On This Day, February 16, 1974: Bob Dylan’s ‘Planet Waves’ becomes his first number one album

On This Day, February 16, 1974…

Bob Dylan’s fourteenth studio album, Planet Waves, became his first album to hit number one on the Billboard Album chart.

Recorded with his longtime collaborators The Band, Planet Waves includes the future classic “Forever Young,” which appeared on the record in two different versions. The album was originally supposed to be titled Ceremonies of the Horsemen, and the release was delayed two weeks because of the title change.

Dylan and The Band supported Planet Waves with a tour, documented on the live album Before the Flood, which was Dylan’s first since 1966.

Dylan went on to have five #1 albums over the course of his career, his last being his 33rd album, 2009’s Together Through Life.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.