#25 Blonde on Blonde by Bob Dylan

The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

2025 Album Rank

25

2011 Album Rank

14

Total Points

1931

Year Released

1966

Billboard 200 Chart Peak

34

Weeks at #1

N/A

RIAA Sales Certification

2,000,000 (Multi-Platinum)

Buy Album

Apple Music Amazon

Blonde on Blonde Album Details

Released in May 1966, Blonde on Blonde is often hailed as one of the first true double albums in rock history and a landmark in Bob Dylan's career. Recorded largely in Nashville after initial sessions in New York stalled, the album captures a surreal, feverish blend of rock, blues, folk, and country, layered with Dylan's elusive and dreamlike lyrics. It marked the culmination of Dylan's mid-1960s electric period and pushed the boundaries of songwriting and album-making.

Songs like "Visions of Johanna", "Just Like a Woman", and "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands" display Dylan's ability to weave complex emotional portraits through rich, ambiguous imagery. Blonde on Blonde remains a towering achievement in popular music, fusing spontaneity with sophistication and solidifying Dylan's reputation as a revolutionary artist.

Other Bob Dylan albums on the chart: Highway 61 Revisited, Blood on the Tracks, Bringing it all Back Home

Interesting Facts about Blonde on Blonde

• Blonde on Blonde was Dylan's seventh studio album and his first official double LP, running over 70 minutes, highly unusual for the time.
• The early recording sessions in New York were plagued by tension and unsatisfactory takes, prompting producer Bob Johnston to move the sessions to Nashville and bring in seasoned session musicians.
• The Nashville musicians, known for their work in country and pop, were initially unfamiliar with Dylan's free-form style, but quickly adapted, creating a new hybrid sound.
• Keyboardist Al Kooper and guitarist Robbie Robertson were among the few musicians who followed Dylan from New York to Nashville for the sessions.
• Much of the album was recorded late at night, often starting after midnight, contributing to the album's woozy, half-dreamed atmosphere.
• The song "Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands" took up an entire side of the original vinyl release, running nearly 12 minutes. Dylan reportedly wrote it in the studio while the musicians waited for hours.
• The phrase "thin, wild mercury sound" was how Dylan later described the sonic quality he was chasing for Blonde on Blonde.
• "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35", with its raucous, drunken feel, was recorded with the musicians intentionally playing slightly off-key while some were reportedly encouraged to play while drinking.
• The album cover photo, showing a blurry, double-exposed image of Dylan, was the result of an accident during the shoot by photographer Jerry Schatzberg, but Dylan liked the effect and approved it for use.
• Despite its reputation as a meticulously crafted record, many of the final tracks on Blonde on Blonde were recorded in just one or two takes to preserve spontaneity and energy.
• The album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 for its cultural and historical significance.

Blonde on Blonde Track List

1. Rainy Day Women #12 & #35 - Reached #2 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart
2. Pledging My Time
3. Visions of Johanna
4. One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later)
5. I Want You - Reached #20 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart
6. Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis blues Again
7. Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat
8. Just Like a Woman - Reached #33 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart
9. Most Likely You go Your Way (And I'll Go Mine)
10. Temporary Like Achilles
11. Absolutely Sweet Marie
12. 4th Time Around
13. Obviously 5 Believers
14. Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands

• Next Album: #24 Tapestry by Carole King
• Previous Album: #26 Kind of Blue by Miles Davis