4 of Bob Dylan’s Very Best Cover Songs

Bob Dylan may be best known for his incredible original folk-rock stylings, but he’s also delivered a cover or two (or dozens) through the years. He’s released whole albums full of covers, and many of those renditions are beautifully done. Let’s look at just four examples of Bob Dylan’s best cover songs!

1. “House Of The Rising Sun” by Dave Van Ronk

“House Of The Rising Sun” was popularized by The Animals, though it is worth noting that they didn’t pen the traditional folk song. This iconic 1964 song is definitely a favorite among musicians, and Bob Dylan really pulled it off in his cover. In fact, it was so good that the song made it to Dylan’s debut album. He noted that he learned the song from Dave Van Ronk.

2. “Brown Sugar” by The Rolling Stones

Bob Dylan’s many cover songs are far from limited to folk rock. In fact, he delivered a live cover of “Brown Sugar” by The Rolling Stones back in 2002. It’s definitely a controversial and poorly-aged song, but that didn’t deter Dylan from performing it very well. He also noted that he had massive respect for the Stones, and said that they “are truly the greatest rock and roll band in the world and always will be.”

3. “Learning To Fly” by Tom Petty

Tom Petty and Bob Dylan were quite good friends. Like many who loved him, Dylan was devastated when Petty passed away in 2017. Shortly after his death, he paid a touching tribute to Petty by performing his 1991 hit “Learning To Fly”. It’s heartbreaking to hear, but also a very well-orchestrated cover of an excellent song.

“I thought the world of Tom,” said Dylan of Petty. “He was a great performer, full of the light, a friend, and I’ll never forget him.”

4. “The Boxer” by Simon & Garfunkel

This is another fan-favorite song that other musicians seem to love covering. It makes sense why. Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Boxer” is one of their very best works. Bob Dylan’s cover of the song made it to his somewhat strange 1970 collection of covers titled Self Portrait. It’s a standout on that record, and Dylan takes on the famous folk song with relative ease.

Photo by Barry Feinstein/Courtesy of Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings

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