The music of Bob Dylan may be timeless, but many of the rocker’s biggest hits are in the somewhat distant past. The singer-songwriter is still making new music and playing live, but the bulk of his most popular tunes were released decades ago. Thankfully, they live on, and this week, one of his most recognizable smashes reaches a Billboard chart it’s never appeared on before.
Dylan’s “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” debuts on the Rock Digital Song Sales chart this week. The tune comes in at No. 20 on the 25-rung tally that ranks the bestselling rock tracks in America.
“Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” scores the second-loftiest debut this week on the Rock Digital Song Sales chart. It comes in behind only U2’s “Atomic City,” which kicks off its time on the tally at No. 2. Several other well-known tracks return to the list this time around, such as Tears For Fears’s “Everybody Wants To Rule The World,” The Rolling Stones’s recent release “Angry” and Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car.”
Dylan has now scored just three placements on the Rock Digital Song Sales chart, with “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” becoming his latest and lowest-ranking so far. The tune joins fellow hits “Murder Most Foul,” his only No. 1, and fellow top 10 smash “I Contain Multitudes.” Both of those cuts debuted on the ranking in 2020.
While he may be one of the most celebrated rock musicians of all time, it’s not entirely shocking that Dylan has been largely absent from the Rock Digital Song Sales chart. The ranking is relatively new, especially when compared to Dylan’s heyday, and most of his hits performed and sold well long before Billboard instituted this online-only tally.
“Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” was a huge hit for Dylan, and it remains one of his most popular songs. The tune rose to No. 12 on the Hot 100 after it was released in the summer of 1973. Since its debut, the track has been covered by fellow stars like Eric Clapton and Guns N’ Roses, who both turned it into a hit for themselves.
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