Bruce Springsteen performs with The E Street Band at Autodromo Nazionale Monza on July 25, 2023 in … [+] Monza, Italy.
Bruce Springsteen burst onto the scene in 1973 with Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J., and the American music scene has never been the same. The rocker from Jersey, who earned the nickname “The Boss,” was raised in a working-class Catholic family, and he has said watching Elvis Presley perform on The Ed Sullivan Show as a child sparked his interest in the music industry. Bruce Springsteen songs often channel the American experience, and he writes a lot about the highs and lows of love and despair. Some of the best and greatest Bruce Springsteen songs combine his expressive voice and expert guitar playing for beats you can dance or brood to. This list of some of Bruce Springsteen greatest hits includes songs across the decades from The Boss, who continues to tour and make albums.
Top Bruce Springsteen Songs
Bruce Springsteen plays rock music with some elements of folk and country. His music is often referred to as “heartland rock,” with its straightforward style and focus on hard-working, everyday Americans. He bought his first guitar as a teenager, and he soon joined a band.
By 1971, Springsteen had connected with many of the members of the E Street Band, which became one of the best ‘70s and ’80s bands. Springsteen has released 21 studio albums in his career and written more than 340 songs, including some recorded by other artists, like Patti Smith’s “Because the Night.” This list of best Bruce Springsteen songs is based on popularity of the songs on the charts, awards they have won, and the quality and long-term appeal of the composition.
15. “Wrecking Ball” (2009)
One of Springsteen’s top recent songs was a live release performed before the destruction of Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The song had been written before that, but it proved the perfect way to usher out the storied stadium. The lyrics perfectly capture the “blood and cheers” an old stadium has seen.
The song has gained popularity over the years, with new people finding it and appreciating its unique sound. It was later released as the title track on the album Wrecking Ball. The song peaked at No. 3 on the Hot Singles Chart.
14. “The Promise” (2010)
Springsteen’s early hits are so beloved and so successful that they make up much of this list. But this standout recent song originally meant for Darkness on the Edge of Town deals with a subject close to Springsteen’s heart: the breakup of his relationship with then-manager Mike Appel, which led to a lawsuit.
The song has particular power when played live because it’s so close to Springsteen’s heart. He reportedly revised it for years before beginning to play it, and he leaves the meaning of the song’s broken promise open to interpretation (he once famously said, “I don’t write songs about lawsuits”). NPR calls “Promise” “one of the most storied songs in Springsteen’s catalog.”
Bruce Springsteen performs at MetLife Stadium on August 30, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
13. “Nebraska” (1982)
From Springsteen’s sixth album, also titled Nebraska, “Nebraska” tells the dark story of teenager Charles Ray Starkweather, who killed 11 people in Nebraska in the 1950s. Springsteen has said the song was inspired by the Terrence Malick movie Badlands, which is about Starkweather and his young girlfriend.
Springsteen channels feelings of isolation that run throughout the album in this track. He performed it on VH1’s Storytellers years after its initial release, and he plays the mandolin on the haunting song.
12. “Racing in the Street” (1978)
Some critics have called this song from Springsteen’s fourth studio album, Darkness on the Edge of Town, one of his best. The piano ballad stands out from some of his harder rock songs, and it pays homage to the popular Martha and the Vandellas song “Dancing in the Street.”
The song is nominally about street racing, but it also acknowledges the desire for freedom and release that doing something wild and reckless can unleash. Several artists have recorded covers of the song, which hit No. 1 on the Australian charts.
11. “The Ghost of Tom Joad” (1995)
One of the best ’90s songs Springsteen recorded, “The Ghost of Tom Joad” focuses on the character of Joad from the classic John Steinbeck novel The Grapes of Wrath. While the song is set in the 1990s, Springsteen employs imagery from the Dust Bowl and riffs on Joad’s speech about “wherever there’s a…”
The song wasn’t released as a single in the U.S., but it gained traction as Springsteen played it live, including at the 1997 Grammy Awards, where the album The Ghost of Tom Joad won Best Contemporary Folk Album.
10. “Streets of Philadelphia” (1993)
It is easy to forget, three decades later, what a big deal the movie Philadelphia was at the time. It told the story of a gay HIV-positive lawyer, played by Tom Hanks, who is fired by his law firm. At the time, such stories weren’t told on screen, and Springsteen attaching his name was huge.
Springsteen’s mournful “Streets of Philadelphia” was recorded with little more than a drum machine, no other musicians, and it channeled the voice of someone living with HIV. It forced people to think about an issue they might otherwise ignore without Springsteen and Hanks’ star power. The Boss won Grammys, a Golden Globe and an Oscar for the song, which reached No. 1 on the Billboard chart in Austria, France and Germany.
Clarence Clemons, Bruce Springsteen, Gary Talent and Steve Van Zandt perform at The Spectrum on … [+] December 8, 1980 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
9. “Backstreets” (1975)
“Backstreets,” off Springsteen’s hugely popular album Born to Run, opens with 60 seconds of instrumental—Roy Bittan on the piano and organ. The rest of the song continues without many other instruments, and critics have noted the similarities to Bob Dylan’s mid-’60s songs (Springsteen is a fan).
“Backstreets” chronicles the feelings that come with a broken friendship. The song is a great one to hear live, as Springsteen added an interlude before the last chorus that expands the emotion and depth of the song.
8. “Badlands” (1978)
Another song from Darkness on the Edge of Town, “Badlands” is Springsteen’s 20th biggest chart hit, according to Billboard. The artist has said he named the song before he wrote it because he thought it sounded cool. He penned a story of an angry man looking for more to life.
Springsteen later noted that The Animals had a significant influence on the song, including the opening riff of “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood.” Rock bands dream of recording songs like this, which features some great drumming and fantastic guitar and piano work.
7. “4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)” (1973)
From the album The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle, “4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)” became one of Springsteen’s earliest hits since Wild was only his second album. It’s a love song taking place on Independence Day and detailing what could derail the narrator’s romance with Sandy.
In fact, people often call the song “Sandy,” though that’s not the name. Rolling Stone called “Asbury” the “spiritual descendant” of the Beach Boys’ “Surfer Girl,” though Springsteen has also acknowledged Van Morrison’s influence on the song.
6. “Dancing in the Dark” (1984)
Some remember “Dancing in the Dark” as the video where a young Courteney Cox dances with Springsteen. But the song is so much more. The first single off Born in the U.S.A. is Springsteen’s biggest commercial hit of all time, hitting No. 2 on the Billboard charts and lifting Born to his bestselling album.
The single is self-referential. It speaks to Springsteen’s feelings of uncertainty following his huge commercial success and the pressure he put on himself to write a No. 1 single. The hit became Australia’s No. 1 song of 1984, and it finished No. 29 for the year on the UK charts.
Bruce Springsteen and Courteney Cox at the filming of the video for “Dancing in the Dark” in 1984 in … [+] Minneapolis, Minnesota.
5. “Born in the U.S.A.” (1984)
A song with a great beat that gained as much cultural significance as any of Springsteen’s songs, “Born in the U.S.A.” was the title track from his seventh album. “Born” peaked at No. 9 on the charts, and it’s also Springsteen’s ninth-most-popular song, according to Billboard.
Based on the title alone, many people misinterpret “Born” as a patriotic song, and you’ll heard it a lot on July 4. However, Springsteen wrote the song as more of a protest anthem, revealing how a Vietnam veteran is forgotten by his country after he returns home.
4. “Glory Days” (1985)
This catchy song, also from Born in the U.S.A., should feel relatable. It tells of a man worried his glory days in high school have passed him by, but really anyone can relate to the themes of regret and nostalgia Springsteen explores.
“Glory Days” is one of Springsteen’s most popular songs. It rose to No. 5 on the Hot 100 and is his third-highest-charting song, according to Billboard. The video became a hit on MTV and earned two Video Music Award nominations.
3. “Thunder Road” (1975)
“Thunder Road” is the first song on Born to Run, and many critics consider it one of the best rock songs ever recorded. From the harmonica at the song’s start to the description of a couple’s “one last chance to make it real,” “Thunder Road” delivers equally impactful composition and songwriting.
The song, which includes a shoutout to Roy Orbison’s “Only the Lonely,” has a cinematic quality, with a great build. It’s often hailed as one of Springsteen’s signature songs and ranks 11th on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 greatest songs ever made.
2. “The River” (1980)
The title track to Springsteen’s fifth album, which focuses on love and family, became a huge hit in Europe, making the top 10 in Norway and Sweden. It wasn’t as popular in the U.S., but it’s an incredibly impactful song about a teenage couple who get pregnant.
The song was based on Springsteen’s sister and brother-in-law, and its depicture of their struggles has struck home for listeners in ensuing decades. His sister told Springsteen’s biographer that she didn’t like the song at first because it struck too close to home, but now it’s a favorite.
Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band performing at the Oakland Coliseum on the Born in the U.S.A. … [+] tour on September 19 1985.
1. “Born to Run” (1975)
The energy, the guitar riffs, the big emotions—“Born to Run” goes hard in every aspect of the song, and it’s hard to believe Springsteen was only 24 when he wrote this masterpiece. He’s called it a song of longing, both of a young lover and a young person desperate to escape their town.
It may seem hard to believe that this quintessential Springsteen song only hit No. 23 on the Hot Singles chart, but keep in mind that The Boss has never had a No. 1 song in the U.S. Still, it was quite popular and critics adored it. Billboard dubbed it one of the top rock anthems celebrating individual freedom.
Bottom Line
Where you want ’80s songs or more recent Springsteen hits, this list has a variety of compositions for all tastes and preferences. One thing is for sure: The Boss hasn’t lost a step, and his songs still deliver the same rush and excitement they have for decades.
