The 10 greatest Bruce Springsteen dance anthems
When we hear dance music, we wouldn’t ordinarily flick our mind’s stereoscope to an image of Bruce Springsteen. However, when you do end up picturing The Boss himself, I bet he’s up on the stage shaking his money maker to a swathe of energetic fans.
Springsteen’s contribution to rock music since his rise to prominence in the mid-1970s has been one of true artistic integrity. His early infatuation with classic rock acts like The Beatles and Elvis Presley led him to pursue a career in music, but it didn’t come without a fight.
After struggling to permeate the upper levels of the US charts in the early ’70s, Springsteen was willing to put every ounce of blood, sweat and tears into a last-ditch third album with generous financial backing from Columbia Records.
Thanks to the preview release of the eponymous lead single and a historic ten-show stand at New York’s The Bottom Line club, Springsteen mustered a storm of media attention in the run-up to the release of his third album, Born To Run, in August 1975. This pivotal album undeniably changed Springsteen’s career and the face of rock music forever.
Over the years since, Springsteen has released a further 17 studio albums, consolidating his position as one of the all-time greats and undoubtedly earning his nickname, ‘The Boss’. What sets Springsteen apart from his peers is a unique ability to weave poetic realism into his tracks, often carrying a tangible narrative. With help from the E Street Band, Springsteen brings these lyrics to life, whether it’s a poignant ballad or a danceable rock-out.
Springsteen’s live shows are known for their explosive energy. As the swelling, vibrating crowds attest, this man has the power to make people dance. Today we’re picking out our top ten most danceable Bruce Springsteen hits. So as you scroll, don’t be afraid to shake your tail feather.
The 10 best Bruce Springsteen dance anthems:
‘Dancing in the Dark’
This is the one most would have thought of when pondering the list. This classic appeared on Springsteen’s 1984 album, Born in the USA, and thanks to its energetic appeal, it helped buoy the album to the top of most major charts across the globe. The song marked the first use of synthesisers in Springsteen’s catalogue, and the results are apt for dancing.
In 1984, manager and producer Jon Landau asked Springsteen to write a more single-worthy track for the album. “Look”, Springsteen replied, per dave Marsh’s book Glory Days, “I’ve written seventy songs. You want another one, you write it.” Despite the confrontation, Springsteen got straight to work and wrote the song in one evening. In total, Born in the USA boasted seven singles, all of which entered the US top ten.
‘Tenth Avenue Freeze Out’
Playing second fiddle to the eponymous single, ‘Tenth Avenue Freeze Out’ helped boost Springsteen to global acclaim with 1975’s Born To Run. This Springsteen essential tells the story of the early formation of Springsteen’s loyal E Street Band, which has accompanied him on tour since 1972.
The song’s focal protagonist, ‘Bad Scooter’, is a pseudonym for Springsteen himself, alongside ‘The Boss’, as suggested by the shared initials. The band forms throughout the verses, and in the third, ‘Big Man’ refers to Clarence Clemons, the band’s long-standing saxophonist.
‘Born To Run’
This rapturous classic undoubtedly bore witness to some truly embarrassing bedroom routines following its release in the mid-1970s. Alongside its partner single, ‘Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out’, ‘Born To Run’ helped boost Springsteen into public recognition.
After struggling to achieve mainstream success in the early 1970s, Born to Run, Springsteen’s third studio album, proved to be his ticket to the top. The danceable energy shown in the album’s lead single debuted the sentimentally exuberant style that Springsteen personified on stage over the subsequent decades. My only advice is to avoid this one at your wedding; unless, of course, you’re marrying a known jilter and you’re playing it ironically.
‘Glory Days’
This classic single joins ‘Dancing in the Dark’ as one of Springsteen’s most danceable anthems. As with most of the album, the track is full of ’80s energy, and it seems a crime that it didn’t appear on a glossy Molly Ringwald flick.
‘Glory Days’ isn’t just a mindless dance ditty, however. The lyrics tell the tale of a man who casts his memory back to the finer years of youth – or the “glory days” – and fondly recalls high school antics. The first verse is an autobiographical account of an encounter Springsteen had with a former Little League baseball teammate named Joe DePugh in 1973.
‘Darlington County’
Here’s another classic from Born in the USA, Springsteen’s most danceable album. This chipper track bounces along with a country style befitting of the cheeky story of the central protagonist and a friend cruising in their car down to Darlington County “looking for work on the county line”.
On their way, they meet girls and spin some whoppers. Namely, the cheeky pair tell some girls that their fathers each own one of the World Trade Centre buildings in New York City. ‘Darlington County’ didn’t make the cut for single release but has become a live favourite ever since the famous Born in the USA tour of 1984-85.
‘I’m A Rocker’
Although Springsteen had already been acclaimed before The River, his fourth album certified him as a superstar. The album is a thrill-filled extravaganza that just makes you want to get on your feet and dance. For years, the song was a part of the encore at Springsteen shows, and it’s when ‘The Boss’ has an audience to feed off that ‘The Rocker’ comes alive.
Furthermore, lyrically, ‘The Rocker’ is direct and perfect for a sing-a-long, as Springsteen yell: “Now I don’t care what kind of shape you’re in, If they put up a roadblock, I’ll parachute in, I’m a rocker, baby, I’m a rocker – I’m in love, I’m a rocker, baby, I’m a rocker – every day, I’m a rocker, baby, I’m a rocker – with you.”
‘Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)’
Springsteen’s ‘Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)’ is full of the youthful, infectious energy that made him a sensation. It’s a stand-out from his second album, The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle, and is a beautiful illustration of young love. At first, the public ignored the track, but it later gained success after ‘Born To Run’ established his name.
The story Springsteen tells in the track is a tale as old as time. He’s infatuated with Rosalita, but her parents forbid their relationship because of his love of rock ‘n’ roll. However, their burning desire to be together was strong enough to get them past any bump in the road.
‘Crush On You’
‘Crush On You’ is another cut from The River and a splendid slice of euphoria crafted by Bruce. Lyrically, it’s a far cry from the skilled storytelling of Nebraska, and Springsteen repeats the title on 20 occasions throughout the track, which hammers home his message.
The lustful track is a love story at first sight about a woman the narrator catches eyes with at the traffic lights. Springsteen then goes on to recall other occasions he’s bumped into strangers and got lost imagining their story without ever building up the courage to act on his intuition. Despite my description, ‘Crush On You’ is upbeat and will raise a smile from even the most cold-hearted individual.
‘Hungry Heart’
It’s hard to imagine ‘Hungry Heart’ being sung by anybody else apart from ‘The Boss’, but originally, he planned to give the hit away to The Ramones. He recalled on Fallon in 2015, “I saw the Ramones in Asbury Park, and we were talking for a while, and I was like, ‘Man I’ve got to write the Ramones a song.’ So I went home, and I sat at my table, and I wrote it in about the time it took me to sing it”.
Adding: “I brought it in, and we went to make a demo for it, or I played it for [Johnny Ramone], and he said, ‘Nah, you better keep that one.’ He was right about that. It did pretty well.”
It’s a quintessential Springsteen effort, which like much of his work, is fuelled by feelings that unite us all. After previously giving away ‘Because The Night’ to Patti Smith, thankfully, Bruce decided to keep this classic all to himself.
‘Badlands’
If you had to distil the feelgood side of Springsteen’s artistry into a song, it’s ‘Badlands’. Interestingly, his creative process on the song began with the title, in which he then built the Darkness On The Edge Of Town number around. He told Rolling Stone in 2010: “‘Badlands’, that’s a great title, but It would be easy to blow it. But I kept writing and I kept writing and I kept writing and writing until I had a song that I felt deserved that title.”
Springsteen felt compelled to write a song about the mystical ‘Badlands’, which set his mind racing, after seeing a poster for the 1973 film of the same name starring Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek. Although he hadn’t seen the movie, it was the spark of inspiration ‘The Boss’ needed to create a timeless effort about a love that will never die.
