Top Songs By Bob Dylan
On The Acoustic

Abandoned Love was first recorded in 1975 and was intended for the "Desire" album, but was shelved for 10 years. It became a track for his 1985 album "Biograph".

The song was never a single release and there is only one known live performance of the song by Dylan which was in Greenwich Village in 1975 at The Bitter End Cafe.

This one I play with a capo 3rd fret in standard tuning with a root down root up down up and repeat rhythm pattern. Some picking required here playing the chords G, C, D, Em and Bm.

All Along The Watchtower is a track from Dylan's 1967 album John Wesley Harding. The album peaked at #1 in the US and #2 in the UK. The song itself did not chart.

Jimi Hendrix covered the song a year later and had a top 20 with his version. Dylan than began playing that version in concert. All Along The Watchtower is the most performed song by Dylan in concert from his library of compositions.

The original chords are Am, G and F with a capo 4th, but I changed it to an Em, D and C to fit my vocals. Use a down down down up down up down up rhythm pattern with some improvised lead throughout.

Blind Willie McTell was written by Dylan about the blue artist from the 1920s known as Blind Willie McTell. The song was recorded in 1983 but not released until 1991 on the album "The Bootleg Series Vol 1-3".

The song was never released as a single.

Play this one with a capo 1st fret in standard tuning with the chords Dm, A7, G, C and A#. You will pick a little in the rhythm while playing a down down up down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern.

Blowin In The Wind was from the 1962 album The Freewheelin Bob Dylan. The original single release only charted in France, reaching #3, but we all know how popular the song has become despite the charts in 1963.

For chords here you'll need a C, F, G, Dm, Am and G6 in standard tuning. The rhythm pattern is a root down up down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern with some lead work required.

Country Pie is a track on the 1969 album Nashville Skyline and was a B-side to the A-side single Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You.

Play this with a down down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern and a capo on the 2nd fret. Picking required here with the chords G, C, Em, A7, D7, E7, B7 and a D.

Forever Young written by Bob Dylan in 1966 for his son Jesse, appeared on the 1974 album "Planet Waves" in both fast and slow versions, recorded with The Band. Dylan performed it live with Bruce Springsteen and on Letterman in 1993.

Though not released as a single in the US, a live version from a 1978 Tokyo concert was released in Europe. Rod Stewart's similarly titled song shared royalties with Dylan. Joan Baez's 1974 cover hit #13, and Louisa Johnson's version reached #9 in the UK.

Paul Rogers also created a book with the song's lyrics and illustrations, likely available online.

I play this one in drop D tuning with the chords D, A/Db, Bm, G, Asus, A7 and an A. There is lead in her with the rhythm pattern of down down down up down up and repeat.

Gotta Serve Somebody is a track from Dylan's album "Slow Train Coming" which was released in 1979.

This track managed to make it to #24 in the US.

This one has a down down down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern in a quick shuffle while in standard tuning. A bit of picking with the chords G, C7 and D7.

If You See Her Say Hello was recorded twice by Dylan. The first time in New York in the fall of 1974 and then again in Dec of '75 in Minneapolis. His brother David was the producer and the song later became the B-side to Tangled Up In Blue, released as a single in 1975.

This will you'll play with a 1-2-3 up down up down up where 1-2-3 are arpeggio notes of the chord your on in standard tuning. The chords here are D, A, G, Bm, C and a D7. No lead work here.

Jokerman was on of three tracks from the 1984 album "Infidels".

The track failed to chart anywhere.

Use a capo 3rd fret here with a bit of picking in the rhythm while in standard tuning.

A down down down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern will work here with the chords G, Gmaj7, Am7, D7, C/G, D, C, D/Gb, Em and a Bm.

Just Like A Woman is from the 1966 album entitled "Blonde On Blonde".

This track was released as a single and peaked at #28 in the US and #8 in Australia.

I play this one with Drop D Tuning and a capo 3rd fret using the chords D, G, A7, Bm and Gb. A down down down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern will work with a little picking in the rhythm.

Knocking On Heavens Door was a #10 in the US, #14 in the UK and hit #9 in Ireland when it was released as a single in 1973.

The track is from the album "Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid".

Play a down down down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern for this one in standard tuning. A bit of lead work with the chords G, D, Am and C.

Lay Lady Lay from Bob Dylan's 1969 album "Nashville Skyline," peaked at #7 in the US and #5 in the UK. It was intended for the "Midnight Cowboy" soundtrack but missed the deadline. Dylan revealed in 1971 that the song was written for Barbra Streisand.

After a 1960s gig, Dylan sang the song to The Everly Brothers, who found it too sexual and passed on it, though they recorded it 15 years later. Kris Kristofferson, then a janitor at Columbia Studios, held the cowbell and bongos during the recording, explaining the distant drum sound. Charlie Daniels played guitar on the track.

Notable covers include versions by The Byrds, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Buddy Guy, The Everly Brothers, Ministry, Duran Duran, The Flaming Lips, and more.

This song has a down down up down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern in standard tuning with the chords A, Abm, G, Bm, E and a Gbm. No lead work in this one.

License To Kill, not to be confused with a Gladys Knight song of the same name, is a track from the 1983 album "Infidels".

The song was never released as a single.

Played with a capo on the 4th fret with the chords D, Bm, A, G, Em and A7, you will have some lead work in this song.

Play this one with a down down up down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern with a few chops in the rhythm.

Like A Rolling Stone was a single release from Dylan in 1965 and can be found on his album "Highway 61 Revisited".

This song was a #1 in the US and a top 10 in several other countries.

Play this one in standard tuning with the chords C, F, Dm, Em and G with no picking required. Play a down down up down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern.

My Back Pages was first released back in 1964 from the album "Another Side Of Bob Dylan". It can also be found on "The 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration" album from 1993.

The song does not appeared to have been released as a single. The song was never performed live by Dylan until 1988, almost 25 years after it was written.

Artists who have cover versions of this song include Keith Jarrett, The Ramones, The Nice, Steve Earle, Eric Johnson, The Hollies, The Box Tops, America, Jackson Browne, Po!, Joan Osnorne, Marshall Crenshaw, Anna Nalick, Dick Gaughan, La Mancha de Rolando and The Byrds. The 1967 version by The Byrds was their last US top 40 hit song.

Play a down down up down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern for this one with a capo 2nd fret in standard tuning. I have a bit of picking in this one using the chords D, G, A7, A7sus, Bm and a Gbm.

Not Dark Yet was a song from Bob Dylan's 1998 album "Time Out Of Mind." While it was released as a single, it didn't make it onto any music charts.

The song's style changed during recording, going from a faster tune to something more like a Civil War ballad. A music video for the song was made in Memphis in 1997. Many other singers and bands have performed their own versions of "Not Dark Yet" over the years.

The track has also been used in several movies and TV shows, including "Wonder Boys" and "The Passion Of The Christ." This shows how Dylan's music has influenced both other musicians and the entertainment world.\

Play this one in standard tuning with the chords C, Ab and F using down down down up down up and repeat with a riff near the end of the verses.

Positively 4th Street was a popular song released in 1965. It did well on music charts in different countries, reaching number one in Canada.

Interestingly, the song's title isn't mentioned in its words. People have often wondered who Dylan was singing about, with some thinking it was about critics who didn't believe in him early on. The song was recorded for one album but ended up on a different one called "Bob Dylan Greatest Hits."

It was also used in a movie made in 2007. Many other musicians have performed their own versions of the song over the years.

Play root down up root up down up rhythm pattern with chords G, Am, C, D, E and a C/G with some lead. The original has no lead break, but I have two in this one played in standard tuning.

Shelter From The Storm was not released as a single in the US but spent 9 weeks on one of Billboards charts in 2007 and peaked at #22.

The song if from the album "Modern Times".

I play this one with a capo 1st fret using the A, E and D chords. No lead but a few riffs throughout while playing a down down up down up down - down up down up down up rhythm pattern and repeat in a quick shuffle.

Sweetheart Like You was a single from the "Infidels" album of 1983-1984.

The song managed a #55 charting in the US.

Chords needed here are D, Bm, A, G, Em and A/Db with a capo 2nd fret in standard tuning. For rhythm play a down down up down down up and repeat pattern and some lead work required.

Tangled Up In Blue was the only single from the 1975 album "Blood On The Tracks".

It managed to peak at #31 in the US.

No lead in this one played in standard tuning with the chords G, C, F, Em and D. A root down up down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern will work for this one.

The Man In Me hails from Bob Dylan's 1970's album New Morning.There was only one single released from the album and that was the song If Not For You.

The song has been covered by several artists including The Clash, Joe Cocker and Emma Swift to name a few.

You play a down down up down up down up and repeat pattern for rhythm with a capo on the 1st fret for the original key.Use the chords G, Am,C and D with a bit of lead work required.

The Times They Are A Changing was a single from1963 and hails from the album of the same name.

The song did peak at #9 in the UK but the it did not chart in the US.

The chords here are G, Em, C, Am and a D in standard tuning using a down down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern. A bit of lead in this one.

Thunder On The Mountain was not released as a single in the US but peaked on one of the Billboard charts at #22 in 2007. It was a single in Europe.

The song hails from album "Modern Times".

I play this one with a capo 3rd fret using a down up down up down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern in standard tuning. Some lead in this one while you play the chords C7, G, D, and C.

With God On Our Side was first written and recorded back in 1964 for the album "The Times They Are A Changin". An extra verse was added to the song after the Vietnam War years later.

The song was never released as a single.

Another one played in standard tuning with a down down up down up and repeat rhythm pattern with some picking required. Use the chords C, F, Dm, Em and G for this one.

You Ain't Goin' Nowhere was written and first recorded by Dylan in 1967, but here never released the song as a single. It first appeared on his "Bob Dylan's  Greatest Hits Vol 11" album.

The Byrd's released a single of the song in 1968 and it reached #74 in the US aNd #45 in the UK.

Thre chords for this one and they are G, Am and a C in standard tuning. I play a root down up root up down up and repeat rhythm pattern and some lead work required.

You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go was never released as a single when it was recorded back in 1974.

It appears on the album "Blood On The Tracks".

This lesson is played in standard tuning with the chords C, B, Am, F and G. There is some lead with a root down root up down up and repeat rhythm pattern.

3. What Bob Dylan song won an Oscar?

Bob Dylan won an Oscar for his song "Things Have Changed." He wrote this song for a movie called "Wonder Boys" that came out in 2000. Dylan got the award for Best Original Song at the Oscars in 2001.

This was the first and only time he's won an Oscar so far. The song also won a Golden Globe award. It's a bluesy rock song with thoughtful lyrics that fit the movie well. Winning an Oscar was a big deal for Dylan, adding to his other awards like Grammys.

It showed that even after many years of making music, Dylan could still write great songs that people loved, even for movies.