The career ofBob Dylancan be divided into various eras (often focused around comebacks or innovations), but the decade of the 1970s might be the most chaotic of them. He trolled fans and critics, made bizarre choices, and created several of the best albums of his career. WhileDylan’s 1960s albumsmight be the most scrutinized era of his career, the ’70s provides a strange story of its own.
With that chaos comes plenty of great (and not-so-great) music. Fans get to see Dylan in all his guises: traditionalist, rocker, country star, folk singer, evangelist, film scorer, and more. To gain a sense of everything that happened during the era, it’s worth breaking down each of the albums. When the records are lined up next to each other, it’s easy to appreciate the wild swings Dylan went through, and also to see the magnificent creativity and artistic ambition deployed throughout most of the decade.
10Dylan
June 01, 2025
Dylanhas the distinction of being Bob’s worst album of the decade largely by having so little to do with, well, Dylan. His record label, Columbia, just assembled some outtakes from ‘69 and ‘70, none of which were Dylan originals, and mashed them together.None of these tracks were intended to see proper release; they’re sketches, test runs, and warm-ups.
There’s little to redeem the album, even given an open-minded listen.
It’s sort of a fascinating mess. His version of Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi” is laughably bad, and Jerry Jeff Walker’s “Mr. Bojangles” doesn’t fare much better, even though both seem like songs that should suit Dylan well. Other than some folklorist work and some engaging mood music (“Lily of the West” counts as both), there’s little to redeem the album, even given an open-minded listen.
9Self Portrait
Jul 14, 2025
In 1970, Greil Marcus famously responded toSelf Portraitby asking, “What is this sh**?” in hisRolling Stonereview. Half a century later, it’s still hard to know what to do with the album. Dylan put it together with obscure motives. There was some genuine sense of collecting a mishmash of recordings from his Nashville sessions, and there was some sense of making a statement about… something. Fandom and obsession, maybe, given its joking sense of self-definition (including the abundance of covers and traditional tunes).
It’s an intriguing puzzle for Dylanologists and interview-readers, but the main point is thatmost of the music simply doesn’t hold up. The record’s too scattered and tossed off. It does have its moments, but nothing that truly excels. Of special note is opener “All The Tired Horses”, which is a lovely piece of simplicity (and a joke - there’s no Dylan vocal to start his “self-portrait”).
8Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid
June 18, 2025
Pat Garrett & Billy The Kidserves as a unique entry in Dylan’s catalog, as it’s his only proper soundtrack. It does work better in the context of the film (superbly, actually) than as a standalone album, with a little too much “Billy” in it. That’s an unfair complaint, though, because it does its job of developing Sam Peckinpaugh’s Wild West.
The soundtrack remains notable for one key reason: “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door.” With just a few chords and a handful of words,Dylan captures a cinematic moment, but he also creates a song that continues to resonate. The piece doesn’t just embody that moment just before death, it does so with a questioning spirit, provoking a mix of emotions.
7Planet Waves
June 16, 2025
Planet Wavesmight be slightly uneven, but its formula is perfect for success. Dylan reunited with The Band for this one (with whom he subsequently put on a magnificent tour), and they developed a more rocking style of Americana that contrasted with his recent folk and country albums. The record becameDylan’s first album to reach #1 in the US (which still feels odd), and it kicked off the remarkable creative streak that ended the 1970s.
The two renditions of “Forever Young” are the heart of the album. The lyrics tell of a father’s wishes for his son, and both the slow and fast takes convey the power of the sentiment.Planet Waveshas far more than that cut to offer, though. Opener “On A Night Like This” joyfully announces the updated sound, and the album simply flows through its closing with “Wedding Song,” when The Band disappears and Dylan reveals himself alone with his acoustic guitar.
6Street-Legal
June 01, 2025
Bob Dylan was on a creative high. His previous three proper albums were critical and commercial successes, relying on inventive folk and roots rock, so he did what comes natural to Dylan and made an abrupt turn forStreet-Legal. He brought in a big band, complete with horns and backing vocalists, andcut an album of slicker contemporary rock. The album sounded odd in light of its predecessors, but it holds up well decades later, always worth a re-evaluation.
Street-Legal marks a turning point between the mid-’70s highs and the religious albums to come.
The album struggles a little under its production and (only sometimes) its arrangements. Dylan’s songwriting is nearly as good as ever, and tracks like “Changing of the Guards” and “Señor (Tales of Yankee Power)” remain classics. Dylan deals with history, psychology, and even apocalypticism on his way through the album.Street-Legalmarks a turning point between the mid-’70s highs and the religious albums to come, but it also stands well simply on its own merits.
5New Morning
August 14, 2025
Just after the release of the awkwardSelf PortraitcameNew Morning. The album was a true treat, a return to Dylan as Dylan, with a simple folk rock approach. The heavier country elements fromNashville Skylinecarry over, but the artist returned to a more natural singing style, making the album - for the most part - as accessible as it is rewarding.
The opening pair of songs offer contrasting highlights: the straightforward “If Not For You” and the harsher “Day of the Locusts.” The title track settles into country life, and “The Man In Me” discusses the experience of being truly yourself through the love of another. Dylan wasn’t completely eased into country, though, throwing in “If Dogs Run Free,” a spoken-word piece that harkens back to the Beat poets. Even with that cut,the album succeeds through its pure songwriting and honest delivery, a rarity for Dylan in the first half of the decade.
4Slow Train Coming
June 06, 2025
In a career notable for its shocking changes, perhaps none of those were as dramatic as Dylan’s conversion to Christianity and subsequent string of faith-based albums. While religious imagery had long informed his writing, explicitly Christian messages made upSlow Train Coming, a fact that alienated many of his fans. It didn’t matter; the album was a hit, and Dylan even won a Grammy for “Gotta Serve Somebody.”
Bob Dylan would release two more Christian rock albums,SavedandShot of Love. Both are underrated works, but neither matchesSlow Train Coming.
The songwriting is as good as ever, andthe album benefits from the presence of guitarist Mark Knopfler (of Dire Straits). The productions works wonderfully, suiting the bluesy, classic rock nature of the music. Tracks like “Slow Train” and “Precious Angel” mark high points in Dylan’s Christian era. The only stumble here is the reggae “Man Gave Names To All The Animals,” but even that has a certain charm, and Dylan’s sudden career change worked out just fine withSlow Train Coming.
3Desire
June 04, 2025
After the release ofBlood On The Tracksin 1975, Dylan quickly returned to the studio with an abundance of new ideas for both an album and a tour (the latter would turn into theRolling Thunder Revue). He began writing with Jacques Levy, and the pair came up with a memorable set of epic songs.The album tracks characters both fantastical and real, creating its own sort of world, all enhanced by a new collection of musicians - most notably violinist Scarlet Rivera, who develops the tone of the album as much as anyone.
The opening two numbers, the political “Hurricane” and the mythic “Isis,” maintain classic status, but the album rarely stumbles. Emmylou Harris joins Dylan for the existential “One More Cup Of Coffee (Valley Below).” “Romance In Durango” echoes the setting ofPat Garrett & Billy The Kid, bringing bonus continuity to this run of years. “Joey” remains a source of debate, both for its glamorization of a mobster and its excess runtime. Even so, it’s simply an indication of the roiling imagination of Dylan at the time, and the wonderful partnership that he found with the theatrical Levy.
2The Basement Tapes
July 31, 2025
The Basement Tapesmight not be properly a 1970s album, and yet it might be one of the most consequential recordings released during the decade. Most of the music was recorded in 1967, when, after his infamous motorcycle accident, Dylan disappeared with members of what we now know as The Band, holing up in Woodstock, NY, and recording 100 songs, a mix of originals, traditionals, and covers. The recordings redirected Dylan and effectively launched The Band, laying the foundation for modern Americana music.
After years of bootlegs and traded tapes, the full recordings from the 1967 sessions finally got a proper release withThe Bootleg Series Vol. 11: The Basement Tapes Complete. Fans should give this music a serious listen.
The album would be valuable just for its historical significance, butits true power lies in simply how good every track is. The sketches were worked out with overdubs in the 1970s, turning folk woodshedding into finished roots music. The songs vary from silly to comic to lecherous to existentially angsty, but all hang together musically. It’s one of rock’s most memorable statements, even detached from its creation narrative. Add in its background, andThe Basement Tapesis as compelling as it gets.
1Blood On The Tracks
June 19, 2025
The 1970s were an erratic time for Bob Dylan. He released two of his worst albums, rediscovered his muse, and repeatedly surprised his listeners with changes of direction. In the midst of it all, he produced his greatest work,Blood On The Tracks. LikeThe Basement Tapes, it has its own fascinating history, but its music surpasses its story. It’srock’s greatest breakup album.
Whether Dylan wrote autobiographically can be disputed, buthe wrote thematically, dealing with romantic loss and its emotional falloutthroughout the record. He does so with remarkable complexity, finding nuance and surprising insight throughout every song. Each song is delivered with intensity, whether as a solo acoustic number or with a full band. Tracks like “Tangled Up In Blue” and “Idiot Wind” stand as some of the finest of his career, as powerful now as they were 50 years ago.Bob Dylanwould go on to create other masterpieces, butBlood On The Tracksremains a high point in a brilliant career.
