Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Top 200 Albums of All Time: Bruce Springsteen

Born to Run: Bruce Springsteen (1975)

Record companies might not stick with Bruce Springsteen today. His first two albums failed to capture the public’s imagination. He gave it one more try producing Born the Run. The iconic album made Springsteen a star and the music remains popular with fans today.

Darkness on the Edge of Town: Bruce Springsteen (1978)

Legal battles delayed Springsteen’s follow up to Born to Run. The new album charted for 97 weeks, but the songs did not chart as well. However, Darkness on the Edge of Town contained many classics and fan favorites including “Badlands”, “The Promised Land”, and “Prove It All Night.”

The River: Bruce Springsteen (1980)

In the 80s, many considered The River Springsteen’s greatest album. The album mixes dark material with songs about cars and living life. Indeed, the work captures life in its examination of the solemn and the whimsical.

Nebraska: Bruce Springsteen (1982)

Bruce travels into Woodie Guthrie and Bob Dylan territory in 1982. Nebraska explores peoples’ everyday troubles and life altering decisions. Few rock albums of the period investigate the socioeconomic troubles of the late seventies. As such, Nebraska provides a time capsule to the post-Watergate, pre-Morning in America period. The album is acoustic folk, but an electric version exists somewhere leaving fans to wonder when they will be able to hear it in its entirety.

Born in the USA: Bruce Springsteen (1984)

Born in the USA produced seven top 10 singles. Like Nebraska, Born in the USA provides a time capsule. Musically, the album is full on rock with pop influences. Thematically, it is much more upbeat and optimistic than its predecessor. Ironically, the title track became a patriotic anthem. In reality, it recounts the toils of a Vietnam Vet whose country turned its back on.

The Rising: Bruce Springsteen (2002)

In 2002, Bruce released his first studio album in seven years and first with the E Street Band in 18 years. The events of 911 informed the album’s themes and marked a return of Springsteen to his arena rock persona after venturing into more folk-oriented music.

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