The songs Bruce Springsteen is most proud of
How do you even begin to assess the best parts of a discography as extensive as Bruce Springsteen’s? With a career spanning six decades and over 20 albums, the everyman-turned-entertainer has earned his nickname and acclaim. His output is so vast that it leaves even casual fans struggling to pick out their favourites.
Springsteen himself seems to struggle to decipher specific highlights, too, and it’s easy to see why. From the iconic ‘I’m on Fire’ to the bold ‘Born in the U.S.A.’, his career is full of hits tailored to the masses and more personal endeavours. He has previously suggested that his 1982 record Nebraska might be the collection of songs that represents him best, a selection he echoed while picking out his proudest works.
During a conversation with Howard Stern, Springsteen selected the songs he was most proud of writing, including two full albums on the list – Nebraska and one of his more recent offerings, 2020’s Letter To You. Two of Springsteen’s darkest and most contemplative collections, they do stand up as some of his most considered songwriting.
But when it came to his singular song choices, Springsteen stuck to the classics. Perhaps expectedly, some of his biggest hits made the list of his proudest work. He mentioned his 1975 single turned rock and roll classic, ‘Born to Run’, which he described as his “shot at the title” in the liner notes for his greatest hits album.
“A 24 year old kid aimin’ at ‘The greatest rock ‘n roll record ever,’” he quipped. Though it may have seemed like an impossible aim to him at the time, the song is certainly up there as one of the most iconic rock and roll records. An impressive feat and well worthy of its place amongst Springsteen’s proudest works.
‘Born in the U.S.A’ also makes the list, another of Springsteen’s signature tracks from the mid-1980s. Addressing the situation in his home country after the Vietnam War, the song is a demonstration of Springsteen’s ability to tackle real topics in his songwriting while still maintaining the appeal of his heartland rock style.
The final two songs Springsteen selected were ‘Thunder Road’ and the titular track from his 1978 record Darkness on the Edge of Town. From the bold ambitions of ‘Born to Run’ to the considered Letter To You, it’s a solid collection of tracks spanning Springsteen’s entire career and representing his continued songwriting prowess.
Listen to the songs below.
