# The Essential Bob Dylan

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 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.

## Reception

The album reached No. 67 in the US charts and No. 9 in the UK.
It has been positively reviewed by AllMusic and favourably mentioned in Colin Larkin's The Encyclopedia of Popular Music.

## Track listings

All songs written by Bob Dylan except where noted.

### Standard track listing

Disc 1 :
| No.TitleLength1."Blowin' in the Wind"2:452."Don't Think Twice, It's All Right"3:373."The Times They Are a-Changin'"3:114."It Ain't Me, Babe"3:325."Maggie's Farm"3:516."It's All Over Now, Baby Blue"4:167."Mr. Tambourine Man"5:268."Subterranean Homesick Blues"2:17 | No.TitleLength9."Like a Rolling Stone"6:0710."Positively 4th Street"3:5211."Just Like a Woman"4:5012."Rainy Day Women ♯12 & 35"4:3413."All Along the Watchtower"2:3014."Quinn the Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)" (Recorded 1967, as part of the "Basement Tapes" sessions with The Band)2:1715."I'll Be Your Baby Tonight"2:39Total length:56:09 |
| Disc 2 ||
| No.TitleLength1."Lay Lady Lay"3:162."If Not for You"2:393."I Shall Be Released"3:014."You Ain't Goin' Nowhere"2:435."Knockin' on Heaven's Door"2:306."Forever Young"4:567."Tangled Up in Blue"5:408."Shelter from the Storm"5:01 | No.TitleLength9."Hurricane" (Bob Dylan, Jacques Levy)8:3210."Gotta Serve Somebody"5:2311."Jokerman"6:1412."Silvio" (Dylan, Robert Hunter)3:0513."Everything Is Broken"3:1314."Not Dark Yet"6:2715."Things Have Changed"5:08Total length:65:18 |
| Disc 3 (limited edition 3.0 version, October 2009) ||
| No.TitleLength1."Thunder on the Mountain"5:552."Mississippi"5:213."Blind Willie McTell"5:52 | No.TitleLength4."Make You Feel My Love"3:325."Beyond Here Lies Nothin'" (Dylan, Hunter)3:516."Dark Eyes"5:07Total length:26:06 |

### British and Australian track listing

Disc 1 :
| No.TitleLength1."Blowin' in the Wind"2:452."Don't Think Twice, It's All Right"3:373."The Times They Are a-Changin'"3:114."It Ain't Me, Babe"3:325."Maggie's Farm"3:516."It's All Over Now, Baby Blue"4:167."Mr. Tambourine Man"5:268."Subterranean Homesick Blues"2:179."Like a Rolling Stone"6:0710."Positively 4th Street"3:5211."Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?"3:32 | No.TitleLength12."I Want You"3:0713."Just Like a Woman"4:5014."Rainy Day Women#12 & 35"4:3415."All Along the Watchtower"2:3016."Quinn the Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)"2:1717."I'll Be Your Baby Tonight"2:3918."Lay, Lady, Lay"3:1619."If Not for You"2:3920."I Shall Be Released"3:0121."You Ain't Goin' Nowhere"2:4322."Knockin' on Heaven's Door"2:30Total length:76:57 |
| Disc 2 ||
| No.TitleLength1."Forever Young"4:562."Tangled Up in Blue"5:403."Shelter from the Storm"5:014."Hurricane" (Dylan, Levy)8:325."Changing of the Guards"7:046."Gotta Serve Somebody"5:237."Blind Willie McTell"5:52 | No.TitleLength8."Jokerman"6:149."Tight Connection to My Heart (Has Anybody Seen My Love)"5:2210."Silvio" (Dylan, Hunter)3:0511."Everything Is Broken"3:1312."Dignity" (Original version)5:5813."Not Dark Yet"6:2714."Things Have Changed"5:08Total length:77:55 |

### 2010 version

Disc 1 :
| No.TitleLength1."Blowin' in the Wind"2:482."Don't Think Twice, It's All Right"3:393."The Times They Are a-Changin'"3:134."It Ain't Me, Babe"3:345."Maggie's Farm"3:536."It's All Over Now, Baby Blue"4:167."Mr. Tambourine Man"5:288."Subterranean Homesick Blues"2:199."Like a Rolling Stone"6:0910."Positively 4th Street"3:5411."I Want You"3:05 | No.TitleLength12."Just Like a Woman"4:5213."Rainy Day Women#12 & 35"4:3614."All Along the Watchtower"2:3215."Lay, Lady, Lay"3:1816."If Not for You"2:4117."You Ain't Goin' Nowhere"2:4518."I Shall Be Released"3:0419."Knockin' on Heaven's Door"2:3220."Tangled Up in Blue"5:4321."Forever Young"4:58Total length:79:19 |
| Disc 2 ||
| No.TitleLength1."Shelter From the Storm"5:022."Hurricane" (Dylan, Levy)8:333."Gotta Serve Somebody"5:254."The Groom's Still Waiting at the Altar"4:045."Jokerman"6:156."Everything Is Broken"3:137."Blind Willie McTell"5:538."Not Dark Yet"6:29 | No.TitleLength9."Make You Feel My Love"3:3210."Dignity" (Alternate version)5:3611."Things Have Changed"5:0812."Mississippi"5:2113."Thunder on the Mountain"5:5314."When the Deal Goes Down"5:0115."Beyond Here Lies Nothin'" (Dylan, Hunter)3:52Total length:79:17 |

### 2014 version

Disc 1 :
| No.TitleLength1."Blowin' in the Wind"2:492."Don't Think Twice, It's All Right"3:413."The Times They Are a-Changin'"3:144."It Ain't Me, Babe"3:365."Maggie's Farm"3:576."Mr. Tambourine Man"5:287."Subterranean Homesick Blues"2:208."Like a Rolling Stone"6:11 | No.TitleLength9."Positively 4th Street"4:0910."Just Like a Woman"4:5211."Rainy Day Women#12 & 35"4:3612."All Along the Watchtower"2:3313."Quinn the Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)" (Recorded in 1967, as part of the "Basement Tapes" sessions with The Band)2:1914."I'll Be Your Baby Tonight"2:4115."Lay Lady Lay"3:2116."If Not for You"2:40Total length:58:27 |
| Disc 2 ||
| No.TitleLength1."I Shall Be Released"3:052."You Ain't Goin' Nowhere"2:463."Knockin' on Heaven's Door"2:314."Forever Young"4:585."Tangled Up in Blue"5:436."Hurricane" (Dylan, Levy)8:347."Ring Them Bells"3:028."Gotta Serve Somebody"5:26 | No.TitleLength9."Jokerman"6:1710."Not Dark Yet"6:2911."Things Have Changed"5:0912."Make You Feel My Love"3:3313."Mississippi"5:2314."Beyond Here Lies Nothin'" (Dylan, Hunter)3:5115."Duquesne Whistle" (Dylan, Hunter)5:4416."When the Deal Goes Down"5:00Total length:77:31 |

### 2016 vinyl version

| Side One No.TitleLength1."Blowin' in the Wind"2:492."Don't Think Twice, It's All Right"3:413."The Times They Are a-Changin'"3:144."It Ain't Me, Babe"3:365."Maggie's Farm"3:576."Mr. Tambourine Man"5:287."Subterranean Homesick Blues"2:20Total length:25:05 | Side Two No.TitleLength1."Like a Rolling Stone"6:112."Positively 4th Street"4:093."Just Like a Woman"4:524."Rainy Day Women #12 & 35"4:365."Lay Lady Lay"3:216."Knockin' on Heaven's Door"2:31Total length:25:40 |
| Side Three No.TitleLength1."Forever Young"4:582."Tangled Up in Blue"5:433."Gotta Serve Somebody"5:264."Jokerman"6:175."Make You Feel My Love"3:33Total length:25:57 | Side Four No.TitleLength1."Things Have Changed"5:092."Mississippi"5:233."When the Deal Goes Down"5:004."Beyond Here Lies Nothin'" (Dylan, Hunter)3:515."Long and Wasted Years"3:46Total length:23:09 |

## Charts

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

## Certifications

| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
| Australia (ARIA) | 3× Platinum | 210,000$^^$ |
| Italy (FIMI) | Gold | 25,000$^‡$ |
| Norway (IFPI Norway) | Gold | 25,000$^*$ |
| United Kingdom (BPI) | Platinum | 300,000$^^$ |
| United States (RIAA) | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000$^‡$ |
| $^*$ Sales figures based on certification alone. $^^$ Shipments figures based on certification alone. $^‡$ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |||