Bob Dylan’s iconic song, “Blowin’ In The Wind”, was released in 1963 on the album The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. Written during a turbulent point of time in American history when the Vietnam War was raging and the Civil Rights Movement was gaining momentum, the song would soon become one of Dylan’s most powerful and influential pieces of work.
It stoked the embers of protest and change by raising a series of pointed questions that called out to the social consciousness of a generation. Rolling Stones Magazine, in its list of the 500 greatest songs of all time, ranks “Blowin’ In The Wind” a strong 14th. It was also one of Dylan’s most widely covered songs by artists spanning a variety of musical genres.
Following is a list of artists that created some of the more famous covers of “Blowin’ In The Wind”:
Peter, Paul and Mary
Peter, Paul and Mary propelled “Blowin’ In The Wind” to stardom in 1963 and gave it a gateway to the masses on a red carpet. The legendary folk trio’s cover of the song shot to No.2 on the billboard charts while sales of the recording topped 300,000 copies in less than 2 weeks of its release.
Sam Cooke
Believed to be the inventor of soul music and the most important soul singer in music history, Sam Cooke covered “Blowin' In The Wind” live in 1964 and included it in his album Sam Cooke at the Copa. His legendary composition “A Change Is Gonna Come” is believed to have been inspired by this song.
Stevie Wonder
R and B legend, Stevie Wonder, covered “Blowin’ In The Wind” in 1966. The cover was a top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 charts and exposed a socially conscious side to Wonder that had never been seen before.
Joan Baez
Folk legend Joan Baez’s album, Joan Baez in Italy 1967, includes a live cover of “Blowin’ In The Wind”. Another live rendition of the song is included in her 1976 album, From Every Stage.
Neil Young
Neil Young’s version of “Blowin' In The Wind”, recorded live at the War Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo in February of 1991 during his North American Tour, was included on his album, Arc Weld, and is one of the more innovative covers of the song. Its air raid siren sound effects pointed at the Gulf War and brought the song’s perennial social relevance to the fore yet again.
Some of the other artists who have recorded covers of “Blowin' In The Wind” include Elvis Presley, The Hollies, The Hooters, Odetta, Dolly Parton, Bruce Springsteen, Judy Collins and The Kingston Trio.
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