A success timeline featuring the most significant achievements of Bob Dylan.
Bob Dylan is a highly influential American singer-songwriter, renowned as one of history's greatest songwriters. His career, spanning over six decades, has profoundly impacted popular culture. Having sold over 125 million records, Dylan stands as one of the best-selling musicians ever. In the early 1960s, he revolutionized folk music by incorporating sophisticated lyrical techniques and intellectualism, drawing from classic literature and poetry. Dylan's lyrics, infused with political, social, and philosophical themes, challenged pop music norms and resonated with the burgeoning counterculture movement.
July 1965: "Like a Rolling Stone" peaked at number two
In July 1965, Bob Dylan's single "Like a Rolling Stone" reached number two on the US chart. The song later topped Rolling Stone's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in both 2004 and 2011.
June 9, 1970: Dylan Received Honorary Degree from Princeton
On June 9, 1970, Bob Dylan received an honorary degree from Princeton University.
1979: Release of Slow Train Coming and Grammy Win
In 1979, Dylan released "Slow Train Coming" and later won the Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for "Gotta Serve Somebody".
January 1988: Induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
In January 1988, Dylan was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, with Bruce Springsteen delivering the introduction.
February 1991: Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and "Masters of War" Performance
In February 1991, Bob Dylan received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award from Jack Nicholson. The event coincided with the start of the Gulf War, and Dylan played "Masters of War". He also gave a short speech paraphrasing Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch.
1997: Kennedy Center Honors
In 1997, Bob Dylan was honored with the Kennedy Center Honors.
1997: Dylan Receives Kennedy Center Honor
In 1997, US President Bill Clinton presented Bob Dylan with a Kennedy Center Honor, acknowledging his profound impact on his generation as a creative artist.
May 2000: Dylan Receives Polar Music Prize
In May 2000, Bob Dylan received the Polar Music Prize from Sweden's King Carl XVI.
December 2004: Chronicles: Volume One Reaches Bestseller List
In December 2004, Bob Dylan's memoir, Chronicles: Volume One, reached number two on The New York Times' Hardcover Non-Fiction bestseller list.
2004: "Like A Rolling Stone" Ranked Greatest Song
In 2004 Rolling Stone ranked "Like A Rolling Stone" first on their list of greatest songs.
2004: "Like a Rolling Stone" Number One in "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time"
In 2004, "Like a Rolling Stone" was listed as number one on "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" by Rolling Stone magazine.
2005: Bob Dylan Drive Honorary Naming
In 2005, 7th Avenue East in Hibbing, Minnesota, where Bob Dylan lived from ages 6 to 18, was honorarily named Bob Dylan Drive.
2005: Broadcast of No Direction Home Documentary
In 2005, Martin Scorsese's Bob Dylan documentary, No Direction Home, was broadcast on BBC Two in the UK and on PBS in the US.
2006: Inauguration of Bob Dylan Way
In 2006, Bob Dylan Way, a cultural pathway, was inaugurated in Duluth, Minnesota, Dylan's birthplace. The 1.8-mile path connects culturally and historically significant areas for tourists.
June 2007: Dylan Receives Prince of Asturias Award
In June 2007, Bob Dylan received the Prince of Asturias Award in the Arts category, being recognized as a living myth and a light for a generation.
2008: Dylan Receives Pulitzer Prize Special Citation
In 2008, the Pulitzer Prize jury awarded Bob Dylan a special citation for his profound impact on popular music and American culture.
2009: National Medal of Arts
In 2009, Bob Dylan was honored with the National Medal of Arts.
2011: "Like A Rolling Stone" Ranked Greatest Song
In 2011 Rolling Stone ranked "Like A Rolling Stone" first on their list of greatest songs.
2011: "Like a Rolling Stone" Number One in "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time"
In 2011, "Like a Rolling Stone" was listed as number one on "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" by Rolling Stone magazine.
May 2012: Dylan Receives Presidential Medal of Freedom
In May 2012, Bob Dylan received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama, who hailed him as a giant in American music.
2012: Presidential Medal of Freedom
In 2012, Bob Dylan was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
November 2013: Dylan Awarded Légion d'Honneur
In November 2013, Bob Dylan was awarded France's highest honor, the Légion d'Honneur.
November 2014: Release of The Basement Tapes Complete
In November 2014, a comprehensive edition of the Basement Tapes, recorded by Bob Dylan and the Band in 1967, was released as The Bootleg Series Vol. 11: The Basement Tapes Complete. The album included 138 tracks in a six-CD box and won the Grammy Award for Best Historical Album. The box set earned a score of 99 on Metacritic.
February 2015: Dylan Accepts MusiCares Person of the Year Award
In February 2015, Bob Dylan accepted the MusiCares Person of the Year award for his philanthropic and artistic contributions.
2015: Dylan Ranked Among Greatest Songwriters
In 2015, Rolling Stone ranked Bob Dylan first on its list of the 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time.
2015: Unveiling of Dylan Mural
In 2015, a 160-foot-wide Bob Dylan mural by Brazilian street artist Eduardo Kobra was unveiled in downtown Minneapolis.
2023: Dylan Ranked Among Greatest Singers
In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Bob Dylan fifteenth on its list of the Greatest Singers of All Time.
