When Bob Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, not only did he have the distinction of being the first musician to receive it, but Penn Jillette dubbed him the Shakespeare of the current generation in an interview with Reason that same year.
Jillette said, “If we have anyone in our time who is Shakespeare, it’s Dylan. … All his mining goes, you know, towards his heart and deeper into his brain.”
There’s no doubt that Dylan has had an outsized impact on the music industry. He has transformed his music across genres, has been honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and has received multiple awards from Grammys to a Pulitzer Special.
Wednesday marks the singer’s 82nd birthday. Here’s a look at some of his most famous songs, the new movie about him, and what he’s said about who influenced him and his beliefs.
How many songs did Bob Dylan write?
According to the New York Times, Dylan has written over 600 songs. Universal Music Publishing Group bought Dylan’s entire collection in 2022 and it is estimated that his catalog has sold for over $300 million.
He has written and performed songs in a variety of genres, from ballads to folk-rock and country to jazz and other genres.
As of 2020, not a single song by Dylan made it to the coveted #1 spot on the Billboard charts. Deadline reported that his 17-minute song “Murder Most Foul” earned him his first No. 1 spot. It is the final track on his album Rough and Rowdy Ways and the song describes the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
According to Bob Dylan, what was the best song ever written?
Dylan once revealed what he thought was the best song ever. According to American Songwriter, Dylan said Jimmy Webb’s “Wichita Lineman” was “the greatest song ever written.”
There were other times when Dylan mentioned which songs he thought were the best. According to American Songwriter, Link Wray’s song “Rumble” is one of Dylan’s favorite songs. He also reportedly likes the songs “I Want to Hold Your Hand” by the Beatles and “Pretty Maids in a Row” by the Eagles.
What was Bob Dylan’s biggest hit single?
It depends on the metrics. Dylan’s song “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” stayed on the Billboard 100 for 16 weeks when it debuted in September 1973, according to Billboard. This song stayed on Billboard longer than his other songs.
As previously mentioned, Dylan’s song “Murder Most Foul” was his first song of 2020 to reach #1 on all Billboard charts.
Billboard reported, “Dylan had previously reached #2 on the multi-genre Billboard Hot 100 (May 21, 1966) with “Like a Rolling Stone” (September 4, 1965) and “Rainy Day Women #12 and 35,” along with #2 on the top airplay chart for adult alternative songs with “Things Have Changed” (May 13, 2000).”
His most streamed song on Spotify is “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door,” followed by “Like a Rolling Stone,” “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” and “Girl from the North County.” “.
What are Bob Dylan’s top 10 songs?
Rolling Stone listed Dylan’s top 10 songs.
What is the Bob Dylan biopic?
A Dylan biopic is coming soon, titled A Complete Unknown, starring Timothée Chalamet. According to Rolling Stone, production on the film is set to begin in August 2023.
Elle Fanning and Benedict Cumberbatch will also reportedly star in the film. The release date for the biopic is not yet known. According to Yahoo! Entertainment, it’s possible the film will be released sometime in 2024 or early 2025.
In what songs does Bob Dylan mention Utah?
According to Deseret News, Dylan has released a few songs that mention Utah. One of them is called “Ballad for a Friend”. The lyrics read: “A diesel truck rolled slowly / pulled off a heavy load / left it on a Utah road.”
Another song of his that mentions Utah is “Sign on the Window”. He wrote, “Build me a cabin in Utah / Marry me a wife, catch rainbow trout / Have a lot of kids who call me ‘Pa’ / That’s what it’s got to be about.”
Who is Bob Dylan’s influence?
Dylan’s main source of inspiration is Woody Guthrie. According to CBC, “One of Dylan’s biggest influences was folk legend Woody Guthrie.” So much so that in 1961 a young Dylan traveled to New York City hoping to visit his ailing idol in the hospital. “I told myself I would be Guthrie’s greatest student,” he wrote in his autobiography Chronicles: Volume One.
What does Bob Dylan say about his faith?
Because of some experiences he had in the late 1970s, Dylan converted to evangelical Christianity. In a 2022 interview with The Wall Street Journal, Dylan said, “I’m a religious person. I read the scriptures a lot, meditate and pray, light candles in church. I believe in damnation and redemption and predestination. The Five Books of Moses, the Epistles of Paul, the Invocation of the Saints, everything.”