The Essential Bob Dylan is a compilation by Bob Dylan, released in 2000 as the inaugural entry in Sony Music's "The Essential" double-disc series. The Essential Bob Dylan spans from 1963's "Blowin' in the Wind" (from The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan) to 2000's "Things Have Changed" (Dylan's Oscar-winning song from the motion picture Wonder Boys).
The Essential Bob Dylan has proven to be a solid seller in Dylan's catalog, reaching No. 67 in the US and peaking at No. 9 in the UK.
The British and Australian releases include all of the tracks from the US edition plus several more. It has been reissued in 2009 and 2016 with varying track listings.
Reception The album reached No. 67 in the US charts and No. 9 in the UK.
It has been positively reviewed by AllMusic and favourably mentioned in Colin Larkin's The Encyclopedia of Popular Music.
Track listings Standard track listing
British and Australian track listing
2010 version
2014 version
2016 vinyl version
Charts Chart (2000)Peakposition US Billboard 20067 Chart (2001)PeakpositionBelgium (Flanders) 100 Albums37French Compilations Search for "Bob DYLAN" on the drop-down menu to see results.16UK Albums Chart9 Chart (2002)PeakpositionAustralian Top 50 Albums36 Chart (2004)PeakpositionNorwegian Top 40 Albums5 Chart (2005)PeakpositionNetherlands Top 100 Albums78US Catalog Albums23 Chart (2006)PeakpositionFinnish Top 50 Albums30 Chart (2007)PeakpositionSwedish Top 60 Albums57 Chart (2008)PeakpositionSpanish Top 100 Albums90 Chart (2010)PeakpositionGreek Top 50 Albums49
Certifications
References