Highway 61 Revisited Songs Ranked
Highway 61 Revisited is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on August 30, 1965 by Columbia Records. Having until then recorded mostly acoustic music, Dylan used rock musicians as his backing band on every track of the album, except for the closing track, the 11-minute ballad “Desolation Row”. Critics have focused on the innovative way Dylan combined driving, blues-based music with the subtlety of poetry to create songs that captured the political and cultural chaos of contemporary America. Author Michael Gray has argued that, in an important sense, the 1960s “started” with this album. Leading with the hit song “Like a Rolling Stone”, the album features songs that Dylan has continued to perform live over his long career, including “Ballad of a Thin Man” and the title track. He named the album after the major American highway which connected his birthplace of Duluth, Minnesota, to southern cities famed for their musical heritage, including St. Louis, Memphis, New Orleans, and the Delta blues area of Mississippi. Here are all of Highway 61 Revisited songs ranked.
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9. From a Buick 6
“Showing off one of his new features (an electric band), this is a funny cool rock and roll song. The bassline is excellent and follows the music like butter. “From A Buick 6″ is a fun song that rocks along perfectly”
8. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues
“A lazy, free floating song, with an excellent honky-tonk feel. A pretty silly story, and there is fantastic playing to back it up. Dylan sounds all tired as hell here, like he singing recalling a past story of his lifetime.”
7. Queen Jane Approximately
“The Piano is quite gorgeous. My favorite little part is the open strum that appears in the song, and the organ. “Queen Jane Approximately” is slightly similar to “Like a Rolling Stone” in sound but of course, lyrically it’s from an entirely different planet.”
See more: Bob Dylan Albums Ranked
6. Highway 61 Revisited
“At the start of a penny whistle, the runnin’ blues of Highway 61 Revisited kicks off. Dylan spins five absurd tales of people going to Highway 61 to have their problems solved.”
5. 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 slow-moving blues tune with tasty piano arrangements. Normally this kind of song would be ordinary but Dylan has that magical ability (perhaps due to the sound of his voice alone) to make it rather interesting and worth your time. “
4. Tombstone Blues
“Tombstone Blues” mentions all sorts of lyrics about Paul Revere, Jack the Ripper, the commander in chief, geometry and who knows what else. What’s especially interesting is how it actually has a chorus with the same phrase repeated several times, something Dylan normally avoided implementing.”
See more: Bob Dylan Songs Ranked
3. Ballad of a Thin Man
“Ballad Of A Thin Man” contains various adult imagery that you have to kind of read between the lines to get. It has kind of a mysterious, back-alley kind of music that fit the lyrics and Bob’s vocals perfectly!!”
2. Desolation Row
“The epic eleven minute tune. Dylan’s cryptic lyrics drop references as much as any later Bloodhound Gang song did. Oh, the music is fantastic. It never falters for it’s time and never turns dull. Consisting of Dylan’s dirty guitar strumming (at one point it turns pretty) and beautiful flamenco-esque soloing. Believe the hype, this song rules.”
1. Like a Rolling Stone
“Between the sparkly piano intro, the howling lyrics, rolling tambourine tinged drums, and the intertwining guitars, it all comes together. This is hands down one of the most famous Dylan songs, and for good reason.”