By the time '' Nashville Skyline '' was recorded , the political climate in the United States had grown more polarized . In 1968 , civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and Senator Robert Kennedy ( a leading candidate for the presidency ) were assassinated . Riots broke out in several major cities , including a major one surrounding the Democratic National Convention in Chicago and racially motivated conflagrations spurred by King 's assassination . A new president , Richard Nixon , was sworn into office in January 1969 , but the U.S. engagement in Southeast Asia , particularly the Vietnam War , would continue for several years . Protests over a wide range of political topics became more frequent . Dylan had been a leading cultural figure , noted for political and social commentary throughout the 1960s . Even as he moved away from topical songs , he never lost his cultural stature . However , as Clinton Heylin wrote of '' Nashville Skyline '' , " If Dylan was concerned about retaining a hold on the rock constituency , making albums with Johnny Cash in Nashville was tantamount to abdication in many eyes . " " Our generation owes him our artistic lives , " observed Kris Kristofferson , who later sang with Cash in The Highwaymen , " because he opened all the doors in Nashville when he did '' Blonde on Blonde '' and '' Nashville Skyline '' . The country scene was so conservative until he arrived . He brought in a whole new audience . He changed the way people thought about it – even the '' Grand Ole Opry '' was never the same again . " Helped by a promotional appearance on '' The Johnny Cash Show '' on June 7 , '' Nashville Skyline '' went on to become one of Dylan 's best-selling albums . Three singles were pulled from it , all of which received significant airplay on AM radio
Democratic National Convention
1968 Democratic National Convention
Nashville Skyline