The 50th Anniversary Collection cover

The 50th Anniversary Collection

Bob Dylan · 2012

273 min · 86 tracks · blues · folk rock · jazz

A sprawling collection of Dylan's early folk and blues roots, capturing raw storytelling and emotional depth.

Is this for you?

Good fit if you like

  • raw storytelling with emotional depth
  • for reflective afternoons
  • savoring classic acoustic moments
  • exploration of traditions
  • short tracks for casual listening

Maybe skip if you want

  • prefer polished, modern production
  • seek high-energy dance tracks

Where this album fits

Themes
civil rights anthems· racial injustice· 1960s folk revival
Career context
Released in 2012, 'The 50th Anniversary Collection' marks a retrospective celebration of Bob Dylan's influential career as he approached his 71st birthday. This compilation features recordings from the early 1960s, showcasing his evolution from a folk singer to a cultural icon, just before he embarked on new musical explorations in the following decade.
Stylistic neighbors
Leonard Cohen· Neil Young· Johnny Cash
Sounds like this from elsewhere
Dust Bowl Ballads by Woody Guthrie — Captures raw storytelling and social issues of the American experience, much like Dylan's early work.
I Ain't Marching Anymore by Phil Ochs — Shares a similar folk-driven narrative style with poignant commentary on war and social justice.
Songs of Leonard Cohen by Leonard Cohen — Features deep emotional resonance and poetic lyrics that reflect on love and societal themes akin to Dylan's storytelling.

Tracklist

Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.

Disc 1

  • 1 Going Down to New Orleans 3:24
  • 2 Going Down to New Orleans 3:11
  • 3 Sally Gal 2:45
  • 4 Sally Gal 2:32
  • 5 Rambling Gambling Willie 4:32
  • 6 Rambling Gambling Willie 4:37
  • 7 Corrina, Corrina 3:21
  • 8 Corrina, Corrina 3:14
  • 9 The Death of Emmett Till 4:25
  • 10 (I Heard That) Lonesome Whistle 2:07
  • 11 Rocks and Gravel (Solid Road) 2:58
  • 12 Sally Gal 3:12
  • 13 Sally Gal 1:56
  • 14 Baby, Please Don't Go 2:08
  • 15 Baby, Please Don't Go 1:58
  • 16 Milk Cow (Calf's) Blues 2:03
  • 17 Milk Cow (Calf's) Blues 2:33
  • 18 Wichita Blues 3:06
  • 19 Wichita Blues 2:59
  • 20 Milk Cow (Calf's) Blues 2:48
  • 21 Wichita Blues 2:59
  • 22 Baby, I'm in the Mood for You 2:58
  • 23 Blowin' in the Wind 2:37
  • 24 Blowin' in the Wind 2:48
  • 25 Worried Blues 2:38
  • 26 Baby, I'm in the Mood for You 2:50

Disc 2

  • 1 Bob Dylan's Blues 3:28
  • 2 Bob Dylan's Blues 2:21
  • 3 Corrina, Corrina 2:19
  • 4 Corrina, Corrina 2:48
  • 5 That's All Right, Mama 3:26
  • 6 That's All Right, Mama 2:56
  • 7 That's All Right, Mama 2:56
  • 8 Mixed Up Confusion 2:38
  • 9 Mixed Up Confusion 2:43
  • 10 Mixed Up Confusion 2:36
  • 11 Mixed Up Confusion 2:32
  • 12 Mixed Up Confusion 2:24
  • 13 Mixed Up Confusion 2:17
  • 14 Mixed Up Confusion 2:19
  • 15 That's All Right, Mama 2:56
  • 16 Rocks and Gravel 2:31
  • 17 Ballad of Hollis Brown 5:19
  • 18 Kingsport Town 1:44
  • 19 When Death Comes Creepin' (Whatcha Gonna Do?) 3:08
  • 20 Hero Blues 2:55
  • 21 When Death Comes Creepin' (Whatcha Gonna Do?) 2:03
  • 22 I Shall Be Free 2:46
  • 23 I Shall Be Free 4:31
  • 24 Hero Blues 3:04
  • 25 Hero Blues 2:43

Disc 3

  • 1 Hard Times in New York Town 1:58
  • 2 The Death of Emmett Till 4:41
  • 3 I Rode Out One Morning 2:53
  • 4 House of the Rising Sun 3:18
  • 5 See That My Grave Is Kept Clean 0:57
  • 6 Ballad of Donald White 4:38
  • 7 Honey, Just Allow Me One More Chance 2:29
  • 8 Talkin' New York 4:27
  • 9 Corrina, Corrina 3:55
  • 10 Deep Ellum Blues 3:22
  • 11 Blowin' in the Wind 4:01
  • 12 The Death of Emmett Till 4:26
  • 13 Stealin' 2:02
  • 14 Hiram Hubbard 5:14
  • 15 Blowin' in the Wind 3:08
  • 16 Rocks and Gravel 4:05
  • 17 Quit Your Low Down Ways 3:12
  • 18 He Was a Friend of Mine 4:04
  • 19 Let Me Die in My Footsteps 5:00
  • 20 Two Trains Runnin' 4:02
  • 21 Ramblin' on My Mind 2:52
  • 22 Muleskinner Blues 1:13
  • 23 Muleskinner Blues (Part 2) 1:31

Disc 4

  • 1 Sally Gal 2:59
  • 2 Highway 51 4:02
  • 3 Talking John Birch Paranoid Blues 4:05
  • 4 The Ballad of Hollis Brown 5:48
  • 5 A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall 7:08
  • 6 See That My Grave Is Kept Clean 3:27
  • 7 No More Auction Block 2:56
  • 8 A Motherless Child 3:11
  • 9 Kindhearted Woman Blues 2:31
  • 10 Black Cross 4:01
  • 11 The Ballad of Hollis Brown 5:43
  • 12 Ain't No More Cane 1:58

Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata