The movie A Complete Unknown has created renewed interest in the music of Bob Dylan. Although the film is a fantastic recreation of Dylan’s emergence in the early 1960s, it didn’t have time to show how important it was that other artists covered his songs. The first national and international attention Dylan received was as the songwriter of hits performed by Peter, Paul & Mary.
The trio was the most popular Folk act of the early 60s. In ‘62 & ‘63 they had hits with “Lemon Tree” (#35), “If I Had A Hammer” (#10), and their #2 smash “Puff (The Magic Dragon” (#1 on the Adult Contemporary chart). In July of 1963, they duplicated that chart performance with Bob Dylan’s song “Blowin’ In The Wind”. It remains the definitive version. Then in September of 1963, they entered the Top 40 with Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice It’s All Right”, which made it to #9. Other Folk artists also covered those songs on their albums. Dylan was becoming known for his great songwriting.
Bob Dylan’s self-titled first album had failed to chart in the Top-200 in 1962. Then with the notoriety of those two songs Peter, Paul & Mary covered, his second album The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan made it to #22 in 1963. His 1964 album The Times They Are A-Chagin’ also did well, hitting #20. However, through 1964, Bob Dylan never had a Top 40 hit on his own. When another group covered his songs in 1965, he was pushed to the next level.
When Bob Dylan allowed The Byrds to record “Mr. Tambourine Man” in 1965 (before he released it), the Folk Rock movement burst onto the popular music scene. The Byrds gave the song an electric Rock arrangement, and featured the 12-string guitar of Jim McGuinn. Besides that #1 record, The Byrds had a Top-40 hit with Dylan’s “All I Really Want To Do”, and featured more of his songs on their popular albums. Cher had an even bigger hit with “All I Really Want To Do” (#15).
Just a little later in 1965, Bob Dylan had his first Top-40 singles success with three of his own electric Folk Rock songs… “Subterranean Homesick Blues” (#39), “Like A Rolling Stone” (#2,), and “Positively 4th Street” (#7).
During that same time, August of 1965, The Turtles added Dylan’s “It Ain’t Me Babe” (#8) to the Folk Rock surge.
Other notable hit versions of Bob Dylan songs include… “My Back Pages” (#30) by The Byrds in 1967, “All Along The Watchtower” (#20) by Jimi Hendrix in 1968, “The Mighty Quinn” (#10) by Manfred Mann in 1968, “She Belongs To Me” (#33) by Rick Nelson in 1970, and “If Not For You” (#25) by Olivia Newton John in 1970. That last one was also made famous by George Harrison as an album track that same year.
Some other famous covers of Dylan songs include “I Shall Be Released” by The Band, “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight” by Linda Ronstadt, “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” by Eric Clapton, “Down In The Flood” by Blood, Sweat & Tears, and “Tommorow Is Such A Long Time” by Rod Stewart.
During the 1960s and 1970s, Bob Dylan had a total of 12 Top-40 hits. Besides those three mentioned earlier, his hits included…. “Rainy Day Women” (#2), “Just Like A Woman (#33), “Lay Lady Lay” (#7), “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” (#12), and “Tangled Up In Blue” (#31).
Bob Dylan’s fans love a lot of his lesser known album tracks, but Dylan’s songwriting fame came with the help of the artists who turned so many of his great songs into popular hits.