Top Dylan albums of the 1980s: the fans’ ratings

Oh Mercy is easily the most popular album from 1978-1989 among Dylan fans.

The Daniel Lanois-produced album, released at the very end of the period, is the clear favourite among the Dylan Daily readers who ranked the 13 releases of these relatively lean years.

Street-Legal, Slow Train Coming, Infidels and Biograph also enjoy substantial support, but the other eight albums from the period have very few supporters among Dylan Daily readers.

Dylan albums 1978-1989 rated by fans

1. Oh Mercy (108 points)
2. Street-Legal (75)
3. Slow Train Coming (67)
4. Infidels (58)
5. Biograph (56)
6= At Budokan (8)
6= Saved (8)
6= Shot of Love (8)
9. Dylan and the Dead (6)
10. Empire Burlesque (5)
11. Down in the Groove (3)
12. Real Live (2)
13. Knocked out Loaded (1)

Seventy readers submitted entries in a competition to win a copy of the new DVD - Bob Dylan 1978-1989: Both Ends Of The Rainbow. The winner has been informed, and the two-disc set will be sent tomorrow.

Competition entrants were asked to rank their three favourite albums from the period. Each nomination in first position was assigned 3 points, second place nominations got 2 points, and third choices were given one point. Scores were then aggregated to produce the ranked table, above.

Thanks to all 70 readers who voted.



Gerry Smith

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Knocked Out Loaded: least popular Dylan album?

Is Knocked Out Loaded the least popular Dylan album?

It certainly seems so, according to a preliminary analysis of fan rankings of the 13 albums released between 1978 and 1989, Dylan’s least popular decade.

Knocked Out Loaded managed to pick up only a single nomination and it was the respondent’s least favourite of three albums selected.

So which are the most popular albums of the period? Come back to The Dylan Daily on Monday for a full analysis of the impressive response to this competition.



Gerry Smith


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Win new DVD - Bob Dylan 1978-1989: Both Ends Of The Rainbow

Thanks to MVD Entertainment Group’s Clint Weiler for supplying Bob Dylan 1978-1989 on DVD as the prize in a new Dylan Daily competition.

To win a copy of the new Special Edition 2 Disc Set of Bob Dylan 1978-1989: Both Ends Of The Rainbow, all you have to do is rank your three favourite Dylan albums released in the period covered by the DVD – number your three favourites 1, 2 and 3 – in an email sent to info@dylandaily.com, with the subject header “DVD comp”.

All entries will be put into a (virtual) hat and the winner will be drawn this Friday, 17 July, @ 1600 GMT and announced on The Dylan Daily (unless the lucky winner has specified “privacy” in his/her email entry).

Here’s a reminder of the albums to consider in your ranking:

Street-Legal (1978)
At Budokan (1978)
Slow Train Coming (1979)
Saved (1980)
Shot of Love (1981)
Infidels (1983)
Real Live (1984)
Empire Burlesque (1985)
Biograph (1985)
Knocked out Loaded (1986)
Down in the Groove (1988)
Dylan and the Dead (1989)
Oh Mercy (1989)

Good luck!


Gerry Smith