10 Greatest Rock Albums That Are Totally Acoustic

For years, Bob Dylan has been the one rock icon who always felt like he didn't belong. Despite writing some of the most stirring anthems of the '60s like on Like a Rolling Stone and the Times They Are A-Changing, he has always remained out of the public eye and constantly avoided the spotlight that follows the other icons he worked with. Though he may have always pointed outward in his lyrics, Blood on the Tracks is the warts-and-all Dylan from skin to bone.

During the writing sessions for this album, Dylan was going through a separation from his longtime girlfriend, which showed up in spades when it came time to write songs. Across songs like Idiot Wind and If You See Her Say Hello, it's clear that Dylan has a lot of baggage to unpack, with the former lashing out in anger and the latter flat out threatening any suitor who would dare take his place.

However, the downtempo songs and campfire atmosphere of these tunes make them seem timeless from the first time you hear them, as if Dylan already tapped into the Woody Guthrie songbook. Nowhere is this more apparent than on Tangled Up in Blue, which manages to pull off being jaded, nostalgic, and understanding all at the same time. While Dylan may have had more cutting social commentary on his earlier tracks, this is where you see Dylan the man rather than Dylan the prophet.