World Cup 2022: Final Thoughts

The celebrations throughout Argentina this week marked the close of the 22nd World Cup tournament.  It was exhilirating, dramatic, hearbreaking, controversial and produced multitudes of stories within stories. I'm already experiencing withdrawal. Some final thoughts:

Was it the best World Cup final ever? Hell, yes. It was certainly the best final in my lifetime and I've watched every World Cup final game since 1986. One reason it's been so difficult convincing my fellow Americans that soccer isn't the boring game they think it is, is that when they finally do tune in and watch a game as hyped as a World Cup final, the game turns out to be snoozer.  Yes, in prior tournaments there have been some very close final games, but they generally haven't been good games. We've seen controversial games decided on penalty kicks (1990, 1994, 2006) and some tighty played 1-0 victories after extra time (2010, 2014) but none had the combination of back-and-forth drama, quality of play, and scoring that we saw on Sunday.  And yes, while soccer is a team sport, we also witnessed the world's two best players -- King Messi and his heir apparent, Mbappe -- playing their best, dueling it out on the worlds biggest stage. It was a rare and special thing to behold.    

Is Messi the GOAT?  For my money, yes. There's never been a player like him. But so what? The argument over who is the greatest of all time (in all sports) is getting tired. It's a fine argument to have in a bar or at a barbershop, but it makes for lazy sports journalism. And why do we engage in this futile exerecise of comparing players of different positions and eras?  We all know that it comes down to a subjective test of the eye and heart, rather than statisitics and trophies. Why have we become so obsessed with this? Can't we just enjoy what Messi, Mbappe, Pele, Maradona, Zidane, Zlatan, Ronaldo  and Ronaldo have given to the sport?  It's magic. Just enjoy.  

Has the U.S. shown progress?  On the pitch, definitely.  There were some misteps and it's not clear that Gregg Berhalter is the answer as manager, but this was a young team that outplayed England and will only get better.  And while they were outclassed by Netherlands (who seemed to capitalize on every mistake), the U.S. was in the game. They clearly belonged. They will definitely need better finishing, but that's true of most teams.

But where the U.S. has not shown progress is in the broadcast booth. Nearly everything about Fox Sports telecast was dreadful.  Someone needs to tell John Strong and Stu Holden that they are not on the radio -- they don't need to fill every second of silence with blather, especially when they have so little to say. Stop trying to create drama -- let the game do it for you. Stop telling me what I just saw. And what they have to say is mosty banal. They offer none of the poetry of  Peter Drury and none of the passion of  Andre Cantor.  If there was an option for turning off the broadcast and just listening to the crowd, I'd take that.       

Off the Field?  Here the World Cup was a disaster. The mere fact that Qatar was allowed to host is itself a scandal and affirms what we already know --  FIFA is about money first, second and always.  But the real disappointment was how, in the face of such significant human rights concerns, free speech concerns, the death of hundreds of migrant workers, and the oppression of women, minorities, and LGBT individuals in Qatar, pretty much everyone -- the players, coaches, soccer federations and FOX Sports -- was silent. Everyone played along. Yes, there was a nice gesture from the German team, but it amounted to barely a blip. I was hoping that Messi or Mbappe or one of the penalty kick takers might tear off their jersey to reveal a rainbow flag --- not exactly the stuff of Tommie Smith and John Carlos, but at least it would be something. When the President of FIFA issued a bizarre statement condmening as hypocrites those who would "politicize" the World Cup by protesting, he should have be called out for his bulllshit. After all, when FIFA made the decision to give its business to a monarchy that functions as a theocracy, following Sharia and discriminating against women and LGBT individuals, a political choice was made by FIFA. Hypocrites, indeed.      

Some Love for Croatia:  Understandably, Morocco got more attention. Morocco knocked off Spain and Portugal, posed a real challenge to the traditional powers and became the first African nation to reach the semi-finals. (And, as a Muslim nation, they became the favorites of the local supporters who watched Qatar and Saudi Arabia bounced out early). But consider, for a moment, what Croatia has achieved. Croatia is a nation of fewer than 4 million people. More people live in Okahoma than in Croatia.  But Croatia has made it to the knockout stages in each of the last 4 major tournaments - they were runners up in 2018 and finished in 3rd place in 2022.  Luka Modric is a marvel. Like Messi, he doesn't really look like a professional athelte -- his build is so slight, he looks frail.  But his technical ability and his pinpoint passing is second to none. He's been one of the best players of his generation.

We look forward to doing it all again in 2026 in North America. 

Billy Joel's 50 Greatest Songs

 

When I was growing up, Billy Joel was a indelible part of the musical landscape. I was a kid from Long Island and Billy Joel was ours. His songs were everywhere.  On tape decks, turntables and radio stations -- the pop stations and album-oriented rock stations. The first album I ever owned was Piano Man (I bought it on cassette at the CBS "nice price" of $3.99) and I played it constantly.  From early on, I was struck by the connection between Billy Joel and another artist who would become a favorite - Bruce Springsteen:  They're the same age, they both signed to Columbia Records in the early 1970s, they both wear their New York bridge-and-tunnel outsider status on their sleeve, and they were both thought to be Jewish (mistakenly in Springsteen's case).

But alas, Bruce Springsteen plays that most iconic of rock and roll instruments, the electric guitar. Billy Joel plays piano.  Other than perhaps Elton John, it's hard to think of a contemporary pop artist who is so indelibly linked to the piano. It's one reason Billy Joel never had the same street cred with rock critics and purists. Unless you're Jerry Lee Lewis or Little Richard, rock and roll has the piano relegated to an accompanying instrument. But then Billy Joel had always been cut from a different musical cloth. He draws upon a rich musical pedigree, has a unique songbook and influences ranging from George Gershwin and Cole Porter to the Beatles. From the Drifters and Phil Spector to Elvis Costello. He also hasn't released an album in over 30 years. And while that may be disappointing to those fans who expect perpetual artistic growth (I was hoping for a rock opera), most fans don't seem to mind. Before the year is up, he'll play his 128th sold-out concert at New York City's Madison Square Garden. He really is an idol of our age.

In one of my favorite songs by The Hold Steady, Craig Finn sings:

I guess you're old enough to know.
Kids out on the east coast.
Roughly twenty years old.
Got coaxed out by a Certain Perfect Ratio.
Of warm beer to the summer smoke.
And the meat loaf to the Billy Joel.
Certain songs they get so scratched into our souls

They do, and Billy Joel had a ton of them.  Here are my top 50:

50. Big Shot – 52nd Street

When I was a kid, I borrowed the 52nd Street LP from the public library and, with lyric sheet in hand, I sang along to every song. I enjoyed the snarl and bite of “Big Shot” but the lyrics perplexed me. I had never heard of Dom Perignon or Elaine’s and I couldn’t understand why on earth anyone would have “a spoon up her nose.”

49.  Leningrad – Storm Front

As another pop star famously observed, it turns out the Russians love their children's too. Maybe it's not the deepest insight, but Billy's cold-war-parallel-lives tale of a Russian circus clown is surprisingly poignant 

48.  Sometimes a Fantasy - Glass Houses

A convincing rocker from Joel's most rocking album. It's one of the better songs you'll ever hear about phone sex. 

47. Uptown Girl – An Innocent Man

As a rock-obsessed teenager, I was initially dismissive of  An Innocent Man. It struck me as soft, satisfied, married-guy music and fully deserving of that most damning of epithets: Adult Contemporary. But now, having passed the age of consciousness and righteous rage, I’ve come to appreciate the craft of these songs, an homage to the vocal groups of the 50s and 60s.  This one is Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. And that MTV video, where he’s an auto mechanic and dwarfed by Christie Brinkley, is a true 1980s period piece

46.  Honesty – 52nd Street

A heartfelt ballad and one of Joel’s finest vocal performances.

45.  Somewhere Along the Line – Piano Man

Piano Man was the first album I ever owned and, as a kid, I listened to it constantly. There was something so evocative about that opening line: "Well, it's a rainy in Paris, And I'm sitting by the Seine….”

44.  Laura - The Nylon Curtain

The Nylon Curtain is the closest Joel came to a true concept album. The play on "iron curtain" reflects the specter of the Cold War, the constant backdrop of the suburban life he chronicles (And "nylon" recalls "plastics" from The Graduate.) "Laura" is an homage to the Beatles psychedelic period.  And it has Billy's first F-bomb:  Here I am, feeling like a fucking fool. On the hill?

43.  Zanzibar – 52nd Street

Perhaps Billy’s jazziest offering. The middle section especially – the rhythm, keyboard and trumpet solo – is a fun ride. It may be the only song that references both Muhammed Ali and Pete Rose. (Dan Bern has both Ali and Rose, but on on different tracks). 

42.  Streetlife Serenader – Streetlife Serenade

A moody, evocative number from Joel’s third album. I became familiar with the powerful live version, on Songs in the Attic. I loved the idea of a “midnight masquerader.”

41.  The River of Dreams - River of Dreams

It’s hard to believe that Billy Joel’s last album of songs is now almost 30 years old. The title track, with its gospel feel, has a joyful exuberance.

40. And So it Goes – Storm Front

As a songwriter, Billy Joel is usually at his best when he's wearing his heart on his sleeve. This is a grownup love song, and a beautiful one. 

39.  Until the Night – 52nd Street

The penultimate track on Joel’s New York City album, “Until the Night” recalls the Drifters - a romantic track with a soaring chorus.

38.  Baby Grand – The Bridge

A classic ode to Billy Joel’s true love – the piano. It’s a good thing he convinced Ray Charles to sing on this track. Otherwise, we’d be wondering why Billy Joel wrote a Ray Charles song.

37.  You’re My Home – Piano Man

Piano Man is a kind of drifter’s album. Joel’s narrator is always on the move and searching for some connection. On "You’re My Home" he finds it. I’ve always had a soft spot for this sweet song.

36.  She’s Right on Time – The Nylon Curtain

Another Beatles-influenced track and probably his most underrated song on perhaps his most underrated album.

35.  My Life – 52nd Street

This bouncy anthem was Joel's biggest hit after “Just the Way You Are”.

34.  The Stranger – The Stranger

The title track of Billy Joel’s biggest album explores the duality and darkness of human nature. Most memorable is the haunting piano and whistling in the intro (and outro).

33.  This is the Time – The Bridge

Sentimental ballads are a specialty of Joel’s. This is one of his best.

32.   Souvenir - Streetlife Serenade

Clocking in at two minutes, "Souvenir" is a lovely picture postcard of melancholy.  It's a song from a different age. 

31.  Allentown – The Nylon Curtain

He's not Bruce Springsteen, but Billy Joel also sings about the distance between the American Dream and the reality he sees on the ground – most convincingly, in postwar Long Island suburbia. But if you want to broaden the picture from tract housing to the closing of steel mills, it helps to move the setting from Levittown to Allentown. 

30.  The Longest Time – An Innocent Man

Billy’s lovely tribute to 1950s doo-wop has Joel singing each track of vocal harmony.

29.  You May Be Right – Glass Houses

The sound of broken glass announced something new – Billy’s first hit song with no piano.

28.  I Go to Extremes – Storm Front

A catchy rocker about Billy’s erratic nature (or manic depression?) It’s probably his best song of the last 35 years.

27.    The Entertainer - Streetlife Serenade

Billy’s jaded take on the music business is clever and loads of fun. The only real weakness of the song is that it’s 3:40 instead of 3:05.

26.  Half a Mile Away – 52nd Street

A big, brassy pop song with a great sing-along chorus. I’m not sure why this one didn’t become a bigger hit.

25.  It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me – Glass Houses

Billy Joel’s first ever number one hit.  It's a solid rocker but the highlight is that great sax solo. 

24.  I’ve Loved These Days – Turnstiles

I’ve always been drawn to that final verse:

So before we end
And then begin
We'll drink a toast to how it's been
A few more hours to be complete
A few more nights on satin sheets
A few more times that I can say...
I've loved these days

23.  She’s Always a Woman – The Stranger

One of my favorite of Joel’s ballads, because it was easy enough for me to learn on the piano when I was a kid. I was always struck by the line “she’ll carelessly cut you and laugh while you’re bleeding.” Ouch.  

22.  Everybody Loves You Now – Cold Spring Harbor

Bitter but catchy. From early on, Billy worked in those New York references - his confidant, the Staten Island Ferry and the place she left behind, Cold Spring Harbor.  

21.  Summer Highland Falls – Turnstiles

There’s that familiar Billy Joel theme again of extremes (it’s either sadness or euphoria). But what makes the song is that gorgeous piano part.

20.  Movin' Out (Anthony's Song) – The Stranger

An Italian-American New Yorker striving and struggling to find his way.  Picture Saturday Night Fever's Tony Manero contemplating a move to the suburbs.  It's quintessential Billy Joel.

19.  I Don't Want to Be Alone Anymore - Glass Houses

This could be his most underrated song -- a cool reggae-influenced beat, great horn part and catchy chorus.  There's a definite Elvis Costello vibe here.  

18.  Stiletto – 52nd Street

What’s up with Billy Joel and these dangerous women who keep cutting him? But oh man, what a groove.

17.  Say Goodbye to Hollywood – Turnstiles

Turnstiles was transition album for Billy Joel.  It marked the end of his Los Angeles period and a New Yorker coming home. Terrific use of the Phil Spector beat (the sound of California). The live version on Songs in the Attic is especially good.

16.  She’s Got a Way – Cold Spring Harbor

A timeless ballad recorded when he was just 22 years old.

15.  Don’t Ask Me Why – Glass Houses

A near-perfect pop song with a great Latin rhythm.  I especially love that piano interlude.  

14.    Rosalinda’s Eyes – 52nd Street

A tender song with a Latin theme and and great chorus. Check out this jazz version by John Pizzarelli

13.  An Innocent Man - An innocent Man

Billy's homage to Ben E. King and the Drifters is a beautiful song and one of his most impressive vocal performances.

12.  The Ballad of Billy the Kid - Piano Man

Sweeping and cinematic. I've always been a sucker for this kind of epic Western theme and there's also some great piano playing here. 

11.  Prelude/Angry Young Man - Turnstiles 

Yes, that self-righteous angry young man is someone we all know (or were) but the highlight here is the opening of Prelude -- Billy Joel's most epic piano riff. 

 

10.  Goodnight Saigon - The Nylon Curtain

Maybe he was feeling guilty for dodging the draft or maybe he just saw in the returning Veterans a story that needed to be told. Either way, "Goodnight Saigon" (released two years before Springsteen's Born in the USA), was ahead of its time in powerfully detailing the experience of Vietnam Veterans. 

9.  Sleeping with the Television On – Glass Houses

I take it all back. Upon reconsideration, this is the most underrated Billy Joel song ever.

8.  Just the Way You Are - The Stranger

A sappy ballad made for elevator music and cocktail hour? Or a timeless melody that transcends genre and the kind of song which humans will be listening to hundreds of years from now?  It's both. 

7.  Miami 2017 - Turnstiles 

A delicate piano intro followed by a rocking fiery, post-apocalyptic, dark fantasy.  But hey, we survived. It's amazing to think that 2017 (like those other dystopian years, 1984 and 2000) is now in the rear view mirror.   

6.  Captain Jack - Piano Man

Yeah, it's dark and depressing. There's heroin, masturbation and, perhaps most powerfully, the ennui and existential dread of suburban adolescence. But then that chorus kicks in...

5.  Only the Good Die Young - The Stranger

If "Captain Jack" is the dark side of being young and bored in suburbia, here comes the fun. Billy Joel is a secular, ethnic Jew who was baptized at Church of Christ in Hicksville. This is the libidinous rebellion of a Catholic.  

4.  Vienna Waits for You - The Stranger

When I listened as a teenager, I didn't understand the title or what Vienna was supposed to signify. But it's a place whose history and musical legacy captured my imagination. I always loved that opening line, "Slow down you crazy child..." and then, "don't you know that only fools are satisfied."  The melody is beautiful and feels timeless as a waltz. 

3.  New York State of Mind - Turnstiles

These top 3 (along with "Just the Way You Are") are Billy Joel's most iconic songs.  People will be listening to them for decades, if not centuries.  (Though parents may have to explain to their kids what The New York Times and The Daily News were.)  If "New York State of Mind" sounds like it was written for Ray Charles, it's because it was.

2.  Piano Man - Piano Man 

My favorite song when I was a kid. I wasn't talented enough to play it on the piano, so I learned it on the harmonica.  Sure, it's been played out, but it's got some of Billy Joel's finest songwriting elements:  Quirky, but familiar characters (Paul, the "real estate novelist"), a beer hall sing-along chorus, a melancholy feel and a timeless melody. 

1.  Scenes from an Italian Restaurant - The Stranger 

The quintessential Billy Joel song. Scenes plays like a Long Island operetta or suite in three musical parts, capturing a time and place, invoking reminiscence, romance and life's dreams and disappointments.  It's melodic, musically ambitious and first-rate storytelling.  

Honorable Mentions: (I picked one from each album): Falling of the Rain, Worse Comes to Worst, The Mexican Connection, James, Everybody Has a Dream, 52nd Street, All for Leyna, Where's the Orchestra, Leave a Tender Moment Alone, Running on Ice, The Downeaster Alexa, Lullabye (Goodnight My Angel) 

Warren Zevon's Top 25 Songs

Warren Zevon would have turned 75 today. In 2002, when he appeared for the last time on The Late Show with Dave Letterman, Dave asked him if he could share the kind of insight that only a dying man would possess. Zevon had recently been diagnosed with mesothelioma and was given only a few more months to live. Without missing a beat, he said, "Enjoy every sandwich."

It was a perfect response. Perfect because even in the face of the ultimate banality - a middle-aged man, after decades of abusing his body, dying of cancer - Zevon managed to avoid cliché and impart something truthful that also captured something of his oddball brand of humor. I had the good fortune to see him live at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC in 2000. At one point during the concert, there was a scuffle in the audience. Zevon stopped playing and waited for security to sort things out.  He then said. "I'll bet that never happens at Sting concerts." And he played on. As an artist, Zevon saw the dark and macabre in the everyday. And within the dark and macabre, he found humor and delight. There's never been a songwriter quite like him. Here's my choice for his 25 best songs:  

25.  Boom Boom Mancini (Sentimental Hygiene)

One of Zevon's hardest rockers, "Boom Boom Mancini" has two Zevon trademarks: 1) Unusual cultural references and 2) a fascination with death. In 1963, Bob Dylan wrote a topical folk song ("Who Killed Davey Moore") about a featherweight boxer who died in the ring.  Zevon's take on the 1982 ring tragedy involving Ray Mancini and Kim Duk-koo is a very different kind of song. Uniquely Zevon. 

24.  Mr. Bad Example (Mr. Bad Example)

Zevon explores the baseness of humanity in his usual way - with wicked humor.

Of course I went to law school and took a law degree
And counseled all my clients to plead insanity

Of course.

23.  I Was in the House When the House Burned Down (Life'll Kill Ya)

The opening track of Zevon's 2000 comeback album, Life'll Kill Ya.  He was diagnosed with terminal cancer two years later.

22.  Hasten Down the Wind (Warren Zevon)

A gorgeous break-up song that was the title track of a Linda Ronstadt album.

21. Genius (My Ride's Here)

I am confident that you will never again encounter the following two celebrities in the same verse:

Albert Einstein was a ladies' man
While he was working on his universal plan
He was making out like Charlie Sheen
He was a genius

20. For My Next Trick I'll Need a Volunteer (Life'll Kill Ya)

Hard to top these lyrics:

I can saw a woman in two
But you won't want to look in the box when I do
I can make love disappear
For my next trick I'll need a volunteer

19.  Disorder in the House (The Wind) 

A rollicking roadhouse rocker featuring Bruce Springsteen, "Disorder in the House" is a standout track from Zevon's last album, released just two weeks before he died.

18.   Detox Mansion (Sentimental Hygiene)

Zevon's work in the 1980s is underrated, including this kickass rocker.

17.  Searching for a Heart (Mr. Bad Example)

Here, Zevon muses on the mysteries of love, offering this take:

They say love conquers all
You can't start it like a car
You can't stop it with a gun

 16.  Carmelita (Warren Zevon)

Zevon's Tex-Mex track about addiction has been covered by various artists (including Linda Ronstadt) in styles ranging from country to mariachi. But Zevon's version is the best, in part, because of David Lindley's beautiful guitar work.   

15.  Nobody's in Love this Year (Transverse City)

Another overlooked track from the 1980s, it's lovely song of failed love.

14.  Accidentally Like a Martyr (Excitable Boy)

The title may be a head scratcher, but the pain expressed on this gorgeous song of lost love is undeniable. The song also provided the inspiration for the Bob Dylan album title, Time out of Mind. The War on Drugs do a solid version.  

13.  Reconsider Me (Sentimental Hygiene)

There's a terrific cover by Steve Earle.

12.  Dirty Life and Times (The Wind)

Zevon has always been obsessed with death. But on this track, he seems to be writing his own eulogy. 

   

11.  Poor Poor Pitiful Me (Warren Zevon)

A botched suicide and sadomasochism? What more could you want? Such a delightful song.   

10.  Mutineer (Mutineer)

One of the great tracks from Zevon's later years.

I was born to rock the boat
Some may sink but we will float
Grab your coat, let's get out of here
You're my witness
I'm your mutineer

Zevon played a moving version on his final Letterman appearance. 

9.  Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead (Mr. Bad Example)

Zevon had a gift for finding joy in morbidity. Unfortunately, the movie, starring Andy Garcia and Christopher Walken, doesn't live up to the promise of song's title.  

8.  Werewolves of London (Excitable Boy)

Easily, his best known song. According BBC Radio 2 listeners, it has the best opening line of all time:

I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand
Walking through the streets of SoHo in the rain
  
7.  Mohammed's Radio (Warren Zevon)

Idiosyncratic and beautiful, it's about the power of music to reach us.  It resounds with something redemptive and true.

Everybody's restless and they've got no place to go
Someone's always trying to tell them
Something they already know
So their anger and resentment flow

6.  Lawyers Guns and Money (Excitable Boy)

Dad, get me out of this!

Zevon's guitarist, L.A. session man, Waddy Wachtel, at his best.

5.  French Inhaler (Warren Zevon)

I love the way the songs opens, with a lovely piano part that sounds like Mozart (Zevon was classically trained) and then he dives in to the dark heart of his L.A. break-up song:

How're you going to get around in this sleazy bedroom town if you don't put yourself up for sale. 

4.  Keep Me in Your Heart (The Wind)

It's hard not get choked up listening to this one. Pop musicians don't typically compose requiems, but here's a song that many of us can hope to be played at our funeral.   

3.  Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner (Excitable Boy)

While living on the coast of Spain, Zevon met an ex-mercenary who was the inspiration for this song. This is storytelling as only Zevon can do it. It was the very last song he played on his final television appearance. 

2.  Excitable Boy (Excitable Boy)

The ultimate expression of Zevon's macabre humor. It's tough to imagine Linda Ronstadt covering this one (though she did sing back-up harmony vocals).   

1. Desperados Under the Eaves (Warren Zevon)

A perfect pop song. It's majestic, desperately seedy and pure poetry. Every phrase paints a picture.  Let's give Bob Dylan, a great admirer of Zevon, the last word:

"His musical patterns are all over the place, probably because he’s classically trained. There might be three separate songs within a Zevon song, but they’re all effortlessly connected. Zevon was a musician’s musician, a tortured one. ‘Desperados Under the Eaves.’ It’s all in there.”

The 100 Greatest Bob Dylan Songs

 

100.    Quinn the Eskimo - Self Portrait

Manfred Mann released his version in 1968, two years before Dylan did.  He found something joyously irresistible in Dylan’s absurdist sing-along. So did the Grateful Dead.  

99.    Meet Me in the Morning  - Blood on the Tracks

Dylan has always been a blues singer as much as a folk singer.  Here, with the great Buddy Cage on pedal steel guitar.

98.    Song to Woody - Bob Dylan

It’s hard to separate the song from the legend. The 20-year-old Bob Dylan, newly arrived in Greenwich Village, trekking out to NJ to visit his hero, the ailing Woody Guthrie, and playing for him at his bedside.  Supposedly, Guthrie was impressed.  Dylan came away with this tribute song, based on a Guthrie melody, “1913 Massacre.”  But I can hardly listen without also hearing Dan Bern’s brilliant send-up (based on the talking blues of Dylan’s only other original song on his debut album, “Talkin New York”).

97.    Working Man’s Blues #2 - Modern Times

One of the best from Dylan’s "late" period. Here he channels Merle Haggard:

 

        Meet me at the bottom, don't lag behind
        Bring me my boots and shoes
        You can hang back or fight your best on the front line
        Sing a little bit of these workingman's blues.

96.    Rainy Day Women #12 and 35 – Blonde on Blonde

Other than “Like a Rolling Stone”, this was the Dylan song that got the most FM radio play when I was growing up.   It’s a mad carnival of a song that invites everyone to sing along, “everybody must get stoned!” 

95.    Corina Corina - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan

A traditional country blues song originally recorded by Bo Carter in 1928.  One of the remarkable things about Dylan was his encyclopedic feel for America’s blues and folk traditions.

 

 Dylan trivia: This was the first Dylan song released by Columbia featuring a backing band.

94.    Lay Lady Lay - Nashville Skyline

Of all of Dylan’s reinventions of himself, his crooning voice on Nashville Skyline may have been the most surprising.  My favorite part of this song is Kenny Buttrey’s drumming on the bongos and cowbell. 

93.    Isis – Desire

“Isis” is supposedly based on Dylan's failing marriage, but attempting to draw conclusions about the meaning of Dylan songs has always been a risky enterprise.  His live performance on Rolling Thunder Revue is riveting.

92.    Highlands -  Time Out of Mind

Clocking in at 16 minutes and 31 seconds, “Highlands” was Dylan’s longest song (until 2020). In a way it’s a counterpart, to “Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands,” his opus recorded for Blonde on Blonde 30 years prior.  It’s a meandering, hypnotic number which, like many of his older songs, draws upon cultural figures – here, it's Robert Burns, Charlie Patton and Neil Young. 

91.    Spanish Harlem Incident – Another Side of Bob Dylan

When Bruce Springsteen hit the scene, he was hyped as “the next Dylan.”  The tag never quite fit but Dylan was clearly an influence on the wordplay and imagery of Springsteen's early work.  You can hear it on this Dylan verse:

         Gypsy gal, the hands of Harlem
         Cannot hold you to its heat
         Your temperature’s too hot for taming
         Your flaming feet burn up the street

And, are there any Dylan songs that the Byrds DID’T cover?

90.    I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight – John Wesley Harding

What do Bobby Darin, Linda Ronstadt, UB40 and Norah Jones have in common? They have all covered this simple, elegant love song. 

89.    Most Likely You Go Your Way and I’ll Go Mine – Blonde on Blonde

A blaring horn part is the signature sound of this raucous number.  It’s the opening track from one of my favorite live albums, Before the Flood, with The Band.

88.    You’re a Big Girl Now – Blood on the Tracks           

A devastating break-up song with Dylan howling like he means it.  Check out the live version.

87.    Bob Dylan’s 115th Dream – Bringing it All Back Home 

This was the revolutionary album where Dylan went electric.  On this track, he also went surrealistic, taking us on strange journey of America with Captain Arab:

 

They asked me for some collateral; and I pulled down my pants

 

Nice. 

86.    Percy's Song  - Biograph

A folk song about a man tried for manslaughter, it's sad and gorgeous and featured prominently in in Don't Look Back with Joan Baez.   

85.    The Man in Me – New Morning

Three words. The Big Lebowski.

84.    Only a Pawn in Their Game - The Times they Are-a-Changing

Listening to the politically charged folk songs from Dylan’s early career, we can marvel at his sharp eye and power as a writer.  But with hindsight, we can also appreciate how the constraints of the genre and the expectations of its purist followers would become an artistic straight jacket. 

83.    I’m Not There – I’m Not There, Soundtrack 

One of the best things about the 2007 film, I’m Not There, was the release of the haunting title track, which was recorded 40 years earlier in the session for the Basement Tapes.  

82.    4^th time Around – Blonde on Blonde

Don’t waste time trying to figure out whether this song is an homage to John Lennon’s “Norwegian Wood” or a parody of the same.  It’s both and neither.  This is Bob Dylan we’re talking about.

81.    If You See Her Say Hello – Blood on the Tracks 

A gut-wrenching break-up song, but without his usual barbs and kiss-offs.  Just sadness. 

80.   Romance in Durango - Desire

The outlaw-on-the-run genre has always been a favorite.  I love the live version from Rolling Thunder Revue.  

79.    Gates of Eden – Bringing it All Back Home

Powerful imagery here – abstract and mysterious. His poetry is captivating but also the stuff of nightmares. 

78.    Going Going Gone - Planet Waves

 

Planet Waves is in the running for Dylan’s most underrated album. It’s also the only official studio album release that features the Band. To appreciate why the Band was so perfect for accompanying Dylan, just listen to interplay between Dylan’s voice and Robbie Robertson’s guitar on this track. And check out the haunting alternate take – a rebuke to anyone who tells you that Bob Dylan can’t sing.

 77.    Highway 61 Revisited – Highway 61 Revisited

  

As it happens, US Highway 61 cuts right through America, running from Minnesota to New Orleans. Dylan mines that highway, exposing us to all manner of characters, sins and musical traditions along the way.  And that damn siren whistle.

76.    Leopard Skin Pill Box Hat – Blonde on Blonde

The leopard-skin pill box hat is to Dylan what the coffee-colored Cadillac is to Chuck Berry: an anachronism made immortal though rock & roll poetry. A rollicking number, Dylan is sneering, snarling and playful all at once. 

75.    Series of Dreams – Bootleg Series Vol. 1-3

 

Bob Dylan has a cult following of fans who've argued for years about his best unreleased tracks.  One of my favorites is "Series of Dreams” which was recorded for Oh Mercy in 1989.  If it sounds like a U2 song, that’s the layered production of Daniel Lanois.

 

74.    This Dream of You – Together Through Life

Yet another dream song and gorgeous gem from Dylan’s “late” period.  

73.    I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine – John Wesley Harding

An enigmatic and evocative mediation of spirituality and guilt.  How many Bob Dylan songs have the word “dream” in the title?  Dreams are to Bob Dylan what Love was to the Beatles.   

72.    To Ramona – Another Side of Bob Dylan 

Dylan was pushing musical boundaries even before he went electric. Here he delivers a lovely Mexican folk tune in waltz-time.  It’s one of my favorites of his vocal performances.

71.    Tombstone Blues – Highway 61 Revisited

We meet the ghost of Belle Starr, the King of the Philistines. John the Baptist and Paul Revere’s horse. Just a dazzling set of images, allusions and absurdity with Michael Bloomfield adding some of his tastiest guitar licks.

70.    All I Really Want to Do – Another Side of Bob Dylan

The Byrds version is very good but it lacks Dylan’s sense of irony and play. Hear him giggle like a stoner. 

69.    Moonlight - Love and Theft

Beneath Dylan’s croaking voice is a romantic song that could have been a Tin Pan Alley classic 100 years ago. 

68.    When I Paint My Masterpiece – Greatest Hits Vol. II

For some listeners, Dylan’s voice is acquired taste.  Others will never get there.  I love the sound of his voice on this track, especially the ragged howl he delivers live on Rock of Ages with the Band.

67.    One Too Many Mornings – The Times they are-a-Changing

A lovely acoustic number that was given fresh bite when Dylan went electric in 1966.

66.    Love Sick – Time Out of Mind

 

Yeah, the Victoria Secret commercial was creepy.  But this is one helluva song. 

65.    One of us Must Know (Sooner or Later) – Blonde and Blonde

This entire list could be retitled: “the top 84 songs by Bob Dylan plus Blonde on Blonde."

64.    Hurricane – Desire

Let’s get this part of the way.  The story Dylan tells of imprisoned boxer Ruben “Hurricane” Carter  – is not entirely accurate. But a good writer does not let the facts get in the way of the truth.  What stands out here is the way Dylan takes a folk music staple, the topical protest song, and infuses it with a rock and roll heart.  

63.     Nettie Moore – Modern Times

Another song of lost love that, like Dylan’s best offerings, seems to transcend musical genre and time itself:

        Everything I've ever known to be right has been proven wrong
        I'll be drifting along
        The woman I'm loving she rules my heart
        No knife could ever cut our love apart

62.     Lily, Rosemary and The Jack of Hearts – Blood on the Tracks

 

Another outlaw song.  I’m such a sucker for these sprawling, cinematic country epics. 

61.     Boots of Spanish Leather - The Times they Are-a-Changin'

A captivating and heartbreaking finger-picking ballad that feels like a continuation of “Girl from the North Country.” 

60.    This Wheel’s on Fire – The Basement Tapes

One the gems that emerged from the Big Pink, the house where Dylan and the Band lived and recorded in 1967.  

59.    You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go – Blood on the Tracks                               

Blood on the Tracks is often regarded as Dylan’s “break-up” album.  But whether these songs of heartbreak are rooted in his personal experience, in poetry or his imagination, makes no difference to me. I love the way he howls on the live version. 

58.    It Takes a Lot to Laugh, it Takes a Train to Cry – Highway 61 Revisited 

Dylan reinvents the blues on this album with a laid-back groove, ghostly Hammond organ, barrelhouse piano, raunchy harmonica and Bloomfield guitar licks, a sound that would transform pop music.

57.    Tonight I’ll be Staying Here with You – Nashville Skyline

This love song is a highlight of Dylan’s underrated country phase.  It’s another song that turns raucous when played live and Dylan’s voice has rarely sounded better than when he belted it out on the Rolling Thunder tour.

 

56.    If Not for You – New Morning

A catchy love song that was also released by George Harrison.  

Trivia: The bass player for the New York City recording session in 1970 was Charlie Daniels.  

55.    Brownsville Girl – Knocked out Loaded

Co-written with Sam Shepard, "Brownsville Girl" is another sprawling cinematic outlaw ballad that once again takes us 'cross the border to Mexico.

54.    Make You Feel My Love – Time Out of Mind

Yeah, it’s everywhere.  Popular at weddings and covered by everyone. It might even be more widely covered than Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. 

Trivia:  Billy Joel’s version was the first ever to be released.  

53.    Masters of War - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan

The 1960s protest singer is something of cliché.  But every once in a while, you hear a song with such power and bite, it makes you say, “Damn, how does a 21-year-old write that.”

52.    Most of the Time – Oh Mercy

Oh Mercy, recorded in New Orleans and produced by Daniel Lanois, is also in the running for Dylan’s most underrated album.  This song was featured to great effect in the film adaptation of High Fidelity.

51.    Things Have Changed – Wonder Boys, Soundtrack

Speaking of movies, Dylan wrote and recorded this one in 1999 for the excellent Curtis Hanson film, Wonder Boys.  Rolling Stone magazine described this song as the evil twin of “the Times they Are-a-Changin'.”

 

        People are crazy and times are strange
        I'm locked in tight, I'm out of range
        I used to care, but things have changed

50.    You Ain’t Goin Nowhere – The Basement Tapes

The Byrd’s version, from Sweetheart of the Rodeo, is different from the early Byrds covers of Dylan songs.  The early Byrds were all about jangle and harmony.  With the Byrds of Gram Parsons, you get the rhythm and twang of country rock. But with Dylan and the Band, its Americana.

49.   Queen Jane Approximately – Highway 61 Revisited

The banging piano, Dylan’s thin nasally voice, the richness of the organ and Bloomfield’s guitar licks. Check out a great version by Lucinda Williams. 

48.    Love Minus Zero No Limit – Bringing it All Back Home

Pure poetry here.

        The wind howls like a hammer,
        The night blows cold and rainy,
        My love she's like some raven
        At my window with a broken wing

47.    Forever Young – Planet Waves

The best writers flirt with sentimentality but don't cross the line into mawkishness. “Forever Young” comes close but Dylan stops short by keeping it simple and from the heart.

 

May you build a ladder to the stars

And climb on every rung

And may you stay

Forever Young.     

46.    I Shall Be Released – Greatest Hits, Vol. II

A simple spiritual song and one of Dylan’s most-covered compositions.  For my money, the Band’s version with Richard Manuel’s fragile falsetto is the best version. 

45.    Changing of the Guards - Street Legal

Bob Dylan doesn’t get enough credit for his output in the late 1970s and 80s but it’s partly his own fault - he set the bar too damn high.  Street Legal was the last album before his born-again phase and “Changing of the Guards” is the anthemic highlight.  If anyone else had released this song, they’d be saying “Check this guy out – he’s the next Dylan.” 

44.    Girl from the North Country - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan

A ballad that feels older than time. Dylan re-recorded it as a duet with Johnny Cash on Nashville Skyline.

43.    Jokerman – Infidels

My first exposure to this song was the MTV video. Although I loved  Dylan's famous songs of the 1960s, when I was a teenager, I saw him as more of a historical figure.  But there he was on my television, and I was utterly captivated by the imagery of the song and sound of Dylan’s voice.

42.    Murder Most Foul – Rough and Rowdy Ways

I found myself wondering:  Why would Bob Dylan release a song in 2020 about the assassination of JFK?  Then I listened and was transfixed for the full 16 minutes.  Of course, its’s not just a song about the assassination.  It’s about America and what we lost. 

41.    Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands – Blonde on Blonde

Dylan’s 11 minute opus is haunting, hypnotic and mysterious.  It was also pretty radical, in 1966, to devote an entire album side (side four) to a single song.

40.    Maggie’s Farm – Bringing it all Back Home

When Dylan went electric at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, “Maggie’s Farm” was one of the songs whose aggressive sound shocked and awed the audience.  But the anger and disillusionment were already present in the lyrics:

 

        Well, I try my best to be just like I am
        But everybody wants you to be just like them

 

A perfect anthem for the 1960s counterculture.

 

39.    Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll - The Times they Are-a-Changing

 

Most protest songs are preachy and humorless. And the catch is -- the more topical they are, the less likely they are to age well.  But as with most things Dylan, “Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll” is different. He taps into themes of injustice and loss and freedom that are universal.  And he also brings the gift of melody.

38.    Knocking on Heavens Door - Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid

Dylan’s version is more powerful than Clapton’s or the bloated Guns ‘n’ Roses version.  Just a lone man on the frontier, at the edge, facing the end.

37.    I Threw it All Away – Nashville Skyline

A simple, timeless and gut-wrenching lament of lost love and regret.

36.    Abandoned Love - Biograph

This magnificent track, recorded in 1975, was somehow left off of Desire.  A breakup song with unforgettable lyrics:

    My patron saint is a-fighting with a ghost
    He's always off somewhere when I need him most
    The Spanish moon is rising on the hill
    But my heart is a-tellin' me I love you still

35.    I Want You – Blonde on Blonde

The characters and imagery are irresistible:                                              

        The gypsy undertaker cries
        The lonesome organ grinder sighs
        The silver saxophones say I should refuse you
        The cracked bells and washed-out horns
        Blow into my face with scorn
        But it's not that way
        I wasn't born to lose you

34.    Chimes of Freedom – Another Side of Bob Dylan

“Chimes of Freedom” is an anthem for the downtrodden or, as Andy Gill calls it, “Dylan’s Sermon on the Mount.” When the Byrds play the song, it sparkles but it sounds like a relic of the 1960s.  When Dylan sings, it seems to transcend time.

33.  Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window – Masterpieces

Recorded for the Highway 61 Revisited session, Dylan’s voice is clear and confident and the piano, organ and Dylan’s harmonica mesh perfectly.  It was an interesting selection by Nick Hornby in his wonderful collection of essays, Songbook.  The Hold Steady did a delightful version.  

32.    Baby Let Me Follow You Down – Bob Dylan

Another gentle acoustic number that was radically transformed when Dylan went electric.  His raucous, almost punk rock version with the Band is one of the highlights of The Bootleg Series, Vol. 4. The Royal Albert Hall Concert.

31.    Not Dark Yet – Time Out of Mind

Bob’s striking musing on death (“It’s not dark yet, but it’s getting there”) was released 24 years ago when he was 56. Damn.  

30.    Ring Them Bells – Oh Mercy

A powerful ballad that draws upon biblical texts.  Dylan’s religious conversions were often the subject of attention, but wherever his journeys took him, he always had the voice of an Old Testament prophet.  

29.    Up to Me – Biograph

Even before the release of Biograph, “Up to Me”, which was recorded for Blood on the Tracks was a popular choice among Dylan fanatics and bootleggers for the best song never released.  One listen and you’ll understand why:

 

        Everything went from bad to worse, money never changed a thing
        Death kept followin', trackin' us down, at least I heard your bluebird sing
        Now somebody's got to show their hand, time is an enemy
        I know you're long gone
        I guess it must be up to me

28.    Every Grain of Sand – Shot of Love

Maybe it’s because I’m not a religious believer. But for me, a song like this has greater spiritual power than any holy book or revelation.

27.    Buckets of Rain – Blood on the Tracks

Such a sweet song.

        I've been meek And hard like an oak I've seen pretty people disappear like smoke
        Friends will arrive, friends will disappear
        If you want me Honey baby, I'll be here

26.    Blind Willie McTell - Bootleg Series Vol. 1-3

You hear about these songs - the unreleased tracks that fans gush over, and you think: these hardcore fans are just trying to sound cool –  there’s probably a good reason they left the track off the album.  Not here.  This is brilliant. 

25.    Just Like Tom Thumb Blues – Highway 61 Revisited

Some of Dylan’s most captivating lyrics, starting with the memorable opener which just transports me:

When you're lost in the rain in Juarez, when it's Easter time too.

And I've always loved the last verse:

 

        I started out on burgundy, but soon hit the harder stuff
        Everybody said they'd stand behind me when the game got rough
        But the joke was on me, there was nobody even there to bluff
        I'm goin' back to New York City, I do believe I've had enough.

24.    It Ain’t Me Babe – Another Side of Bob Dylan

The ultimate it's not you, it's me (really, it's you) song. I’m a fan of the version by the Turtles too.

23.    Absolutely Sweet Marie – Blonde on Blonde

So many great lyrics, and none better than: to live outside the law you must be honest. I love the version by cowpunk pioneers, Jason & the Scorchers.  

22.    Ballad of Thin Man – Highway 61 Revisited

The pounding piano, Al Kooper’s ghostly organ and Dylan’s sneering delivery make for a foreboding and unforgettable kiss-off.  

21.    Subterranean Homesick Blues – Bringing it all Back Home

No, it’s not the first rap song. It’s part Chuck Berry and part talking blues, the kind of songs that were a staple of Dylan’s early recordings.  The result, Dylan’s first real electric number, was revolutionary.  And the D.A. Pennebaker video is, arguably, the most influential music video of all time. 

20.    Don’t Think Twice - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan

A lovely breakup song.  Eric Clapton's version at the Dylan 30th anniversary concert in Madison Square Garden, New York is worth a listen.

19.    My Back Pages – Another Side of Bob Dylan

The refrain alone (I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now) justifies a top 20 ranking. As good as the track is, it’s one of the few Dylan songs where I prefer the Byrd’s version  The star-studded ensemble performance was the highlight of the 30^th anniversary concert. 

18.    Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again – Blonde on Blonde

In 2009, I saw Dylan play at the United Palace Theater in Washington Heights and he opened with this classic.  I love his vocal delivery and the way he moans: “Oh, mama, can this really be the end” and that sensual sneer: "Your debutante just knows what you need But I know what you want.”

17.    It’s Alright Ma - Bringing it All Back Home

There’s a fury in this track, an assault on power, propaganda and illusion with unforgettable lines like “He not busy being born is busy dying.”

16.    Simple Twist of Fate – Blood on the Tracks

A lovely song of melancholy and depth.  Hard to top this verse:                                                          

        People tell me it’s a sin
        To know and feel too much within.
        I still believe she was my twin, but I lost the ring.
        She was born in spring, but I was born too late
        Blame it on a simple twist of fate.

15.    Just Like a Woman – Blonde on Blonde

Probably, Dylan’s greatest love song.  I love his phrasing in the bridge and the passion with which he launches into the final verse.

 

        And your long-time curse hurts, but what's worse
        Is this pain in here, I can't stay in here, ain't it clear….that I… just can’t fit.

14.    It’s All Over Now Baby Blue – Bringing it All Back Home

Dylan’s farewell to someone, or something – or to everything – comes at a pivotal moment of his artistic transition.  He is ever ready to move ahead.

 

Strike another match, go start anew. And it’s all over now, Baby Blue.

13.    Shelter from the Storm – Blood on the Tracks

One of the many highlights of Blood on the Tracks, an album that captures so many emotions and brilliant lyrics, like this gem:  Beauty walks a razor's edge, someday I'll make it mine. It's a song that was brilliantly transformed in his 1970s live performances.

12.    Mississippi – Love and Theft

Some of Dylan’s songs seem like they have always existed in the universe and the songwriter’s job was simply to reveal them. “Mississippi” is like that.  The voice of a seeker, full of wisdom and regret. It feels timeless.  

11.    All Along the Watchtower – John Wesley Harding

Give Jimi Hendrix credit for transforming the song and bringing ungodly firepower. But Dylan’s creation is a masterwork in its own right, a truly unique song, with powerful imagery and a chilling, foreboding feel.  

10.    Idiot Wind – Blood on the Tracks

Dylan is a master of the “fuck you” song.  Most of his kiss-offs tend to be sly, ironic and punctuated with well-timed sneers.  “Idiot Wind" is different because it’s so raw.  Dylan wears his contempt on his sleeve or, to put it another way, his blood on the tracks. 

9.    Mr. Tambourine Man – Bringing it All Back Home

Overlooked in the jangle of the Byrd’s first #1 hit is the revolutionary nature of Dylan’s song writing. There was simply nothing like this on the radio.  It evokes such powerful sense of longing.  

8.    Positively 4th Street – Greatest Hits

Probably the very best of Dylan’s “fuck you” songs.  I’m not counting “Like a Rolling Stone” which belongs in its own category. 

7.    Blowin’ in the Wind - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan

Perhaps his most famous song.  “Blowin’ in the Wind” was recently named the 2^nd most essential folk song of all time, after Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land.” 

6.    Desolation Row – Highway 61 Revisited

A literary narrative with a dizzying display of imagery but what really stands out for me is the Spanish-sounding guitar part by Charlie McCoy.  

5.    Visions of Johanna – Blonde on Blonde

A favorite among those who celebrate Dylan’s poetry. But the reason it’s the best song on one of the greatest albums in rock history, isn’t only because of the lyrics. It’s the groove.  The throbbing bass by Joe South and Nashville session man, Kenny Buttrey on drums. Just perfect.  

4.    The Times they Are  a-Changin - The Times they Are-a-Changing

Out of all of Dylan’s protest songs, this is the one that still gives me chills.  If there is a single song that cements Dylan place as the “voice of a generation,” this one gets my vote. The voice of a prophet.

3.    Tangled up in Blue – Blood on the Tracks

I’ve always loved the feel of this song.  Even before Dylan starts singing, the listener is transported to some ethereal once-upon-a-time place.  For me, this song feels like the farewell to the 1960s and its dreams.

2.    Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall - The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan

This song never fails to blow my mind.  It’s hard to imagine what it must have been like to be living in New York in 1962 and hearing Dylan for the first time.  According to Joyce Carol Oates, “When we first heard this raw, very young, and seemingly untrained voice, frankly, nasal, as if sandpaper could sing, the effect was dramatic and electrifying.”  There’s a great scene at the end of the Coen Brothers, Inside Llewyn Davis, where we see the young Dylan performing at the Gaslight Cafe and we understand that the title character, a struggling folk singer, is about to be eclipsed by an artist of real genius.

1.    Like a Rolling Stone – Highway 61 Revisited

When Bruce Springsteen inducted Dylan into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, he described the opening of this song as “That snare shot that sounded like somebody kicked open the door to your mind.”  It thrills me every time I hear it.