Bob Dylan released his album Slow Train Coming in 1979. Columbia Records released it on August 20 of that year.
Slow Train Coming was Dylan's 19th studio album and marked the beginning of his explicitly Christian period. Its songs express personal religious conviction and draw heavily on Christian teachings, giving the record a gospel- and Christian-rock-influenced character.
The album was produced by Jerry Wexler and Barry Beckett and recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Alabama. Its musicians included Dire Straits guitarist Mark Knopfler, whose distinctive playing is heard throughout the record. The single “Gotta Serve Somebody” became a notable success and won Dylan the first Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance in 1980.
The year is sometimes confused with 1978, when Dylan released the preceding album Street-Legal, or 1980, when he followed Slow Train Coming with Saved. The correct release year for Slow Train Coming is 1979.