62 Years Ago Today: Iconic Singer Records Future No. 1 Hit

Tuesday marks the 62-year anniversary of a legendary singer recording a future No. 1 hit song that cemented his legacy as one of the true all-time greats.

1964 produced a stacked list of classic songs that still hold up more than six decades later. This includes The Animals' version of "The House of the Rising Sun," "Oh, Pretty Woman" by Roy Orbison, "My Girl" by The Temptations and "I Feel Fine" by The Beatles.

Though it wouldn't be released until the following year, June 9, 1964, is also a significant day in the illustrious career of Bob Dylan. Today marks 62 years since he recorded a future No. 1 hit, "Mr. Tambourine Man."

Dylan emerged as one of the most recognized singers in the U.S. in the early '60s following the success of two 1963 hits, "Masters of War" and "Blowin' in the Wind."

On June 9, 1964, the young songwriter went to record his Another Side of Bob Dylan album at Columbia Records in New York City. Dylan recorded "Mr. Tambourine Man" that day.

But as the Rolling Stone magazine explained, the song was excluded from the album because harmonica player Jack Elliott was off-key during the recording:

"Running into Dylan on the street in 1964, Elliott was invited along to the recording sessions for Another Side of Bob Dylan; there, they cut an early version of 'Mr. Tambourine Man,' with Elliott singing along despite not knowing all the words.

"A tape of that performance made it to the Byrds, and even though Roger McGuinn says Elliott's harmony was 'quite out of tune,' it helped prompt the band to add harmonies on their own version of the song. Elliott also stored his motorcycle in the same Woodstock barn where Dylan stashed his own, likely the same one that resulted in his catastrophic accident in 1967."

While "Mr. Tambourine Man" went on to become one of Dylan's most recognizable songs, it also marked the singles debut for The Byrds. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Bob Dylan Released 'Mr. Tambourine Man' Nine Months Later

Dylan wouldn't re-record "Mr. Tambourine Man" for another seven months. He returned to New York for a three-day recording session of his fifth studio album, Bringing It All Home.

He finished recording "Mr. Tambourine Man" on Jan. 15, and the album would be released three months later. The Byrds' version of the song would reach No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart and the Billboard Hot 100.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 9, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published June 9, 2026 at 11:42 AM.