80 SONGS FOR BOB DYLAN'S 80th BIRTHDAY
In honor of Bob Dylan who, like Willie and Keith, continues to surpass expectations of creative longevity, I composed a list of my favorite 80 Dylan songs. I’m sure you have others, but may these be an inspiration to listen more to the musical Shakespeare of our time. May they support your creativity and longevity as well.
I’ve included a few links to some of my favorite versions of his songs done by other people.
1. Absolutely Sweet Marie (there’s a great performance of George Harrison doing this.)
2. All Along the Watchtower (of course here is Jimi Hendrix’ version)
3. Ballad of a Thin Man
4. Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest
5. Blowin’ in the Wind
6. Born in Time
7. Bye and Bye
8. Crash on the Levee
9. Cross the Green Mountain
10. Dark Eyes
11. Desolation Row
12. Dignity
13. Don’t Think Twice
14. Drifter’s Escape
15. Forever Young (great performance by the Band)
16. Freight Train Blues
17. Gates of Eden
18. Girl from the North Country
19. Going, Going, Gone
20. Gotta Serve Somebody
21. Handy Dandy
22. Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall
23. Hazel
24. Highlands
25. High Water (for Charley Patton)
26. Hurricane
27. I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine
28. Idiot Wind
29. If Dogs Run Free
30. If Not For You
31. If You See Her Say Hello
32. I Shall Be Released (humbly submitting a version I did evoking our release from Donald Trump)
33. Is Your Love in Vain?
34. It Takes A lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry
35. It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue (very nice Grateful Dead version)
36. Jokerman
37. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues
38. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (reggae version by Ed Robinson)
39. Lay Down Your Weary Tune
40. Lay, Lady, Lay
41. Like a Rolling Stone
42. Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts
43. Maggie’s Farm
44. Make You Feel My Love
45. Mississippi
46. Never Say Goodbye
47. New Morning
48. New Pony
49. Not Dark Yet
50. One More Cup of Coffee (version embodying the middle eastern flavor of song - by Sertab Erener)
51. One Too Many Mornings
52. Only a Pawn in Their Game
53. Po’ Boy
54. Pressing On
55. Red River Shore
56. Ring Them Bells (great performance of this by Sarah Jarosz)
57. Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands
58. Señor (Tales of Yankee Power) (haunting version by Willie Nelson and Calexico)
59. Series of Dreams
60. Simple Twist of Fate
61. Slow Train
62. Stuck Inside a Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again
63. Subterranean Homesick Blues
64. Sugar Baby
65. Talking’ World War III
66. Tangled Up in Blue
67. Tears of Rage - (great version by the Band)
68. The Man in Me
69. Tight Connection to My Heart
70. Time Passes Slowly
71. Tough Mama
72. Trust Yourself
73. Visions of Johanna
74. When I Paint My Masterpiece (great live version of the Band)
75. When the Night Comes Falling from the Sky
76. When the Ship Comes In
77. Where Are You Tonight?
78. Working Man Blues #2
79. You’re a Big Girl Now
80. You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go