Today is the 70th birthday of a true American legend, one Robert Allen Zimmerman. Or, as he’s more widely known, Bob Dylan. In order to celebrate this momentous occasion for the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer who came in at #5 on our list of 100 Greatest Artists of All-Time, we’ve compiled a list (which, I should add, is the opinion of me and only me!) of Bob Dylan’s 70 Greatest Songs (the format of which, I should also add, was inspired by The Awl’s recurring “Listicles Without Commentary” feature).

So, what makes me equipped to rank the Dylan catalog? Well, I suppose the biggest reason is that I’ve been a fan of his for well over thirty years now. I used to spend a lot of time as a youth listening to Dylan’s Sixties era output with my father, whether it was while we were outside doing yardwork or blasting him on the car stereo while we were on road trips. Although a great deal of the subject matter was way above my head at the time, I remember pouring over his lyrics in an incredibly studious fashion well before I even finished elementary school. And as I grew older and spent more time exploring Dylan’s body of work during my college years (particularly his 1970s output) and beyond, I came to recognize all of the reasons that he’s touted as such a singular talent, one whose proflic output and cultural influence is likely never to be reproduced.

So, I’d love to hear from you guys. Did I get these right? Am I way off-base? Feel free to debate me on my choices in the comments section and I will reveal my justifications there. For now, though, it’s on with the show!

70) “Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat” (from the 1966 album, Blonde On Blonde)
69) “If Not For You” (from the 1970 album, New Morning)
68) “One Too Many Mornings” (from the 1964 album, The Times They Are A-Changin’)
67) “Highway 61 Revisited” (from the 1965 album, Highway 61 Revisited)
66) “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carrol” (from the 1964 album, The Times They Are A-Changin’)
65) “Sad-eyed Lady of the Lowlands” (from the 1966 album, Blonde On Blonde)
64) “Standing In The Doorway” (from the 1997 album, Time Out Of Mind)
63) “Every Grain Of Sand” (from the 1981 album, Shot Of Love)
62) “This Wheel’s On Fire” (from the 1975 album, The Basement Tapes)
61) “Most Of The Time” (from the 1989 album, Oh Mercy)

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Sorry, Michael! The doggone #1 spot is mine!

Following last May’s update to their list of the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time,” Rolling Stone will be issuing an update to the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time,” originally published in two parts in separate issues of the magazine in 2004 and 2005.

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