ROCK legend Bob Dylan’s first chart-topping album for almost 40-years has seen him rewrite the history books – and spark a huge surge in sales for his back catalogue.
His new disc means he becomes the artist with the longest gap between chart number ones – an incredible 38 years and five months.
The crown was previously held by Tom Jones – whose 1999 comeback Reload topped the UK charts in October of that year – just over 31 years after his career-defining Delilah reached the top of the charts in August 1968.
And sales of Dylan’s back catalogue have also rocketed with purchases of his most notable recordings almost trebling their sales over the past month.
Music retailer HMV have reported sales of Dylan’s 1975 album Blood On The Tracks have rocketed by an amazing 188 per cent in the last six weeks, while his 60’s recordings Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde On Blonde have increased by 145 and 176 per cent respectively.
Number One spot
HMV’s Gennaro Castaldo said: “Dylan is arguably our greatest cultural icon, and his words and music remain as relevant and as powerful today as they did five decades ago.
“His albums always sell consistently well, but with demand for his catalogue of recordings up significantly in recent months, it’s evident that Dylan is going through one of his zeitgeist moments, as a new generation of fans join his more-established followers in appreciating his musical legacy.”
The 60’s icon, who has just completed two successful concerts in Scotland, last hit the album chart number one spot in 1970 with his country album New Morning.
The Like A Rolling Stone star, now 67, performed two sell-out shows at Glasgow’s SECC and Edinburgh’s Playhouse over the weekend.
Fans were treated to a two hour performance in which Dylan thrilled them with a set-list that, unusually, contained many of his past hits.
Tracks from new album Together Through Life were also aired during his Scottish dates and received an enthusiastic response from his devoted fans.
Dylan still relevant
Dylan fan Fraser Wood, 42, from Musselburgh, was at the Edinburgh gig and says he is not surprised to hear of the increased sales.
He said: “The Edinburgh concert was terrific and the new songs really stand up well against his classics. There were a lot of young people at the Playhouse on Sunday night and I’m sure they will all be out buying his older material.
“It’s great to see because it shows how relevant Dylan still is to the music industry, even though he’s almost 70 now.”
