Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits
Encyclopedia
Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits is the eighth album
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...

 released by Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...

 on Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...

, original catalogue number KCS 9643. It contains every Top 40 single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...

 Dylan enjoyed through 1967. It peaked at #10 on the pop album chart
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...

 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, and went to #3 on the album chart in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

. Certified five times platinum in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, it is one of his very best-selling albums.

Content

Greatest Hits presented his first appearance on records after his epic Blonde on Blonde
Blonde on Blonde
Blonde on Blonde is American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan's seventh studio album, released in May or June 1966 on Columbia Records and produced by Bob Johnston. Recording sessions commenced in New York in October 1965, with a plethora of backing musicians, including members of Dylan's live backing...

double-LP of May 1966
1966 in music
-Events:*January 3 – Hullabaloo shows promotional videos of The Beatles songs "Day Tripper" and "We Can Work it Out".*January 8 – Shindig! airs for the last time on ABC, with musical guests the Kinks and the Who...

 and his famed motorcycle accident of that summer. With no activity by Dylan since the end of his recent world tour, and no new recordings on the immediate horizon (the Basement Tapes sessions were still months away if the accepted chronologies are correct), Columbia needed new product to continue to capitalize on Dylan's commercial appeal. Hence the appearance of this package, the label's first Dylan compilation, and its first LP release with a $5.98 list price, one dollar more than that of standard releases.

This album also serves as Dylan's de facto singles collection for the 1960s, as all but three of the tracks present, "The Times They Are a-Changin'
The Times They Are a-Changin' (song)
"The Times They Are a-Changin" is a song written by Bob Dylan and released as the title track of his 1964 album, The Times They Are a-Changin. The song was ranked #59 on Rolling Stones 2004 list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time....

," "It Ain't Me Babe
It Ain't Me Babe
"It Ain't Me Babe" is the title of a 1964 song by Bob Dylan, first included on his album Another Side of Bob Dylan. The song's opening line is allegedly influenced by musicologist/folk-singer John Jacob Niles' composition "Go 'Way From My Window." Niles is referred to by Dylan as an early...

," and "Mr. Tambourine Man
Mr. Tambourine Man
"Mr. Tambourine Man" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan, which was released on his 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home. The Byrds also recorded a version of the song that was released as their first single on Columbia Records, reaching number 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and...

" had been issued at 45 rpm in the United States during the decade, although "Times" made it to #9 as a single release in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

. A truncated rock and roll version of "Mr. Tambourine Man" had been a number one hit for The Byrds
The Byrds
The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...

 in the summer of 1965, the Turtles
The Turtles
The Turtles are an American rock group led by vocalists Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman. The band became notable for several Top 40 hits beginning with its cover version of Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe" in 1965...

 took a folk-rock version of "It Ain't Me Babe" to #8 the same year, and Peter, Paul and Mary
Peter, Paul and Mary
Peter, Paul and Mary were an American folk-singing trio whose nearly 50-year career began with their rise to become a paradigm for 1960s folk music. The trio was composed of Peter Yarrow, Paul Stookey and Mary Travers...

 enjoyed a huge hit with their #2 single of "Blowin' in the Wind
Blowin' in the Wind
"Blowin' in the Wind" is a song written by Bob Dylan and released on his album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan in 1963. Although it has been described as a protest song, it poses a series of questions about peace, war and freedom...

" in 1963. The remaining six tracks all made the Billboard Top 40 in 1965 and 1966. Probably the most astounding thing of all concerning this collection is that it documents a time in America when the kind of lyric complexity and philosophic bent on "Like a Rolling Stone
Like a Rolling Stone
"Like a Rolling Stone" is a 1965 song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. Its confrontational lyrics originate in an extended piece of verse Dylan wrote in June 1965, when he returned exhausted from a grueling tour of England...

," "Positively Fourth Street," and "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35" could actually become a top ten pop chart hit. "Positively 4th Street" was the only single of the collection not either later released on or taken off of a long-playing album, having been recorded during sessions for Highway 61 Revisited
Highway 61 Revisited
Highway 61 Revisited is the sixth studio album by singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. It was released in August 1965 by Columbia Records. On his previous album, Bringing It All Back Home, Dylan devoted Side One of the album to songs accompanied by an electric rock band, and Side Two to solo acoustic numbers...

.

When this album was remastered for its 1997 issue on compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...

 30 years later, a slightly longer alternate mix of "Positively 4th Street" was substituted for the original single version. In 2003, this album was released along with Dylan's two other greatest hits compilations in one four-disc boxed set, as Greatest Hits Volumes I-III.

Artwork

The cover photograph of Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits was taken by Rowland Scherman
Rowland Scherman
Rowland Scherman is an American photographer.He studied at Oberlin College, and was dark room apprentice at LIFE magazine. He was the first photographer for the newly formed Peace Corps in 1961...

 at Dylan's November 28, 1965, concert in Washington, D.C. The cover won the 1967 Grammy award for "Best Album Cover, Photography." The original album package also included Milton Glaser's
Milton Glaser
Milton Glaser is a graphic designer, best known for the I Love New York logo, his "Bob Dylan" poster, the "DC bullet" logo used by DC Comics from 1977 to 2005, and the "Brooklyn Brewery" logo. He also founded New York Magazine with Clay Felker in 1968.-Biography:Glaser was born into a Hungarian...

 now-familiar "psychedelic" poster depicting Dylan. A similar image taken at the Concert for Bangladesh in 1971 was selected for Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II
Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II
Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II , also known as More Bob Dylan Greatest Hits, was the second compilation album released by Bob Dylan. With Dylan not expected to release any new material for an extended period of time, CBS Records president Clive Davis proposed issuing a double LP compilation of...

, a compilation Dylan had much more control over. John Berg, Senior Art Director at Columbia Records, recognized that a backlit image such as Scherman's would work because of Dylan's unique sartorial style. It was his design, as well as Scherman's photo, that won the Grammy.

Side one

  1. "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35"
    • Columbia single 43592 released March 22, 1966 — chart peak #2
  2. "Blowin' in the Wind
    Blowin' in the Wind
    "Blowin' in the Wind" is a song written by Bob Dylan and released on his album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan in 1963. Although it has been described as a protest song, it poses a series of questions about peace, war and freedom...

    "
    • Columbia single 42856 released August 13, 1963 — did not chart
  3. "The Times They Are a-Changin'
    The Times They Are a-Changin' (song)
    "The Times They Are a-Changin" is a song written by Bob Dylan and released as the title track of his 1964 album, The Times They Are a-Changin. The song was ranked #59 on Rolling Stones 2004 list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time....

    "
  4. "It Ain't Me Babe
    It Ain't Me Babe
    "It Ain't Me Babe" is the title of a 1964 song by Bob Dylan, first included on his album Another Side of Bob Dylan. The song's opening line is allegedly influenced by musicologist/folk-singer John Jacob Niles' composition "Go 'Way From My Window." Niles is referred to by Dylan as an early...

    "
  5. "Like a Rolling Stone
    Like a Rolling Stone
    "Like a Rolling Stone" is a 1965 song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. Its confrontational lyrics originate in an extended piece of verse Dylan wrote in June 1965, when he returned exhausted from a grueling tour of England...

    "
    • Columbia single 43346 released June 28, 1965 — chart peak #2

Side two

  1. "Mr. Tambourine Man
    Mr. Tambourine Man
    "Mr. Tambourine Man" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan, which was released on his 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home. The Byrds also recorded a version of the song that was released as their first single on Columbia Records, reaching number 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and...

    "
  2. "Subterranean Homesick Blues
    Subterranean Homesick Blues
    "Subterranean Homesick Blues" is a song by Bob Dylan, originally released in 1965 as a single on Columbia Records, catalogue 43242. It appeared 19 days later as the lead track to the album Bringing It All Back Home. It was Dylan's first Top 40 hit, peaking at #39 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also...

    "
    • Columbia single 43242 released March 8, 1965 — chart peak #39
  3. "I Want You
    I Want You (Bob Dylan song)
    "I Want You" is a 1966 song recorded by Bob Dylan. It was issued as a single in June 1966, shortly before the release of its accompanying album, Blonde on Blonde. A live version of "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" was included as a B-side...

    "
    • Columbia single 43683 released June 10, 1966 — chart peak #20
  4. "Positively 4th Street
    Positively 4th Street
    "Positively 4th Street" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan, first recorded by Dylan in New York City on July 29, 1965. It was released as a single by Columbia Records on September 7, 1965, reaching #1 on Canada's RPM chart, #7 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and #8 on the UK Singles Chart...

    "
    • Columbia single 43389 released September 7, 1965 — chart peak #7
  5. "Just Like a Woman
    Just Like a Woman (song)
    "Just Like a Woman" is a song written by Bob Dylan and first released on his 1966 album, Blonde on Blonde . It was also released as a single in the U.S. during August 1966 and peaked at #33 on the Billboard Hot 100...

    "
    • Columbia single 43792 released August 18, 1966 — chart peak #33

UK version

The UK release of the album had a slightly different track listing. "Positively 4th Street
Positively 4th Street
"Positively 4th Street" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan, first recorded by Dylan in New York City on July 29, 1965. It was released as a single by Columbia Records on September 7, 1965, reaching #1 on Canada's RPM chart, #7 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and #8 on the UK Singles Chart...

" and "I Want You
I Want You (Bob Dylan song)
"I Want You" is a 1966 song recorded by Bob Dylan. It was issued as a single in June 1966, shortly before the release of its accompanying album, Blonde on Blonde. A live version of "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" was included as a B-side...

" were omitted, but "She Belongs to Me
She Belongs to Me
"She Belongs to Me" is a song by Bob Dylan, and was first released as the second track on his 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home. It was one of the first anti-love songs and one of Dylan's first of many songs that describe a "witchy woman"...

", "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
"It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan and featured on his Bringing It All Back Home album, released on March 22, 1965 by Columbia Records . The song was originally recorded on January 15, 1965 with Dylan's acoustic guitar and harmonica and William E. Lee's bass...

" and "One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later)
One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later)
"One of Us Must Know " is a song written and recorded by Bob Dylan. It is the fourth track on his 1966 album Blonde on Blonde, and was released as the album's first single that February. The song is an emotional confession of misconnects and apologies from the singer to a woman who has tragically...

" were added. In the UK, this album was followed up by Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits 2, which repeated the Blonde on Blonde
Blonde on Blonde
Blonde on Blonde is American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan's seventh studio album, released in May or June 1966 on Columbia Records and produced by Bob Johnston. Recording sessions commenced in New York in October 1965, with a plethora of backing musicians, including members of Dylan's live backing...

songs from Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits and also added "I Want You", "Absolutely Sweet Marie
Absolutely Sweet Marie
"Absolutely Sweet Marie" is a song written by Bob Dylan, released on his 1966 double album Blonde on Blonde. An exuberantly up-tempo number, "Sweet Marie" is full of diverse, often hardly disguised sexual imagery.- Song and background :...

", "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues
Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues
"Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan. It was originally recorded on August 2, 1965 and released on the album Highway 61 Revisited. The song was later released on the compilation album Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol...

", "Gates of Eden
Gates of Eden
Gates of Eden is a collection of short stories written by Ethan Coen, first published in November 1998. The title comes from one of the stories in the book with reference to the biblical Garden of Eden...

", "Chimes of Freedom
Chimes of Freedom
"Chimes of Freedom" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan and featured on his 1964 album Another Side of Bob Dylan , produced by Tom Wilson. It was written in early 1964 and was influenced by the symbolist poetry of Arthur Rimbaud. The song depicts the feelings and thoughts of the singer...

" and several others. This album was different from the album called Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II
Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II
Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II , also known as More Bob Dylan Greatest Hits, was the second compilation album released by Bob Dylan. With Dylan not expected to release any new material for an extended period of time, CBS Records president Clive Davis proposed issuing a double LP compilation of...

in the US, which was released in 1971 and called More Bob Dylan Greatest Hits in the UK.

UK track listing

All songs written by Bob Dylan.
  1. "Blowin' in the Wind
    Blowin' in the Wind
    "Blowin' in the Wind" is a song written by Bob Dylan and released on his album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan in 1963. Although it has been described as a protest song, it poses a series of questions about peace, war and freedom...

    "
  2. "It Ain't Me Babe
    It Ain't Me Babe
    "It Ain't Me Babe" is the title of a 1964 song by Bob Dylan, first included on his album Another Side of Bob Dylan. The song's opening line is allegedly influenced by musicologist/folk-singer John Jacob Niles' composition "Go 'Way From My Window." Niles is referred to by Dylan as an early...

    "
  3. "The Times They Are A-Changin'
    The Times They Are a-Changin' (song)
    "The Times They Are a-Changin" is a song written by Bob Dylan and released as the title track of his 1964 album, The Times They Are a-Changin. The song was ranked #59 on Rolling Stones 2004 list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time....

    "
  4. "Mr. Tambourine Man
    Mr. Tambourine Man
    "Mr. Tambourine Man" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan, which was released on his 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home. The Byrds also recorded a version of the song that was released as their first single on Columbia Records, reaching number 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and...

    "
  5. "She Belongs to Me
    She Belongs to Me
    "She Belongs to Me" is a song by Bob Dylan, and was first released as the second track on his 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home. It was one of the first anti-love songs and one of Dylan's first of many songs that describe a "witchy woman"...

    "
  6. "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
    It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
    "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan and featured on his Bringing It All Back Home album, released on March 22, 1965 by Columbia Records . The song was originally recorded on January 15, 1965 with Dylan's acoustic guitar and harmonica and William E. Lee's bass...

    "
  7. "Subterranean Homesick Blues
    Subterranean Homesick Blues
    "Subterranean Homesick Blues" is a song by Bob Dylan, originally released in 1965 as a single on Columbia Records, catalogue 43242. It appeared 19 days later as the lead track to the album Bringing It All Back Home. It was Dylan's first Top 40 hit, peaking at #39 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also...

    "
  8. "One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later)
    One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later)
    "One of Us Must Know " is a song written and recorded by Bob Dylan. It is the fourth track on his 1966 album Blonde on Blonde, and was released as the album's first single that February. The song is an emotional confession of misconnects and apologies from the singer to a woman who has tragically...

    "
  9. "Like a Rolling Stone
    Like a Rolling Stone
    "Like a Rolling Stone" is a 1965 song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. Its confrontational lyrics originate in an extended piece of verse Dylan wrote in June 1965, when he returned exhausted from a grueling tour of England...

    "
  10. "Just Like a Woman
    Just Like a Woman (song)
    "Just Like a Woman" is a song written by Bob Dylan and first released on his 1966 album, Blonde on Blonde . It was also released as a single in the U.S. during August 1966 and peaked at #33 on the Billboard Hot 100...

    "
  11. "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35"
  12. "I Want You
    I Want You (Bob Dylan song)
    "I Want You" is a 1966 song recorded by Bob Dylan. It was issued as a single in June 1966, shortly before the release of its accompanying album, Blonde on Blonde. A live version of "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" was included as a B-side...

    "

UK track listing for Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits 2

  1. "I Want You
    I Want You (Bob Dylan song)
    "I Want You" is a 1966 song recorded by Bob Dylan. It was issued as a single in June 1966, shortly before the release of its accompanying album, Blonde on Blonde. A live version of "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" was included as a B-side...

    "
  2. "One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later)
    One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later)
    "One of Us Must Know " is a song written and recorded by Bob Dylan. It is the fourth track on his 1966 album Blonde on Blonde, and was released as the album's first single that February. The song is an emotional confession of misconnects and apologies from the singer to a woman who has tragically...

    "
  3. "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry
    It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry
    "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry" is a song written by Bob Dylan that was originally released on his seminal album Highway 61 Revisited, and also included on the compilation album Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits 2 that was released in Europe. An alternate version of the song appears on...

    "
  4. "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues
    Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues
    "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan. It was originally recorded on August 2, 1965 and released on the album Highway 61 Revisited. The song was later released on the compilation album Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol...

    "
  5. "Masters of War
    Masters of War
    "Masters of War" is a song by Bob Dylan, written over the winter of 1962-63 and released on the album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan in the spring of 1963. The song's melody was adapted from the traditional "Nottamun Town"...

    "
  6. "Chimes of Freedom
    Chimes of Freedom
    "Chimes of Freedom" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan and featured on his 1964 album Another Side of Bob Dylan , produced by Tom Wilson. It was written in early 1964 and was influenced by the symbolist poetry of Arthur Rimbaud. The song depicts the feelings and thoughts of the singer...

    "
  7. "Just Like a Woman
    Just Like a Woman (song)
    "Just Like a Woman" is a song written by Bob Dylan and first released on his 1966 album, Blonde on Blonde . It was also released as a single in the U.S. during August 1966 and peaked at #33 on the Billboard Hot 100...

    "
  8. "Obviously Five Believers"
  9. "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35"
  10. "Gates of Eden
    Gates Of Eden (song)
    "Gates of Eden" is a song by Bob Dylan that appears on his fifth studio album Bringing It All Back Home, released on March 22, 1965 by Columbia Records. It was also released as a single as the B-side of "Like a Rolling Stone". Dylan plays the song solo, accompanying himself on acoustic guitar and...

    "
  11. "Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat
    Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat
    "Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat" is a song by Bob Dylan, from his 1966 album Blonde on Blonde. Like many other Dylan songs of the 1965-1966 period, the song features a surreal, playful lyric set to an electric blues accompaniment.-Lyrics:...

    "
  12. "Absolutely Sweet Marie
    Absolutely Sweet Marie
    "Absolutely Sweet Marie" is a song written by Bob Dylan, released on his 1966 double album Blonde on Blonde. An exuberantly up-tempo number, "Sweet Marie" is full of diverse, often hardly disguised sexual imagery.- Song and background :...

    "

Charts

Album
Year Chart Position
1967 Billboard 200 10
1967 UK Top 75 6

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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