The Essential Bob Dylan
A blue-tinted photograph of Dylan holding a guitar
Greatest hits album by
Bob Dylan
ReleasedOctober 31, 2000
Recorded1962–1999
Genre
Length121:27 (Standard edition)
147:33 (2009 standard edition)
154:52 (UK/Australia edition)
Label
Bob Dylan chronology
The Best of Bob Dylan, Vol. 2
(2000) 		The Essential Bob Dylan
(2000) 		Live 1961–2000: Thirty-Nine Years of Great Concert Performances
(2001)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[2]

The Essential Bob Dylan is a compilation by Bob Dylan, released in 2000 as the inaugural entry in Sony Music's "The Essential" double-disc compilation series. The Essential Bob Dylan spans from 1963's "Blowin' in the Wind" (from The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan) to 2000's "Things Have Changed" (Dylan's Oscar-winning song from the motion picture Wonder Boys).

The Essential Bob Dylan has proven to be a solid seller in Dylan's catalog, reaching No. 67 in the US and peaking at No. 9 in the UK.

The British and Australian releases include all of the tracks from the US edition plus several more. It has been reissued in 2009 and 2016 with varying track listings.

Track listings

All songs written by Bob Dylan except where noted.

Standard track listing

Disc 1
No.TitleLength
1."Blowin' in the Wind"2:45
2."Don't Think Twice, It's All Right"3:37
3."The Times They Are a-Changin'"3:11
4."It Ain't Me, Babe"3:32
5."Maggie's Farm"3:51
6."It's All Over Now, Baby Blue"4:16
7."Mr. Tambourine Man"5:26
8."Subterranean Homesick Blues"2:17
No.TitleLength
9."Like a Rolling Stone"6:07
10."Positively 4th Street"3:52
11."Just Like a Woman"4:50
12."Rainy Day Women ♯12 & 35"4:34
13."All Along the Watchtower"2:30
14."Quinn the Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)" (Recorded 1967, as part of the "Basement Tapes" sessions with The Band)2:17
15."I'll Be Your Baby Tonight"2:39
Total length:56:09
Disc 2
No.TitleLength
1."Lay Lady Lay"3:16
2."If Not for You"2:39
3."I Shall Be Released"3:01
4."You Ain't Goin' Nowhere"2:43
5."Knockin' on Heaven's Door"2:30
6."Forever Young"4:56
7."Tangled Up in Blue"5:40
8."Shelter from the Storm"5:01
No.TitleLength
9."Hurricane" (Bob Dylan, Jacques Levy)8:32
10."Gotta Serve Somebody"5:23
11."Jokerman"6:14
12."Silvio" (Dylan, Robert Hunter)3:05
13."Everything Is Broken"3:13
14."Not Dark Yet"6:27
15."Things Have Changed"5:08
Total length:65:18
Disc 3 (limited edition 3.0 version, October 2009)
No.TitleLength
1."Thunder on the Mountain"5:55
2."Mississippi"5:21
3."Blind Willie McTell"5:52
No.TitleLength
4."Make You Feel My Love"3:32
5."Beyond Here Lies Nothin'" (Dylan, Hunter)3:51
6."Dark Eyes"5:07
Total length:26:06

British and Australian track listing

Disc 1
No.TitleLength
1."Blowin' in the Wind"2:45
2."Don't Think Twice, It's All Right"3:37
3."The Times They Are a-Changin'"3:11
4."It Ain't Me, Babe"3:32
5."Maggie's Farm"3:51
6."It's All Over Now, Baby Blue"4:16
7."Mr. Tambourine Man"5:26
8."Subterranean Homesick Blues"2:17
9."Like a Rolling Stone"6:07
10."Positively 4th Street"3:52
11."Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?"3:32
No.TitleLength
12."I Want You"3:07
13."Just Like a Woman"4:50
14."Rainy Day Women#12 & 35"4:34
15."All Along the Watchtower"2:30
16."Quinn the Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)"2:17
17."I'll Be Your Baby Tonight"2:39
18."Lay, Lady, Lay"3:16
19."If Not for You"2:39
20."I Shall Be Released"3:01
21."You Ain't Goin' Nowhere"2:43
22."Knockin' on Heaven's Door"2:30
Total length:76:57
Disc 2
No.TitleLength
1."Forever Young"4:56
2."Tangled Up in Blue"5:40
3."Shelter from the Storm"5:01
4."Hurricane" (Dylan, Levy)8:32
5."Changing of the Guards"7:04
6."Gotta Serve Somebody"5:23
7."Blind Willie McTell"5:52
No.TitleLength
8."Jokerman"6:14
9."Tight Connection to My Heart (Has Anybody Seen My Love)"5:22
10."Silvio" (Dylan, Hunter)3:05
11."Everything Is Broken"3:13
12."Dignity" (Original version)5:58
13."Not Dark Yet"6:27
14."Things Have Changed"5:08
Total length:77:55

2010 version

Disc 1
No.TitleLength
1."Blowin' in the Wind"2:48
2."Don't Think Twice, It's All Right"3:39
3."The Times They Are a-Changin'"3:13
4."It Ain't Me, Babe"3:34
5."Maggie's Farm"3:53
6."It's All Over Now, Baby Blue"4:16
7."Mr. Tambourine Man"5:28
8."Subterranean Homesick Blues"2:19
9."Like a Rolling Stone"6:09
10."Positively 4th Street"3:54
11."I Want You"3:05
No.TitleLength
12."Just Like a Woman"4:52
13."Rainy Day Women#12 & 35"4:36
14."All Along the Watchtower"2:32
15."Lay, Lady, Lay"3:18
16."If Not for You"2:41
17."You Ain't Goin' Nowhere"2:45
18."I Shall Be Released"3:04
19."Knockin' on Heaven's Door"2:32
20."Tangled Up in Blue"5:43
21."Forever Young"4:58
Total length:79:19
Disc 2
No.TitleLength
1."Shelter From the Storm"5:02
2."Hurricane" (Dylan, Levy)8:33
3."Gotta Serve Somebody"5:25
4."The Groom's Still Waiting at the Altar"4:04
5."Jokerman"6:15
6."Everything Is Broken"3:13
7."Blind Willie McTell"5:53
8."Not Dark Yet"6:29
No.TitleLength
9."Make You Feel My Love"3:32
10."Dignity" (Alternate version)5:36
11."Things Have Changed"5:08
12."Mississippi"5:21
13."Thunder on the Mountain"5:53
14."When the Deal Goes Down"5:01
15."Beyond Here Lies Nothin'" (Dylan, Hunter)3:52
Total length:79:17

2014 version

Disc 1
No.TitleLength
1."Blowin' in the Wind"2:49
2."Don't Think Twice, It's All Right"3:41
3."The Times They Are a-Changin'"3:14
4."It Ain't Me, Babe"3:36
5."Maggie's Farm"3:57
6."Mr. Tambourine Man"5:28
7."Subterranean Homesick Blues"2:20
8."Like a Rolling Stone"6:11
No.TitleLength
9."Positively 4th Street"4:09
10."Just Like a Woman"4:52
11."Rainy Day Women#12 & 35"4:36
12."All Along the Watchtower"2:33
13."Quinn the Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)" (Recorded in 1967, as part of the "Basement Tapes" sessions with The Band)2:19
14."I'll Be Your Baby Tonight"2:41
15."Lay Lady Lay"3:21
16."If Not for You"2:40
Total length:58:27
Disc 2
No.TitleLength
1."I Shall Be Released"3:05
2."You Ain't Goin' Nowhere"2:46
3."Knockin' on Heaven's Door"2:31
4."Forever Young"4:58
5."Tangled Up in Blue"5:43
6."Hurricane" (Dylan, Levy)8:34
7."Ring Them Bells"3:02
8."Gotta Serve Somebody"5:26
No.TitleLength
9."Jokerman"6:17
10."Not Dark Yet"6:29
11."Things Have Changed"5:09
12."Make You Feel My Love"3:33
13."Mississippi"5:23
14."Beyond Here Lies Nothin'" (Dylan, Hunter)3:51
15."Duquesne Whistle" (Dylan, Hunter)5:44
16."When the Deal Goes Down"5:00
Total length:77:31

2016 vinyl version

Side One

No.TitleLength
1."Blowin' in the Wind"2:49
2."Don't Think Twice, It's All Right"3:41
3."The Times They Are a-Changin'"3:14
4."It Ain't Me, Babe"3:36
5."Maggie's Farm"3:57
6."Mr. Tambourine Man"5:28
7."Subterranean Homesick Blues"2:20
Total length:25:05

Side Two

No.TitleLength
1."Like a Rolling Stone"6:11
2."Positively 4th Street"4:09
3."Just Like a Woman"4:52
4."Rainy Day Women #12 & 35"4:36
5."Lay Lady Lay"3:21
6."Knockin' on Heaven's Door"2:31
Total length:25:40

Side Three

No.TitleLength
1."Forever Young"4:58
2."Tangled Up in Blue"5:43
3."Gotta Serve Somebody"5:26
4."Jokerman"6:17
5."Make You Feel My Love"3:33
Total length:25:57

Side Four

No.TitleLength
1."Things Have Changed"5:09
2."Mississippi"5:23
3."When the Deal Goes Down"5:00
4."Beyond Here Lies Nothin'" (Dylan, Hunter)3:51
5."Long and Wasted Years"3:46
Total length:23:09

Charts

Chart (2000) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[3] 67
Chart (2001) Peak
position
Belgium (Flanders) 100 Albums[4] 37
French Compilations[5] 16
UK Albums Chart[6] 9
Chart (2002) Peak
position
Australian Top 50 Albums[7] 36
Chart (2004) Peak
position
Norwegian Top 40 Albums[8] 5
Chart (2005) Peak
position
Netherlands Top 100 Albums[9] 78
US Catalog Albums[3] 23
Chart (2006) Peak
position
Finnish Top 50 Albums[10] 30
Chart (2007) Peak
position
Swedish Top 60 Albums[11] 57
Chart (2008) Peak
position
Spanish Top 100 Albums[12] 90
Chart (2010) Peak
position
Greek Top 50 Albums[13] 49

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[14] 3× Platinum 210,000^
Italy (FIMI)[15] Gold 25,000‡
Norway (IFPI Norway)[16] Gold 25,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[17] Platinum 300,000^
United States (RIAA)[18] 2× Platinum 2,000,000‡

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ The Essential Bob Dylan at AllMusic
  2. ^ Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195313734.
  3. ^ a b "The Essential Bob Dylan - Bob Dylan". Billboard. Retrieved July 18, 2011.
  4. ^ "Bob Dylan – The Essential (Album)" (ASP). Ultratop (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 18, 2011.
  5. ^ "Les "Charts Runs" de chaque Album Classé" (PHP). InfoDisc (in French). Search for "Bob DYLAN" on the drop-down menu to see results.
  6. ^ "Chart Archive: Top 40 Official UK Albums Archive – 2nd June 2001". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 18, 2011.
  7. ^ "Bob Dylan – The Essential (Album)" (ASP). Australian Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 18, 2011.
  8. ^ "Bob Dylan – The Essential (Album)" (ASP). Norwegian Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 18, 2011.
  9. ^ "Bob Dylan – The Essential (Album)" (ASP). Dutch Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 18, 2011.
  10. ^ "Bob Dylan – The Essential (Album)" (ASP). Finnish Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 18, 2011.
  11. ^ "Bob Dylan – The Essential (Album)" (ASP). Swedish Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 18, 2011.
  12. ^ "Bob Dylan – The Essential (Album)" (ASP). Spanish Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 18, 2011.
  13. ^ "Bob Dylan – The Essential (Album)". Greek Charts. Hung Medien. Archived from the original (ASP) on October 13, 2012. Retrieved July 18, 2011.
  14. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2014 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved July 18, 2011.
  15. ^ "Italian album certifications – Bob Dylan – The Essential Bob Dylan" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved January 14, 2019. Select "2019" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "The Essential Bob Dylan" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Album e Compilation" under "Sezione".
  16. ^ "IFPI Norsk platebransje Trofeer 1993–2011" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  17. ^ "British album certifications – Bob Dylan – The Essential Bob Dylan". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved June 25, 2013.
  18. ^ "American album certifications – Bob Dylan – The Essential Bob Dylan". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
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