The Key Bob Dylan Discography

Bob Dylan is probably America's greatest songwriter. Between 1964 and 1967, he was also one of the greatest performers. He continued to be an important artist through "Desire", released in 1976. Subsequent records have been both praised and panned, but none are excellent, in my opinion.

I used allmusic.com to grade his recorded legacy. The complete breakdown of grades and songs is listed here. I have also decided upon an ideal box set as part of a project to identify the greatest musical artists.

The Ideal Bob Dylan Boxset

Four hours of the best Bob Dylan performances, along with their source CDs. The highest grade is 98. The lowest grade is 94. The average grade is 95.5.

from Another Side of Bob Dylan (1964)

from Bringing It All Back Home (1965)

095 Subterranean Homesick Blues (2:21)
095 She Belongs to Me (2:47)
095 Maggie's Farm (3:54)
095 Mr. Tambourine Man (5:30)
096 Gates of Eden (5:40)
095 It's All over Now, Baby Blue (4:12)
098 Like a Rolling Stone (6:13)

from Highway 61 Revisited (1965)

097 Tombstone Blues (6:00)
096 It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry (4:09)
095 Ballad of a Thin Man (5:58)
095 Highway 61 Revisited (3:30)
096 Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues (5:32)
095 Desolation Row (11:22)

from Blonde on Blonde (1966)

095 Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 (4:36)
095 Pledging My Time (3:50)
095 One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later) (4:54)
095 Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat (3:58)
095 Just Like a Woman (4:52)
095 Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I'll Go Mine) (3:30)
095 Temporary Like Achilles (5:02)
096 Obviously 5 Believers (3:35)

from Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits (1967)

095 Positively 4th Street (4:12)

from The Basement Tapes (recorded 1967)

097 Odds and Ends (1:47)
095 Orange Juice Blues (Blues for Breakfast) (3:39)
096 Million Dollar Bash (2:33)
097 Please, Mrs. Henry (2:33)
095 Yea! Heavy and a Bottle of Bread (2:15)
094 Crash on the Levee (Down in the Flood) (2:04)
095 Ruben Remus (3:14)
097 Tiny Montgomery (2:47)
098 You Ain't Goin' Nowhere (2:44)
095 Don't Ya Tell Henry (3:13)
097 Nothing Was Delivered (4:23)
096 Open the Door, Homer (2:51)
095 Long Distance Operator (3:40)
095 This Wheel's on Fire (3:49)

from John Wesley Harding (1967)

095 John Wesley Harding (2:58)
096 As I Went Out One Morning (2:49)
095 All Along the Watchtower (2:31)
095 The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest (5:35)

from Nashville Skyline (1969)

095 Girl From the North country (3:41)
096 Lay Lady Lay (3:20)

from Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 (1971)

095 Down in the Flood (2:46)

from The Bootleg Series, Vols. 1-3

096 Like a Rolling Stone (1:36)
095 Subterranean Homesick Blues (2:56)

from No Direction Home: The Soundtrack

095 Mr. Tambourine Man (6:42)
095 It's All over Now, Baby Blue (3:33)
097 Tombstone Blues (3:34)
095 Desolation Row (11:44)
096 Visions of Johanna (6:36)

The Bob Dylan Discography

I have graded every song I could readily listen to at allmusic.com from the beginning of his career through "Desire" in 1976. A sampling of later albums made it evident that his post-"Desire" recordings don't achieve the same level of quality, although many have been critically praised by others.

Bob Dylan (1962)

087 You're No Good (1:40)
083 Talkin' New York (3:20)
080 In My Time of Dying (2:40)
078 Man of Constant Sorrow (3:10)
080 Fixin' to Die (2:22)
081 Pretty Peggy-O (3:23)
082 Highway 51 Blues (2:52)
080 Gospel Plow (1:47)
081 Baby, Let Me Follow You Down (2:37)
090 House of the Risin' Sun (5:20)
088 Freight Train Blues (2:18)
090 Song to Woody (2:42)
086 See That My Grave Is Kept Clean (2:43)

Live at the Gaslight 1962

084 A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall (6:42)
083 Rocks and Gravel (4:59)
087 Don't Think Twice, It's All Right (3:10)
084 The Cuckoo (2:20)
088 Moonshiner (4:07)
087 Handsome Molly (2:46)
083 Cocaine (2:57)
085 John Brown (5:55)
084 Barbara Allen (7:51)
081 West Texas (5:37)

The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan (1963)

093 Blowin' in the Wind (2:48)
094 Girl from the North Country (3:22)
091 Masters of War (4:34)
084 Down the Highway (3:27)
083 Bob Dylan's Blues (2:23)
090 A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall (6:55)
088 Don't Think Twice, It's All Right (3:40)
085 Bob Dylan's Dream (5:03)
085 Oxford Town (1:50)
084 Talking World War III Blues (6:28)
088 Corrina, Corrina (2:44)
085 Honey, Just Allow Me One More Chance (2:01)
084 I Shall Be Free (4:49)

The Times They Are A-Changin' (1964)

087 The Times They Are A-Changin' (3:15)
083 Ballad of Hollis Brown (5:06)
082 With God on Our Side (7:08)
081 One Too Many Mornings (2:41)
083 North Country Blues (4:35)
082 Only a Pawn in Their Game (3:33)
081 Boots of Spanish Leather (4:40)
080 When the Ship Comes In (3:18)
079 The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll (5:48)
080 Restless Farewell (5:32)

Another Side of Bob Dylan (1964)

095 All I Really Want to Do (4:04)
096 Black Crow Blues (3:14)
095 Spanish Harlem Incident (2:24)
096 Chimes of Freedom (7:10)
095 I Shall Be Free, No. 10 (4:47)
095 To Ramona (3:52)
094 Motorpsycho Nitemare (4:33)
095 My Back Pages (4:22)
094 I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met) (4:22)
093 Ballad in Plain D (8:16)
096 It Ain't Me Babe (3:33)

Concert at Philharmonic Hall (1964)

088 The Times They Are A-Changin' (3:29)
087 Spanish Harlem Incident (3:29)
088 Talkin' John Birch Paranoid Blues (4:06)
086 To Ramona (6:01)
090 Who Killed Davey Moore? (4:46)
090 Gates of Eden (8:32)
083 If You Gotta Go, Go Now (Or Else You Got to Stay All Night) (4:06)
088 It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) (4:01)
084 I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met) (4:01)
092 Mr. Tambourine Man (6:33)
093 A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall (7:44)
086 Talking World War III Blues (4:34)
088 Don't Think Twice, It's All Right (4:34)
086 The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll (6:57)
075 Mama, You Been on My Mind (3:35)
057 Silver Dagger (3:47)
083 With God on Our Side (6:17)
077 It Ain't Me Babe (5:11)
083 All I Really Want to Do (4:01)

Bringing It All Back Home (1965)

095 Subterranean Homesick Blues (2:21)
095 She Belongs to Me (2:47)
095 Maggie's Farm (3:54)
094 Love Minus Zero/No Limit (2:51)
092 Outlaw Blues (3:05)
091 On the Road Again (2:35)
090 Bob Dylan's 115th Dream (6:30)
095 Mr. Tambourine Man (5:30)
096 Gates of Eden (5:40)
094 It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) (7:29)
095 It's All over Now, Baby Blue (4:12)

Highway 61 Revisited (1965)

098 Like a Rolling Stone (6:13)
097 Tombstone Blues (6:00)
096 It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry (4:09)
094 From a Buick 6 (3:19)
095 Ballad of a Thin Man (5:58)
094 Queen Jane Approxmately (5:31)
095 Highway 61 Revisited (3:30)
096 Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues (5:32)
095 Desolation Row (11:22)

The Bootleg Series, Vol. 4. (recorded 1966)

087 She Belongs to Me (3:27)
086 Fourth Time Around (4:37)
088 Visions of Johanna (8:08)
090 It's All over Now, Baby Blue (5:45)
091 Desolation Row (11:31)
089 Just Like a Woman (5:52)
084 Mr. Tambourine Man (8:52)
080 Tell Me, Momma (5:10)
082 I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met) (6:07)
080 Baby, Let Me Follow You Down (3:46)
083 Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues (6:50)
084 Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat (4:50)
082 One Too Many Mornings (4:22)
078 Ballad of a Thin Man (7:55)
080 Like a Rolling Stone (8:01)

Blonde on Blonde (1966)

095 Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 (4:36)
095 Pledging My Time (3:50)
094 Visions of Johanna (7:33)
095 One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later) (4:54)
094 I Want You (3:07)
094 Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again (7:05)
095 Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat (3:58)
095 Just Like a Woman (4:52)
095 Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I'll Go Mine) (3:30)
095 Temporary Like Achilles (5:02)
094 Absolutely Sweet Marie (4:57)
094 4th Time Around (4:35)
096 Obviously 5 Believers (3:35)
094 Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands (11:20)

Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits (1967)

095 Positively 4th Street (4:12)

The Basement Tapes (recorded 1967)

097 Odds and Ends (1:47)
095 Orange Juice Blues (Blues for Breakfast) (3:39)
096 Million Dollar Bash (2:33)
094 Yazoo Street Scandal (3:29)
093 Goin' to Acapulco (5:29)
093 Katie's Been Gone (2:45)
093 Lo and Behold (2:46)
093 Bessie Smith (4:18)
094 Clothes Line Saga (2:58)
093 Apple Suckling Tree (2:48)
097 Please, Mrs. Henry (2:33)
093 Tears of Rage (4:12)
094 Too Much of Nothing (3:03)
095 Yea! Heavy and a Bottle of Bread (2:15)
093 Ain't No More Cane (3:58)
094 Crash on the Levee (Down in the Flood) (2:04)
095 Ruben Remus (3:14)
097 Tiny Montgomery (2:47)
098 You Ain't Goin' Nowhere (2:44)
095 Don't Ya Tell Henry (3:13)
097 Nothing Was Delivered (4:23)
096 Open the Door, Homer (2:51)
095 Long Distance Operator (3:40)
095 This Wheel's on Fire (3:49)

John Wesley Harding (1967)

095 John Wesley Harding (2:58)
096 As I Went Out One Morning (2:49)
094 I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine (3:53)
095 All Along the Watchtower (2:31)
095 The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest (5:35)
094 Drifter's Escape (2:52)
094 Dear Landlord (3:16)
094 I Am a Lonesome Hobo (3:19)
093 I Pity the Poor Immigrant (4:12)
092 The Wicked Messenger (2:02)
093 Down Alone the Cove (2:23)
092 I'll Be Your Baby Tonight (2:34)

Nashville Skyline (1969)

095 Girl From the North country (3:41)
090 Nashville Skyline Rag (3:12)
089 To Be Alone With You (2:05)
091 I Threw It All Away (2:23)
090 Peggy Day (1:59)
096 Lay Lady Lay (3:20)
092 One More Night (2:25)
091 Tell Me That It Isn't True (2:45)
090 Country Pie (1:35)
094 Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You (3:23)

Self Portrait (1970)

071 All the Tired Horses (3:12)
074 Alberta, No. 1 (2:57)
085 I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know (2:23)
073 Days of '49 (5:27)
075 Early Morning Rain (3:34)
072 In Search of Little Sadie (2:27)
069 Let It Be Me (3:00)
080 Little Sadie (2:00)
071 Woogie Boogie (2:06)
066 Belle Isle (2:30)
074 Living the Blues (2:42)
073 Like a Rolling Stone (5:18)
078 Copper Kettle [The Pale Moonlight] (3:34)
081 Gotta Travel On (3:08)
071 Blue Moon (2:29)
069 The Boxer (2:48)
090 The Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo) (2:48)
089 Take Me as I Am (Or Let Me Go) (3:03)
072 Take a Message to Mary (2:46)
090 It Hurts Me Too (3:15)
073 Minstrel Boy (3:32)
088 She Belongs to Me (2:43)
060 Wigwam (3:09)
074 Alberta, No. 2 (3:12)

New Morning (1970)

090 If Not for You (2:42)
084 Day of the Locusts (4:00)
088 Time Passes Slowly (2:35)
087 Went to See the Gypsy (2:51)
073 Winterlude (2:23)
075 If Dogs Run Free (3:41)
074 New Morning (3:59)
073 Sign on the Window (3:41)
086 One More Weekend (3:12)
073 The Man in Me (3:10)
090 Three Angels (2:09)
074 Father of Night (1:29)

Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 (1971)

085 Watching the River Flow (3:32)
092 Tomorrow Is a Long Time (3:01)
086 When I Paint My Masterpiece (3:22)
094 I Shall Be Released (3:01)
094 You Ain't Going Nowhere (2:41)
095 Down in the Flood (2:46)

Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973)

063 Main Title Theme (Billy) (6:05)
067 Cantina Theme (Workin' for the Law) (2:56)
071 Billy 1 (3:55)
064 Bunkhouse Theme (2:15)
055 River Theme (1:28)
052 Turkey Chase (3:34)
078 Knockin' on Heaven's Door (2:32)
060 Final Theme (5:23)
051 Billy 4 (5:03)
062 Billy 7 (2:07)

Dylan (1973)

073 Lily of the West (3:44)
070 Can't Help Falling in Love (4:17)
068 Sarah Jane (2:43)
074 Mr. Bojangles (5:31)
066 The Ballad of Ira Hayes (5:08)
075 Mary Ann (2:40)
071 Big Yellow Taxi (2:12)
073 A Fool Such as I (2:41)
068 Spanish is the Loving Tongue (4:13)

Concert for Bangladesh (1973)

090 A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall (6:22)
088 It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry (3:08)
087 Blowin' in the Wind (4:11)
087 Mr. Tambourine Man (5:17)
090 Just Like a Woman (5:26)

Planet Waves (1974)

074 On a Night Like This (2:59)
075 Going, Going, Gone (3:28)
078 Tough Mama (4:16)
073 Hazel (2:49)
074 Something There Is About You (4:43)
080 Forever Young (4:57)
072 Forever Young (Continued) (2:48)
071 Dirge (5:37)
073 You Angel You (2:54)
074 Never Say Goodbye (2:53)
075 Wedding Song (4:42)

Before the Flood (1974)

072 Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I'll Go Mine) (3:16)
072 Lay Lady Lay (3:00)
071 Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 (3:09)
070 Knockin' on Heaven's Door (3:30)
070 It Ain't Me Babe (3:15)
069 Ballad of a Thin Man (3:29)
073 Up on Cripple Creek (4:57)
068 I Shall Be Released (3:19)
072 Endless Highway (4:45)
071 The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (4:05)
070 Stage Fright (4:22)
073 Don't Think Twice, It's All Right (3:34)
074 Just Like a Woman (4:46)
075 It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) (5:12)
060 The Shape I'm In (3:33)
072 When You Awake (2:54)
072 The Weight (4:20)
070 All Along the Watchtower (2:58)
072 Highway 61 Revisited (4:05)
068 Like a Rolling Stone (6:06)
070 Blowin' in the Wind (3:46)

Blood on the Tracks (1975)

093 Tangled Up in Blue (5:41)
091 Simple Twist of Fate (4:17)
090 You're a Big Girl Now (4:34)
089 Idiot Wind (7:47)
090 You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go (2:55)
090 Meet Me in the Morning (4:21)
091 Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts (8:52)
090 If You See Her, Say Hello (4:47)
091 Shelter from the Storm (5:00)
090 Buckets of Rain (3:22)

The Bootleg Series, Vol. 5: Bob Dylan Live 1975

073 Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You (3:55)
072 It Ain't Me Babe (5:25)
074 A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall (5:16)
071 The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll (5:25)
072 Romance in Durango (5:22)
070 Isis (5:11)
071 Mr. Tambourine Man (5:39)
072 Simple Twist of Fate (4:17)
070 Blowin' in the Wind (2:43)
070 Mama, You Been on My Mind (3:11)
077 I Shall Be Released (4:33)
071 It's All over Now, Baby Blue (4:34)
070 Love Minus Zero/No Limit (3:13)
072 Tangled Up in Blue (4:41)
075 The Water is Wide (5:16)
070 It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry (3:12)
078 Oh, Sister (4:04)
078 Hurricane (8:15)
074 One More Cup of Coffee (Valley Below) (4:14)
076 Sara (4:29)
078 Just Like a Woman (4:31)
076 Knockin' on Heaven's Door (4:22)

Desire (1976)

083 Hurricane (8:33)
088 Isis (6:58)
086 Mozambique (3:00)
085 One More Cup of Coffee (Valley Below) (3:43)
086 Oh, Sister (4:05)
088 Joey (11:05)
084 Romance in Durango (5:50)
084 Black Diamond Bay (7:30)
090 Sara (5:29)

Masterpieces

087 Idiot Wind (10:01)
091 Mixed Up Confusion (2:26)
094 Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window? (3:30)
094 George Jackson (5:34)
087 Rita May (3:09)

Biograph

085 I'll Keep It With Mine (3:45)
094 Percy's Song (7:42)
077 Groom's Still Waiting at the Altar (4:04)
090 Lay Down Your Weary Tune (4:36)
090 I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met) (5:18)
091 Visions of Johanna (7:33)
066 Every Grain of Sand (6:15)
090 The Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo) (2:20)
088 You're a Big Girl Now (4:23)
085 Abandoned Love (4:29)
090 It's All over Now, Baby Blue (5:40)
078 Isis (5:21)
090 Jet Pilot (0:49)
073 Caribbean Wind (5:54)
085 Up to Me (6:18)
093 Baby, I'm in the Mood for You (2:56)
094 I Wanna Be Your Love (3:27)
074 Heart of Mine (3:43)
073 Romance in Durango (4:39)
086 Forever Young (2:02)

The Bootleg Series, Vols. 1-3

090 Hard Times in New York Town (2:19)
090 He Was a Friend of Mine (4:02)
087 Man on the Street (1:56)
085 No More Auction Block (3:03)
088 House Carpenter (4:08)
087 Talkin' Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues (3:45)
090 Let Me Die in My Footsteps (3:33)
088 Ramblin' Gamblin' Willie (4:13)
083 Talkin' Have Negeilah Blues (0:52)
090 Quit Your Low Down Ways (2:39)
091 Worried Blues (2:39)
087 Kingsport Town (3:29)
085 Walkin' Down the Line (2:52)
086 Walls of Red Wing (5:05)
083 Paths of Victory (3:17)
085 Talkin' John Birch Paranoid Blues (4:25)
087 Who Killed Davey Moore? (3:09)
093 Only a Hobo (3:29)
090 Moonshiner (5:06)
086 When the Ship Comes In (2:55)
086 The Times They Are A-Changin' (3:00)
085 Last Thoughts on Woody Gutherie (7:07)
090 Seven Curses (3:49)
088 Eternal Circle (2:38)
088 Suze (The Cough Song) (1:58)
090 Mama, You Been on My Mind (2:56)
092 Farewell, Angelina (5:27)
095 Subterranean Homesick Blues (2:56)
084 If You Gotta Go, Go Now (2:56)
094 Sitting on a Barbed Wire Fence (3:54)
096 Like a Rolling Stone (1:36)
094 It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry (3:22)
092 I'll Keep It With Mine (3:39)
087 She's Your Lover Now (6:10)
093 I Shall Be Released (3:56)
084 Santa-Fe (2:10)
082 If Not for You (3:33)
090 Wallflower (2:49)
082 Nobody 'Cept You (2:41)
090 Tangled Up in Blue (6:51)
086 Call Letter Blues (4:27)
085 Idiot Wind (8:52)
083 If You See Her, Say Hello (3:45)
084 Golden Loom (4:26)
083 Catfish (2:48)
072 Seven Days (4:00)

Live: 1961-2000

062 Somebody Touched Me (2:42)
083 Wade in the Water (3:01)
085 Handsome Molly (2:48)
087 To Ramona (4:29)
085 Grand Coulee Dam (2:57)
070 Shelter from the Storm (5:25)

No Direction Home: The Soundtrack

073 When I Got Troubles (1:28)
072 Rambler, Gambler (2:16)
073 This Land Is Your Land (5:57)
085 Dink's Song (4:37)
084 I Was Young When I Left Home (5:19)
074 Sally Gal (2:37)
094 Don't Think Twice, It's All Right (3:35)
088 Man of Constant Sorrow (3:03)
087 Blowin' in the Wind (4:03)
085 Masters of War (4:41)
086 A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall (7:46)
084 When the Ship Comes In (3:05)
095 Mr. Tambourine Man (6:42)
091 Chimes of Freedom (8:02)
095 It's All over Now, Baby Blue (3:33)
094 She Belongs to Me (3:18)
087 Maggie's Farm (5:53)
094 It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry (3:33)
097 Tombstone Blues (3:34)
095 Desolation Row (11:44)
094 Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat (6:23)
093 Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again (5:44)
096 Visions of Johanna (6:36)
093 Ballad of a Thin Man (7:45)