100 New Dylans (1994)

At least since Bob Dylan’s breakthrough Freewheelin’ album in 1963, the music industry has felt itself obliged to produce at least one new Dylan every year or so. In certain periods, when the Minnesota Kid’s most easily absorbed tendencies come to the fore–eras when protest, folk-rock, or singer-songwriter records sell a lot–Dylans sprout like mushrooms. Many of them have been included here. (Various incarnations of Bob Dylan himself have not been included in order to make room for other people.) Within the strictly preset boundaries of this accounting–established solely for purposes of elegance–room has also been made for those figures who, at one time or another, perhaps only for a moment, have truly or madly or bravely embodied Dylanism perhaps even more fully than Bob Dylan. Like Dylan, these people took big chances, betting they could do anything with music–change the world, save it, destroy it–even if it meant they’d end up looking like fools. Or getting shot. Or bursting into flames.

1. Steve Albini
2. Eric Anderson
3. David Baerwald
4. Joan Baez
5. Lester Bangs
6. Big Youth
7. Ruben Blades
8. David Blue
9. Bono
10. David Bowie
11. Billy Bragg
12. David Bromberg
13. Tim Buckley
14. Kate Bush
15. The Byrds
16. Jim Carroll
17. Jimmy Carter
18. Nick Cave
19. Tracy Chapman
20. John Cooper Clarke
21. Leonard Cohen
22. Sam Cooke
23. Elvis Costello
24. Chuck D.
25. Terence Trent D’Arby
26. Sandy Denny
27. John Denver
28. Dion
29. Donovan
30. Jacob Dylan
31. Marianne Faithfull
32. Richard Farina
33. Firesign Theatre
34. John Fogerty
35. Steve Forbert
36. Peter Garrett
37. Marvin Gaye
38. Bob Geldof
39. Allen Ginsberg
40. Albert Grossman
41. Kathleen Hanna
42. Richie Havens
43. Jimi Hendrix
44. Ian Hunter
45. Hüsker Dü
46. Chrissie Hynde
47. Janis Ian
48. Ice Cube
49. Tonio K
50. Garland Jeffreys
51. Robert F. Kennedy
52. David Koresh
53. Kris Kristofferson
54. Peter Laughner
55. John Lennon
56. Bob Lind
57. John Lydon
58. Madonna
59. Charles Manson
60. Bob Marley
61. Don McLean
62. The Mekons
63. Melanie
64. The Minutemen
65. Joni Mitchell
66. Elliot Murphy
67. Bob Neuwirth
68. Jack Nicholson
69. Nico
70. Mojo Nixon
71. Sinead O’Connor
72. Peter, Paul, and Mary
73. Prince
74. John Prine
75. Lou Reed
76. Robbie Robertson
77. Tom Rush
78. Doug Sahm
79. Sky Saxon
80. Michele Shocked
81. Patti Smith
82. Sonny and Cher
83. Bruce Springsteen
84. Harry Dean Stanton
85. Steely Dan
86. Sly Stone
87. Joe Strummer
88. Levi Stubbs
89. Tanita Tikaram
90. Richard Thompson
91. Sal Valentino
92. Eddie Vedder
93. Robert Thomas Veline
94. Loudon Wainwright III
95. Sammy Walker
96. A. J. Weberman
97. Stevie Wonder
98. Neil Young
99. Your Name Here
100. Warren Zevon