The Jokermen 100: BOB DYLAN

Bob Dylan's 100 greatest post-'66 songs, as selected by the Jokermen in June 2023

Here it is, folks: the third edition of the Jokermen 100, our perfectly objective, entirely accurate ranking of Columbia recording artist Bob Dylan’s 100 best post-’66 songs.

The Jokermen 100 began several years ago as an attempt to craft an alternate Bob Dylan canon, one that reflected what we respond to in the man’s music. Last year, as Jokermen 1.0 wound down, we recompiled the list to more accurately represent where we were at with the man at the end of our run. Now here we are, another year older, another year dumber, and once again, Things Have Changed.

At this point, The Jokermen 100 is best thought of as a snapshot in time, a fleeting glimpse of where we’re at this very moment with the greatest body of recorded music in history. Arriving at a perfect, eternally accurate ranking of these songs is impossible; beyond that, it’s self-defeating. Part of the joy of listening to Bob is working with him over time, your feelings about his art changing as you yourself do. No other artist affords us such an opportunity, traveling together through life toward an unknown, ever-receding destination.

So lean into it, have fun, and don’t worry if your favorite doesn’t appear here, because it may well make it next year. You know what we say around here: It’s All Good.

Listen to The Jokermen 100, Volume 3 on Spotify

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100. “Someday Baby” (Modern Times, 2006)

99. “Red River Shore” (The Bootleg Series, Vol. 8, 1997)

98. “Hazel” (Planet Waves, 1974)

97. “Wigwam” (Self Portrait, 1970)

96. “Spirit on the Water” (Modern Times, 2006)

95. “If You Ever Go To Houston” (Together Through Life, 2009)

94. “Early Roman Kings” (Tempest, 2012)

93. “High Water (For Charley Patton)” ("Love & Theft", 2001)

92. “Shooting Star” (Oh Mercy, 1989)

91. “Death Is Not The End” (The Bootleg Series, Vol. 16, 1983)

90. “Isis” (The Bootleg Series, Vol. 5, 1975)

89. “Billy” (Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid, 1973)

88. “World Gone Wrong” (World Gone Wrong, 1993)

87. “Make You Feel My Love” (Time Out Of Mind, 1997)

86. “Heart of Mine” (Shot Of Love, 1981)

85. “It's All Good” (Together Through Life, 2009)

84. “Sugar Baby” ("Love & Theft", 2001)

83. “Maybe You'll Be There” (Fallen Angels, 2016)

82. “Too Late (Band Version)” (The Bootleg Series, Vol. 16, 1983)

81. “I Could Have Told You” (Triplicate, 2017)

80. “Huck's Tune” (The Bootleg Series, Vol. 8, 2007)

79. “License to Kill” (Infidels, 1983)

78. “Knockin' on Heaven's Door” (Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid, 1973)

77. “You're Gonna Quit Me” (Good As I Been To You, 1992)

76. “The Bells of Rhymney” (The Bootleg Series, Vol. 12, 1967)

75. “On a Night Like This” (Planet Waves, 1974)

74. “Dreamin' of You” (The Bootleg Series, Vol. 17, 1996)

73. “You're a Big Girl Now” (Blood On The Tracks, 1975)

72. “Lay Lady Lay” (Nashville Skyline, 1969)

71. “Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum” ("Love & Theft", 2001)

70. “Honest With Me” ("Love & Theft", 2001)

69. “Million Dollar Bash” (The Basement Tapes, 1967)

68. “The Night We Called It a Day” (Shadows In The Night, 2015)

67. “Ain't Gonna Go To Hell For Anybody” (The Bootleg Series, Vol. 13, 1980)

66. “Arthur McBride” (Good As I Been To You, 1992)

65. “Long and Wasted Years” (Tempest, 2012)

64. “Tomorrow Night” (Good As I Been To You, 1992)

63. “John Wesley Harding” (John Wesley Harding, 1967)

62. “Why Try To Change Me Now?” (Shadows In The Night, 2015)

61. “Froggie Went a-Courtin’” (Good As I Been To You, 1992)

60. “Mother of Muses” (Rough & Rowdy Ways, 2020)

59. “Beyond Here Lies Nothin’” (Together Through Life, 2009)

58. “Thirsty Boots” (The Bootleg Series, Vol. 10, 1970)

57. “Roll On John” (Tempest, 2012)

56. “Gotta Serve Somebody” (Slow Train Coming, 1979)

55. “I Contain Multitudes” (Rough & Rowdy Ways, 2020)

54. “Series of Dreams” (The Bootleg Series, Vol. 1-3, 1989)

53. “Key West (Philosopher Pirate)” (Rough & Rowdy Ways, 2020)

52. “There's a Flaw In My Flue” (Triplicate, 2017)

51. “Silvio” (Down In The Groove, 1988)

50. “Shelter From The Storm” (Blood On The Tracks, 1975)

49. “When He Returns” (Slow Train Coming, 1979)

48. “Abandoned Love” (Biograph, 1975)

47. “Tempest” (Tempest, 2012)

46. “I Pity The Poor Immigrant” (John Wesley Harding, 1967)

45. “Pressing On” (Saved, 1980)

44. “Caribbean Wind” (Biograph, 1981)

43. “I'm Not There” (The Bootleg Series, Vol. 12, 1967)

42. “Lord Protect My Child” (The Bootleg Series, Vol. 1-3, 1983)

41. “I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine” (John Wesley Harding, 1967)

40. “Changing of the Guards” (Street-Legal, 1978)

39. “Ain't Talkin’” (Modern Times, 2006)

38. “Sweetheart Like You” (Infidels, 1983)

37. “Buckets of Rain” (Blood On The Tracks, 1975)

36. “Blind Willie McTell” (The Bootleg Series, Vol. 1-3, 1983)

35. “I And I” (The Bootleg Series, Vol. 16, 1983)

34. “Not Dark Yet” (Time Out Of Mind, 1997)

33. “Jim Jones” (Good As I Been To You, 1992)

32. “Señor (Tales of Yankee Power)” (Street-Legal, 1978)

31. “What Can I Do For You?” (Saved, 1980)

30. “Dark Eyes” (Empire Burlesque, 1985)

29. “Brownsville Girl” (Knocked Out Loaded, 1986)

28. “That Lucky Old Sun” (Shadows In The Night, 2015)

27. “Hard Times” (Good As I Been To You, 1992)

26. “Precious Angel” (Slow Train Coming, 1979)

25. “Tangled Up In Blue” (Blood On The Tracks, 1975)

24. “The Man In Me” (New Morning, 1970)

23. “Every Grain of Sand” (The Bootleg Series, Vol. 1-3, 1980)

22. “Born In Time” (Under The Red Sky, 1990)

21. “Po' Boy” ("Love & Theft", 2001)

20. “When The Deal Goes Down” (Modern Times, 2006)

19. “I Threw It All Away” (Nashville Skyline, 1969)

18. “I've Made Up My Mind To Give Myself To You” (Rough & Rowdy Ways, 2020)

17. “Tryin' to Get To Heaven” (Time Out Of Mind, 1997)

16. “Most of the Time” (Oh Mercy, 1989)

15. “God Knows” (Under The Red Sky, 1990)

14. “Simple Twist of Fate” (Blood On The Tracks, 1975)

13. “Murder Most Foul” (Rough & Rowdy Ways, 2020)

12. “Standing In The Doorway” (Time Out Of Mind, 1997)

11. “Pay In Blood” (Tempest, 2012)

10. “The Ballad of Frankie Lee & Judas Priest” (John Wesley Harding, 1967)

9. “Nettie Moore” (Modern Times, 2006)

8. “Dignity” (Greatest Hits Vol. 3, 1995)

7. “Tight Connection To My Heart (Has Anybody Seen My Love?)” (Empire Burlesque, 1985)

6. “Why Was I Born” (Triplicate, 2017)

5. “Things Have Changed” (Single, 2000)

4. “Idiot Wind” (Blood On The Tracks, 1975)

3. “Jokerman” (Infidels, 1983)

2. “Where Are You Tonight? (Journey Through Dark Heat)” (Street-Legal, 1978)

1. “Mississippi” ("Love & Theft", 2001)