The week of June 15, 1965, found The Four Tops at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with ‘I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch).’ It was the first of two #1s for the group, followed by ‘Reach Out I’ll Be There’ a year later.
In the #2 spot that week was The Byrds’ recording of Bob Dylan’s ‘Mr. Tambourine Man,’ the first single from the band’s album of the same name. The Byrds were so keen to tackle the song that their version was recorded before Dylan’s was even released (they had heard an early take).
Their arrangement cut the song in half and included only one of Dylan’s four verses, sandwiched between two repetitions of the chorus. They changed the key, brightened it up with their signature jangly guitars, and created a folk rock masterpiece.
The song eventually reached #1, and to this day is the only Bob Dylan-penned song (performed by him or anyone else) to top the Hot 100.
Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me
I’m not sleepy and there ain’t no place I’m goin’ to
Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me
In the jingle jangle morning, I’ll come followin’ you
[Verse]
Take me for a trip upon your magic swirling ship
All my senses have been stripped
And my hands can’t feel to grip
And my toes too numb to step
Wait only for my boot heels to be wanderin’
I’m ready to go anywhere, I’m ready for to fade
Unto my own parade
Cast your dancing spell my way
I promise to go under it
[Chorus]
Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me
I’m not sleepy and there ain’t no place I’m goin’ to
Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man, play a song for me
In the jingle jangle morning, I’ll come followin’ you
I suspect that the cover of “Make You Feel My Love,” particularly Adele’s version, was Dylan’s greatest commercial success and Adele’s would have reached number one had Billboard counted streaming and YouTube at the time.