57 Years Ago Today, Bob Dylan Released an Album That Featured a Johnny Cash Duet and His Most Recent Top 10 Hit

On this day (April 9) in 1969, Bob Dylan released Nashville Skyline. The album saw him diving into country music with simpler songwriting and themes, a new vocal style, and plenty of fiddle and pedal steel played by legendary musicians. The album also contained a duet with Johnny Cash, with accompaniment from his band, the Tennessee Three. Additionally, Cash wrote the LP’s liner notes.

Videos by American Songwriter

Dylan began to flirt with country music with his 1967 album John Wesley Harding. Then, two years later, he released Nashville Skyline, which was, for all intents and purposes, a country record. This was not what anyone expected from Dylan at the time.

By 1969, Dylan had already gone electric. At the same time, the societal unrest in the United States was nearing its peak after the assassinations of Robert Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The country was at war in Vietnam, and protests and riots were cropping up across the nation.

Many hoped that Dylan would return with social commentary and protest songs. Instead, he partnered with some of the best session players in Nashville and made an easy-going country record, complete with a new crooning vocal style and a duet version of “Girl from the North Country” featuring Johnny Cash.

Bob Dylan Scores His Final Top 10 Hit to Date

While Bob Dylan is one of the most celebrated singer/songwriters of the 20^th century and beyond, he hasn’t been incredibly successful on the Billboard Hot 100. In fact, he has only notched four top 10 singles on the all-genre tally.

“Like a Rolling Stone” became his first to enter the upper region of the chart when it peaked at No. 2 in September 1965. Two months later, “Positively 4^th Street” became his second when it peaked at No. 7. “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35” followed in June 1966, reaching No. 2. Finally, “Lay Lady Lay” from Nashville Skyline peaked at No. 7 in September 1969, giving Dylan his most recent top 10 hit.

According to Songfacts, Dylan wrote the song for the 1969 film Midnight Cowboy. However, he didn’t finish it in time to be considered for the soundtrack. Furthermore, a movie starring Dustin Hoffman and John Voight about a couple of street hustlers probably wouldn’t be the best fit for this love song.

Featured Image by MGM Studios/Courtesy of Getty Images