Bob Dylan has released some of the greatest songs of the 20th century. But he’s only human, like any other musician. He’s dropped a few songs over the years that never really resonated with listeners, even after they had a few years to really sit with them. When it comes to the following Bob Dylan songs that fans hate, I can at least love aspects of them that make them unique. Let’s take a look!
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“Wiggle Wiggle” from ‘Under The Red Sky’ (1990)
Alright, I get why people really hate this song. It’s about as far from a Bob Dylan classic as it gets. Between Slash on guitar (who sounds great, of course, but not exactly what one would expect on a Dylan track) and those… questionable lyrics that are too vulgar to post here, this song is seen as a stain on an already controversial album. Personally, I love that you can tell Dylan had fun with this one and wasn’t taking himself too seriously. Still, listeners made their opinions known in the years since this song dropped.
“I have to admit, I admire his bravery for including a line like ‘wiggle ’til you vomit fire,’” said one commenter.
“If Dog Runs Free” from ‘New Morning’ (1970)
Personally, I enjoy how experimental this song is. And we all know that every time Bob Dylan got experimental, there was always someone there to criticize his choices. The jazziness of this song is easygoing and pleasant enough, and the choice to include Al Kooper on piano and scat-singer Maeretha Stewart was a wise one. Yet, some people didn’t love this song, including a few YouTube commenters who didn’t exactly love the backing vocals or the introduction.
“Listen to the ‘blues alarm’ on an iPhone or iPad then listen to this intro,” said one commenter. “I just can’t.”
“Property Of Jesus” from ‘Shot Of Love’ (1981)
Not many people love Bob Dylan’s born-again Christian era. I get it. Shot Of Love was a bit of a controversial album. However, during that era, Dylan really knew how to put his own spin on gospel in a musically powerful way. I think “Property Of Jesus” is one of the best songs off of Shot Of Love from a musical perspective. And yet, it makes it to this list of songs by Bob Dylan that fans hate for a reason. While you’ll find many fans of Christian music praising this song, others have found themselves confused over their feelings toward it.
“I actually love this song,” said Josh of Setlist Kitchen. “ In fact, it rocks. But it’s also so bad! It was at the height of Bob’s holier than thou Born-Again conversion.”
Photo by Fin Costello/Redferns
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