Expecting Rain

For those who are into ABBA, Bob´s probably a strange guy with long, weird and wordy songs that don´t have a catchy tune. Doesn´t do him justice, though.

I mean, he´s written "Lay Lady Lay". Or "Mighty Quinn". Or "Emotionally Yours"

Which means, he can lay down a song that´s about 3 minutes long, has a humable melody and tells everything that has to be said in a handful of words.

So, if you were to compile a tape with Bob´s best "Pop Songs", what would have to be on it?

Masterpiece has 'coca cola' in it if that helps any...
But of course the 115th dream song sez he ain't your pop, so I dunno...

Knockin on Heaven's door
Watered Down Love
Heart of Mine
Something's Burning Baby (alternate mix is much better)

I think the following album would satisfy most Justin Bieber fans:

Blowing In The Wind
I Don't Believe You
It Ain't Me Babe
She Belongs To Me
Love Minus Zero
I Want You
Just Like a Woman
4th Time Around
Million Dollar Bash
I Shall Be Released
The Mighty Quinn
All Along The Watchtower
Lay Lady Lay
Knockin' On Heaven's Door


Songs after that tend to be very non-pop or too long for pop radio. I guess you could consider "Baby Stop Crying", which was actually a big radio hit in Europe.

Don´t forget "Make You Feel My Love". Maybe his biggest "Pop Hit".

Something there is about you
never say goodbye
forever young
i threw it all away
I feel a change comin' on
mississippi
in the summertime
true love tends to forget
we better talk this over
most of the time
not dark yet
spanish harlem incident
you ain't goin' nowhere

More to the point: what are you on about?

What about "Groom's still waitin' at the altar"

You mean like Beyond the Horizon?

No. silly - that's on the 'Gay Bob' list!

Oh, you wouldn't want him unhappy, would you?

Maybe Someday (believe it or not, one of my favorite Dylan songs...)
When the Night Comes Falling from the Sky (the bootleg version!)
In the Summertime
We Better Talk This Over
You Angel You
Under the Red Sky

Nashville Skyline is Dylan's most secure pop work. Other songs that fit the criteria of the first post (including the requirement of concision in lyrics) would be I'll Remember You, Bye and Bye, Moonlight, Forgetful Heart, Make You Feel My Love, Emotionally Yours, Never Gonna Be the Same Again, perhaps Oh, Sister.

But in a larger sense, all of Dylan's music is pop music, amalgamating elements of folk, blues, and rock and roll into copyrighted products designed for mass consumption.

Most certainly.

(Of course: there´s the question lingering what makes a song a "pop song". Sure, the three minute formula. The catchy tune. And a certain way with the words that makes them speak to a whole bunch of people without being very explicit / specific. Here´s another few that might qualify in one way or the other (alphabetical order):

Baby Stop Crying
Death Is Not The End (Oh yes!)
Forever Young
If Not For You
I Threw It All Away
I´ll Be Your Baby Tonight
I´ll Remember You
Is Your Love In Vain?
Man Gave Names To All The Animals
Most Of The Time
Mozambique
Shooting Star
Tonight I´ll Be Staying Here With You
Where Teardrops Fall
Wigwam (Okaaay...)

Along with Street-Legal.

Oooo Bennyboy - you are awful - but I like you!

Shot Of Love is a bit Britney Spearsish.

I recently rediscovered Crawl out your window, the music is so cute... why wasn't a big hit at the time? it would have deserved it... ok, the lyrics are not very soft and smooth, but I don't think a pop hits listener really pays much attention to the lyrics...

By secure, I meant the Nashville Skyline songs were worthy expressions of pop genre conventions. Street Legal is nothing of the sort. Cole Porter's farts had more music in them than that embarrassing coke binge masquerading as songs.

Don't forget If You Gotta Go, Go Now, the BS Vol. 1-3 one!

I enjoy myself Maybe Someday as well. It's just a catchy song, with some big words.

Yeah, Knocked Out Loaded also has Under Your Spell, which has a poptastic sensibility, if remaining a little hard to imagine as a smash chart hit

In The Summertime should be more of a pop song than it is. Which is to say, it's got the structure of a pop song, but the lyrics and delivery suggest otherwise. Still, a great song I'd have loved to have seen in 1981. Also, I Want You always sounds a bit like a pop song to me. Hm... and Beyond Here Lies Nothing.

Also, Precious Memories.

Can people please continue naming songs from Bob Dylan's back catalogue which have melodies in them.