Bob Dylan's 20 Greatest Gospel Songs

One of the most memorable times of Bob Dylan's career as a folk hero, musician and all-round legend of American Music is when the God of Folk decided to take on the gospel genre. From the years 1979 to 1981, Bob Dylan released three albums:

• Slow Train Coming (1979)
• Saved (1980)
• Shot of Love (1981)

They were made in succession and they were (though ill-received somewhat at the time) absolutely awesome. Bob Dylan's incredible gospel era has gone down in history as one of his most successful changes in direction. He's always looking for more inventive ways to show his skill in music and here we have him taking on the world of Gospel Music and Christian Rock. To be honest, the gospel era is quite possibly my personal favourite era of Bob Dylan's though my favourite album is Infidels (1983), which just falls out of this period.

We will also be including the bootleg album for this era in the list. The bootleg album is called Trouble No More and was released on the 3rd of November 2017 (I remember buying the Mojo Magazine edition that covered this bootleg's release and I had to choose between food and the magazine because I didn't have enough money for both... The magazine won!)

Trouble No More is a brilliant example of Bob Dylan's live voice being at what is considered its best. His voice through the gospel era is powerful, soulful and really, really good. It builds from the Street-Legal era and follows into the smooth dark sounds of Infidels—making for some of Bob Dylan's most versatile vocal performances ever to be recorded.

Now you know how much I love and appreciate the gospel era of Bob Dylan (sometimes called the "Born-Again Christian Era" (though I call it the "gospel era" since we'll never really know if Bob Dylan was actually born again Christian)). I would like to take you through 20 songs I believe to be the greatest of the Gospel Era and why.

20. "Trouble" (Shot of Love)

You cannot deny that this song has an incredible beat. Though the lyrics may not be some of Dylan's best, it is still a great song and it gets a brilliant message across about the world in which Bob Dylan is living in at the moment. The song's drum beat is the one thing it has going for it though. Those drums are absolutely incredible and I love listening to the song just for the verses when most of what you can hear is Dylan's vocals and the drums.

19. "Dead Man, Dead Man" (Shot of Love)

Is it just me or does this song have a slight reggae beat?

I love this song because of the way it uses the act of resurrection as something dark, though religion uses it to depict when Jesus comes back. Dylan isn't so sure because the "Dead Man" that is resurrected isn't Jesus, instead he's some sort of non-believer Dylan is trying to convert. I love the chorus because the backing singers sound great and Dylan's voice is definitely defiant and powerful on it. He did brilliantly on this song and it needs to be far more appreciated than it is.

18. "Heart of Mine" (Shot of Love)

Bob Dylan's vocals on this song are brilliant, and a great example of how good his voice was during the gospel era. He has an amazing range and his ability to sing this pretty difficult song is just awesome. I love the way he sings the verses because his voice is just so clear and polished—something Dylan fans wouldn't have been used to by that time (as he'd always been a little rough around the edges). His voice is so smooth that it goes so well with that piano. I love it so much.

17. "Solid Rock" (Saved)

Bob Dylan's voice is so powerful, it goes so well with those backing singers. The way he uses that strong, bellowing sound in the song and his voice is loud, clear as it builds towards the chorus. "I'm hanging on to a solid rock..." You cannot tell me his voice doesn't sound incredible when he sings "Won't let go and I can't let go..." over and over again. It's a brilliant song that deserves so much more appreciation than it gets. Such a great song by such a great man. I have always loved this song!

16. "Lenny Bruce" (Shot of Love)

This is one of the more mellow songs from Shot of Love and I love the way it uses the piano to depict that. Bob Dylan's voice is very similar on this song to the way it is on "Saving Grace." I love the way his voice sounds on this song, it's beautiful and raw and just delightful. His vocals sound almost properly gospel-like as if he had been singing gospel all his life. The song is a beautiful addition to the gospel era and I think you should listen to this song if you're just starting to get into this period of Dylan's discography.

15. "I Believe in You" (Slow Train Coming)

If you don't think this song is absolutely beautiful and powerful, then there's probably something wrong with you. It is a gorgeously amazing song and one of my favourites from the gospel era. It's so simple in the sound and as it slowly builds, Bob Dylan's voice gets slightly more and more powerful. It's a very soulful song and I'm actually quite upset that someone like Michael Jackson didn't cover it whilst he was alive. It would've suited his voice, too. When the drums drop in the song, Bob Dylan's voice gets so powerful you could just cry—he sings so well I cannot handle it.

14. "Shot of Love" (Shot of Love)

"I need a shot of love" is how the song opens and from there, it becomes a bluesy, soul mixture of Christian Rock and Blues Gospel. It has a brilliant chorus and the backing singers do a great job of supporting Dylan's soulful vocals. Bob Dylan's vocals, again, are absolutely brilliant on this song and deserve far more appreciation than they get. It's such a good song and I really think all gospel era fans will enjoy it.

13. "Gonna Change My Way of Thinking" (Slow Train Coming)

Again, as with another song we've covered—the drum beat really makes this song great. It manages to carry the song's rhythm and, atop of it you have Bob Dylan's incredible vocals. The song is a soulful, gospel classic. When you talk about gospel music, whether it's Bob Dylan or not, you cannot talk about gospel music without mentioning this song. It's just that good. The song sounds absolutely incredible. It has real atmosphere and yet, it builds so perfectly without changing it.

12. "In the Garden" (Saved)

If you see any slander about the album Saved,then just show them this song and ask them if they'd like to slander the album again. They'll probably vote "no." It's a beautiful arrangement and the backing singers are used so well. The song mostly consists of a brilliant piano sound, but when the drums do drop, it makes for incredible, soulful listening. Bob Dylan's vocals become properly powerful after the drums drop and it is an amazing sound. A lot of people like this song, so I expect you will enjoy it too. It's a beautiful song with incredible lyrics and a brilliantly classic gospel sound.

11. "Watered-Down Love" (Shot of Love)

This song is incredibly happy, but the lyrics aren't as happy as you'd expect. This song has an amazing sound though—it's like Bob Dylan's fusing the classic sound of happy Christian Rock with the electronic blues sound of Gospel. His voice sounds amazing on this song and he really shows off his range, especially on those lower notes, and then you've got the chorus with the backing singers where he sounds amazing, too! I just really think this is one of the best songs out of the gospel era and I think it requires more appreciation.

10. "When You Gonna Wake Up?" (Slow Train Coming)

An incredible song with some amazingly sarcastic lyrics, I love this song for its simplicity in sound but its complexity everywhere else. There's something easy about listening to this song and yet, the kind of images we visit in this track we will come back to in Infidels (1983). There's something really amazing about this song, it just sounds dark, theoretical, and is quite possibly an example of some of Dylan's best writing during this era. His voice is raw and coarse, like he's telling someone off. Overall, producing an incredibly soulful yet dark sound.

9. "The Groom's Still Waiting at the Altar" (Shot of Love)

This is a brilliant rock song by Dylan and is normally listened to as well by those who don't appreciate the gospel era that much. It has a brilliant beat, Dylan's voice sounds incredible, the backing singers are awesome and the lyrics are amazing, philosophical, and very Dylan-esque. All in all, this is a brilliant way for Bob Dylan to exit the gospel era. "West of the Jordan, east of the rock of Gibraltar!" (He sings that line beautifully throughout every chorus in the song).

8. "Gotta Serve Somebody" (Slow Train Coming)

I love this song so much and it's probably one of those songs where we can universally agree that the arrangement is perfect. I love the way the song builds up slowly and has that classic gospel sound. Bob Dylan's singing voice is at top quality, and has a soulful edge without out-doing the song itself. The backing singers, coming in later is a brilliant way to build up the song, and yet the lyrics and the beat keep the dark, philosophical atmosphere rolling along. Again, it doesn't matter whether you're talking about Bob Dylan or not, but when you mention gospel music, it would be impossible not to mention this song as one of the best of its kind.

7. "Every Grain of Sand" (Shot of Love)

The closing song to Shot of Love and, therefore, the final song of the gospel era is a beautiful ballad-type of track. It tells a beautiful, brilliant story of a man who cannot decide but ends up seeing God in every aspect of his life. This song, I feel, really sums up Bob Dylan—even without the gospel era. He's trying to tell us that God has always been in his songs, from the 60s when he wrote "With God on Our Side"all the way to the religious connotations which underline the entire Infidels album and beyond. He's introducing himself as God's man, if any of us weren't sure. The song is beautifully written; it's just pure poetry. Not only the best of the gospel era, but quite possibly one of Bob Dylan's greatest songs.

6. "Slow Train" (Slow Train Coming)

I love how dark and thought-provoking this song is but the other thing that needs to be appreciated is the sheer power behind Bob Dylan's vocals. I mean, this is probably one of his most powerful songs in terms of vocal ability and I love the way he sings the chorus because you can tell he's really confident about what he's doing. I love the way the song slowly builds up, with the guitar and the backing singers etc. but Bob Dylan's voice just gets more and more powerful throughout. You cannot deny that the vocals on this song are phenomenal, even by Bob Dylan's standards—and he's a brilliant singer.

5. "In the Summertime" (Shot of Love)

Talking about brilliant, polished, and powerful as hell vocals—In the Summertime basically showcases why Bob Dylan is quite possibly one of the greatest male vocalists to ever live. The chorus, when he takes it low, is always great to listen to, and yet he manages to keep the slow, steady rhythm of the song without making it too ballad-like to listen to. I love the way he sings this song because he has so much control over what he's doing, you can tell he has some real vocal chords (if you weren't sure already!). Those are some nice pipes, Dylan.

4. "Property of Jesus" (Shot of Love)

I love this song so much, it is one of my personal favourite songs from the entire gospel era, and it just makes me feel so happy. I used to sing it in church and I think it is one of Bob Dylan's strongest 80s songs (even not in the gospel era). I feel like this song is vastly under-appreciated by those who want to strike it off as "full of Jesus." But that just means more Gospel and Christian Rock music for us real fans. I mean, how can you not enjoy the sound of Bob Dylan's voice singing that chorus? I am not sure you can't enjoy it at all!

3. "Saved" (Saved)

I love this song because it has again, that classic gospel feel to it. It has that brilliant sound of the backing singers alongside the sound of the electric guitar—it makes for an amazing song. Bob Dylan's verses are incredible and, again, this is another song I used to sing in church. I cannot believe that this song hasn't got as much attention as it deserves—it's just such a nice song to listen to and it's filled with vigour and life. It's a song that automatically makes you happy when you listen to it.

2. "Making a Liar Out of Me" (Bootleg Volume 13: Trouble No More)

I love this song so much. From the very first time I listened to it, I loved it. It displays Bob Dylan's incredible gospel vocals in a new light and the way he controls his voice and the pace of the song is actually pretty impressive. This song is a lot more soulful than his usual requests, and sounds like a very difficult song to sing—but Bob Dylan makes easy work of it and performs it with vibrance and power. It's a perfect gospel song and I cannot believe it was left out of the three studio albums. It would've been a great addition to them and possibly one of the best gospel songs out there.

1. "Saving Grace" (Saved)

This is, without a doubt, my favourite song of the gospel era. It has all the elements of a classic gospel song with all the elements of a classic Bob Dylan song in it as well. Bob Dylan's vocal ability on this song is phenomenal and I love the raw way he sings and yet, he keeps the song sounding sweet as well. I just adore this song so much I cannot explain. It is not only my favourite song of the gospel era, it is also one of Bob Dylan's vocally greatest songs. It has those philosophical lyrics we're so used to and yet, it keeps a great and religious atmosphere too. Bob Dylan stepped up his game with this one, he really did.