97) The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan

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Dylan's second lp was released on May 27th, 1963 — three days after his twenty-second birthday. It was a tender age for such a historic triumph. On Freewheelin', the poetry and articulate fury of Dylan's lyrics and his simple, compelling melodies transformed American popular songwriting. He later made light of the protest anthem "Blowing in the Wind" ("I wrote that in ten minutes," he said in '66). But Dylan's wholly original grip on grit, truth and beauty in "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" and "Masters of War" still changes everyone who hears this album, four decades later.

Total album sales: 1 million

Peak chart position: 22

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