On This Day in 1979, Bob Dylan Released an Album That Alienated Many of His Longtime Fans—for the Second Time in His Career

On this day (August 20) in 1979, Bob Dylan released Slow Train Coming, his first album of faith-based songs. The LP was an international hit, peaking at No. 3 in the United States and No. 2 in the United Kingdom. Additionally, the first single from the album, “Gotta Serve Somebody,” was his first hit single in years, and brought him a Grammy Award. However, the album alienated many of his longtime fans.

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Dylan has seemingly always followed his creative vision without much concern for how his fanbase would receive it. For instance, his first four albums made him one of the biggest stars of the folk revival. He and a handful of other artists had sparked a resurgence of acoustic music. Then, he took the stage at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival with an electric guitar. He released Bringing It All Back Home the same year. The album also featured electric instruments and full-band arrangements. This brought criticism from his folk music peers and fans alike. He ruffled the feathers of his fanbase a second time when he released Slow Train Coming.

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Many of Dylan’s fans were turned off by Slow Train Coming. They didn’t want to hear one of the figureheads of the counterculture movement singing about Christianity. Those who attended his concerts around this time found that he would only perform faith-based songs and refused to sing his old material. Fans heckled the singer/songwriter, and he would evangelize from the stage.

However, not everyone disliked the album. Nick Cave once told Mojo Magazine that Slow Train Coming was his all-time favorite. “That’s a great record, full of mean-spirited spirituality. It’s a genuinely nasty record, certainly the nastiest ‘Christian’ album I’ve ever come across.”

Despite how some longtime fans felt about the content of Slow Train Coming, it was a commercial success. It went to No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and No. 2 on the Official UK Albums Chart. Additionally, it topped charts in Norway, New Zealand, and Australia.

Slow Train Coming won Bob Dylan a GMA Dove Award for Album by a Secular Artist. “Gotta Serve Somebody” won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male.

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