because his best work hits people in such different ways, depending on the moment in their lives when they first heard it.
This song tops the list of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and the reason is obvious. This song has definitely changed the world and revolutionized the music industry back then.
The melody and lyrics are amazing, and this masterpiece is unforgettable!
Very difficult to choose a favorite Bob Dylan song. Every song I've ever heard from him showcases lyrical prowess. I also really like The Times They Are A-Changin' and Blowin' in the Wind, but the lyrics on this one make me almost cry every time.
Everyone loves at least 50 of Bob Dylan's songs. But there is always one song that actually made him different from other artists, a song that made everyone fall for him.
To pause and realize this is as unreal as something can get. That this guy knows the answers I seek. That he is Bob Dylan, no more, no less. And that song is different for everyone, and therein lies the beauty of him.
For me, it was this song. One of the greatest lyrics, and the vocals just fit perfectly. As a younger self, I used to sing this song in front of the mirror, pretending to be him, in his voice. This song changed me in a way I can't express, but for the better, I know, because I feel.
Amongst several top-notch songs, which may easily run up to 100 or so, Tangled Up in Blue defines Bob Dylan's music for me. The lyrics, his voice, and the way the guitars sound simply elevate this song into the all-time best class.
The next best would be Changing of the Guards.
For me, it was between three choices. I love Desolation Row, and Like a Rolling Stone changed music forever, but Tangled Up in Blue has some of his best lyrics.
In five minutes, he tells arguably his best story, just because it's true.
This song deserves the first spot. It's the best of the story songs, along with Hurricane and Shelter from the Storm. I still think Tangled Up in Blue should be #1, and I don't see why it isn't.
The man who was forgotten among the modern youth, who is fond of listening to and reading obscene and promiscuous amorous poetry and songs that arouse no feelings but two minutes of love and eternal hate, the man who was forgotten has now won the Nobel Prize for Literature. Yes, for literature.
Well, you might say that ending up with the Nobel is not a criterion for judging anyone, yet this time, and many times, this honor goes to real people.
Well, the man is a poet first and a singer later. We can call him a poet-cum-singer. Yes, got an idea... He is Bob Dylan, a 75-year-old man whose songs gave new images and poetical expressions all around the world. You may not feel the same way, but I've got new blood listening to his old rhymes from 1963.
Mr. Tambourine Man is undoubtedly the greatest song by Bob Dylan. Not only does it have perfect harmony, but there is also something enigmatic about the lyrics. Each and every sentence of this masterpiece could mean a thousand different things.
Hardly any other song matches its lyrical diversity. Its meaning changes according to your mood. Listen to it when you are sad, happy, confused, or just stoned. You will always discover something new in it. A timeless classic. It deserves the top spot.
This song is so poetic and beautiful, written by an intelligent mastermind and artist. The melody is enchanting, and the lyrics are beautiful and timeless. This song is the definition of good music.
Too bad that music has become a joke nowadays. I love this song, but to be honest, there really is no greatest Bob Dylan song. All his songs are amazing and deserve to be remembered.
This truly is one of his greatest songs. It just gets me up and dancing, probably my favorite. If you haven't listened to this, you must ASAP!
Incredible! Dylan tells a whole story regardless of whether the words rhyme or not, and yet somehow they do! The violin and harmonica add individuality like nothing else.
Pure magic! What a song. It has a real story, a message, fantastic arrangement, and at over 8 minutes. WOW! A golden period of Bob Dylan.
It just shows the brilliance of Dylan. With any other writer, this would be an easy number one. But here it sits at seven, and it's hard to argue against the six songs ahead of it.
I'm proud to have graduated from the same high school as him (Hibbing, Minn.), although thankfully not in the same year.
This song's the one that has been played around campfires all over the world for over 30 years now... Not "Like a Rolling Stone." Simply a masterpiece.
The most beautiful song of Dylan, in my opinion. Simple but yet so complex! Sends chills down my spine every time I listen to it. A thing of beauty!
How can anyone really judge which Dylan song is #1 when they're nearly all masterpieces, works of a true genius? There's just no one that compares or even comes close. He got that Nobel Prize for a reason, and I say it's about time! Thank you, Mr. Dylan, for so much pleasurable and amazing entertainment!
People underestimate Dylan's original All Along the Watchtower because it's overshadowed by Jimi Hendrix's (amazing) cover. Great song.
I love it. You all will probably hate me for saying this, but I like Dylan's version better than Hendrix's.
Easily the most haunting thing he's ever written (It's Alright Ma comes close). It's equally unnerving yet totally peaceful. Having all these existing characters that are familiar, while giving them a whole new level of depth, and having them all connect to this eternal, make-believe, yet totally believable place.
Desolation Row is a character in itself. I could listen to this song forever, and the words never, ever lose their potency. Dylan was all about lyrics, and these are the most ambitious, odd, beautiful, and uniquely put-together lyrics he ever put to paper, meaning it's the most ambitious, odd, beautiful, and uniquely put-together lyrics anyone has ever put to paper. Only Dylan could have done something of this magnitude.
Honestly, who else could captivate you for 11 minutes with nothing but a guitar and two other musicians? Big shout-out to Charlie McCoy, who played a beautiful Spanish-style lead guitar on this one.
There are other Dylan songs I like listening to more than this one. But when I think about which one is his masterpiece, this is the one I ended up picking.
A 21-year-old white boy from Minnesota wrote this. Think about it. Think about the number of people that age who are this intelligent.
And here is Dylan, writing about his son, his "darlin' young one," roaming a dying Earth. The way Dylan's fictional child describes all he sees, hears, meets, and all the places he's gone is deep and profound. This might be his darkest song, behind Desolation Row, and my personal favorite of his, along with Visions of Johanna (which I think should also be top ten).
The Newcomers
This isn't necessarily my favorite Dylan song. However, it literally puts me into a trance whenever I hear it. It is lyrical perfection. Time stands still.
Dylan sings about a problem many of us men once had... a vision of a woman that is so incredibly amazing that he just can't get her out of his head, no matter how hard he tries.
Haunting imagery and hallucinatory visions. The minimalist backing gives the song a hushed quality that makes it sound even more compelling. Dylan's free-form consciousness is at full flight here, and the song is a brilliant masterpiece. Very possibly Dylan's single finest piece of songwriting.
This song and Like a Rolling Stone are his best. This song really taps into a deep part of my brain.
I dedicated "Death on Two Legs" and this song to the same person. Imagine his reaction. Great song!
Love this song, vicious as Dylan tends to be, but it's a great song.
Great (albeit incomprehensible) lyrics, great instrumentation, and an overall nice groove. In my opinion, this is Bob Dylan's best song, and I always light up whenever it gets to this track on the album.
I memorized the lyrics! I'm so proud. This is Dylan's best, guys. This or maybe Visions of Johanna, Like a Rolling Stone, Tangled Up in Blue.
I love this song so much. It's just amazing.
Perhaps this is the greatest opening line set up for the true meaning of shelter and warmth ever written:
"'Twas in another lifetime, one of toil and blood
When blackness was a virtue and the road was full of mud
I came in from the wilderness, a creature void of form
'Come in,' she said, 'I'll give you shelter from the storm'"
I have always loved this timeless song.
I heard this song in a store at a very low time. It offered me comfort and hope. It turned me into a Dylan fan.
Imagine a place that's always safe and warm. Come in, she said, I'll give you shelter from the storm.
It was the BBC documentary about the 7 Ages of Rock where I heard this song for the first time. I got really caught up in it, and it has remained in my mind forever!
This song shows the true genius of Bob Dylan. There is nothing else like it.
Amazing song. Shows Bob's true writing talent.
It's so hard to pick a favorite Dylan song. While this isn't the first one I listened to, it's the first one that made me realize he was something special. Because of that, it holds a place in my heart as the top one.
"I'm a-thinkin' and a-wond'rin' walkin' way down the road
I once loved a woman, a child I am told
I gave her my heart but she wanted my soul
But don't think twice, it's all right."
The first time I listened to this song, I was watching "Dogfight" and I loved it. Now, every time I listen to this track, I think of River Phoenix and the summer I met God.
"I gave her my heart, but she wanted my soul." I LOVE this line.
Great tune, but awful harmonica playing.
"Lay Lady Lay" was the first song that made me pay attention to Dylan's music. However, I was disappointed when I discovered only two more great songs from his many albums: "Knocking on Heaven's Door" and "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue."
Concerning why he is loved that much, I think it's because of the lyrics he wrote rather than the music he composed. Maybe I'm wrong.
Just the same, I vote for this song as number one. By far, one of the greatest and sexiest songs ever.
Probably one of, if not the, sexiest songs ever made.
"When we meet again, introduced as friends
Please don't let on that you knew me when
I was so hungry - and it was your world..."
I know there's a lot to choose from, but isn't this in the top ten?
My favorite song from the Blonde on Blonde album!
Why are Highway 61 Revisited songs rated so low on this list? People, do you realize that this is probably Dylan's best album, and not only because of Like a Rolling Stone? There are many great songs on this album.
Ever wondered why Rolling Stone put this album at number 3 in their 500 Greatest Albums of All Time?
Such a great song. "You know something is happening, but you don't know what it is." A commentary on the movement of the time and how clueless the masses were.
Mr. Jones! Amazing song, one of his best.
This song has been extremely important to me. It inspired my poem The Social Classes. It explores the way people choose to live their lives and his reaction to their choices.
He distances himself from those who won't break away from the machine that is society, which tries to confine people's thoughts and behavior.
This song is one of the most important influences on my worldview, aside from things that happened to me directly. I also admire Dylan's bravery for addressing the greatest taboo in our society.
The closing line is so powerful it sends chills running up and down my spine.
This has been my favorite Dylan song since I first heard it over 30 years ago. The anger and sorrow are transcendent. Most honest and moving breakup song ever. He even apologized!
Some of the finest lyrics ever written, great music, pure Dylan singing. This song really deserves a better place.
Dylan has written some amazing tunes, but nothing comes close to this.
This song really gives me chills because Dylan sings it so well. Great job with this one.
Many greatly love this song and perhaps may never find their way to this poll.
Probably the most beautiful and emotionally charged song I've ever heard.