Bob Dylan has one of the most acclaimed and valuable catalogs of songs in music history. That isn’t just thanks to his originals, but it is also thanks to the wide variety of musicians who have covered them. Matter of fact, without Dylan’s songwriting expertise, certain musicians would have missed out on some major success.
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It seems every other musician has covered a Bob Dylan song in some capacity. Whether it be on an official single or in a live performance, Bob Dylan’s music has arguably been sung by others just as much as it has been sung by him. With all that in mind, here are three acts that scored No. 1 hits by covering Bob Dylan.
“Mr. Tambourine Man” by The Byrds
In a way, The Byrds have Bob Dylan to thank for their career. Now, they have some phenomenal original songs. However, their 1965 cover of Dylan’s “Mr. Tambourine Man” is the most successful song of their career in terms of chart history. Furthermore, it was this song that helped the group reach the ears of the mainstream.
Released in 1965, The Byrds’ cover of “Mr Tambourine Man” peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and on the UK single chart. At the time, it was Bob Dylan’s first No. 1 hit as a writer. Though, since then, Bob Dylan has clearly surpassed that number.
“Make You Feel My Love” by Garth Brooks
Bob Dylan’s words are so universal that they can be implemented into any genre. That being so, it comes as no surprise that Garth Brooks scored a No. 1 hit with his cover of Dylan’s 1997 single, “Make You Feel My Love”. Covered by Brooks in 1998, the country singer’s rendition of the song appeared in the soundtrack of the movie, Hope Floats.
Following the release of the single, Brooks’ cover climbed to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. It also peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart. The Bob Dylan cover is one of 19 No. 1 hits earned by Garth Brooks.
“Blowin’ In The Wind” by Peter, Paul and Mary
Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ In The Wind” is arguably the most culturally impactful song of his catalog. It also garnered him some significant chart success. Well, Dylan was not the only musician to achieve success with the song, as Peter, Paul and Mary also acquired some major chart success with their 1963 cover of the infamous single.
After the release of PPM’s version, it peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. It became a No. 1 hit after it reached No. 1 on the Billboard Middle-Road chart for five weeks. To this day, it is the most successful and well-known rendition of Dylan’s infamous protest song.
Photo credit Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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