What was Bob Dylan's first album?

Bob Dylan's first album was Bob Dylan, released by Columbia Records on March 19, 1962.

The album introduced the 20-year-old folk singer, who had moved from Minnesota to New York City's Greenwich Village folk scene. Producer John Hammond signed Dylan to Columbia after hearing him play harmonica on Carolyn Hester's album. Dylan recorded his debut quickly, using a mix of traditional folk, blues, gospel, and material learned from older performers.

Despite its later importance, the album initially sold poorly and earned Dylan the nickname “Hammond's Folly” at Columbia. It contains only two original Dylan compositions: “Talkin' New York” and “Song to Woody.” The rest are interpretations of traditional songs or works by other writers, including “House of the Risin' Sun” and “Fixin' to Die.”

A common mix-up is The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, his second studio album, released in 1963. That later record established Dylan as a major songwriter through songs such as “Blowin' in the Wind” and “A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall.”