Ranking Records: Bruce Springsteen
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ต.ค. 2024
- Last week, I made my first attempt at this video exercise with the music of Elvis Costello. From what I’ve heard, most of you liked it. I personally loved the feedback that rearranged rankings and disagreed with some of the records I put near the bottom. All in all, it was too much fun for me to wait too long to do it again.
So here we go again, this time with Bruce Springsteen and his catalog of 19 studio albums. Let the comments roll!
PS - Please note that these videos are intentionally unrehearsed, unscripted and unedited. My apologies and embarrassment for referring to Western Stars as Western Sky and for putting the Bottom Line show in 1985 instead of 1975.
See my music blog at www.musiccitymike.net - เพลง
Hi Mike. I want to thank you for making this effort to talk about Bruce Springsteen. You are clearly a huge fan and know a lot about Bruce, the band and what was happening during the making of these albums. I can appreciate Bruce's musicianship and his artistry. My favorite album is The Wild, The Innocent and The E Street Shuffle. A masterpiece album!
I saw Bruce on the devil's and dust tour the same day I was diagnosed with terminal cancer, multiple myeloma. I remember when the doctor told me, my mother and my niece that I had cancer, I was related because I was taking my niece to see Bruce. What a show! Loved it. July 13 2005.
New York City Serenade is awesome got to see it and hear it live in Roma.Awesome
I totally agree with you on what you said about Tunnel of Love. It was actually the first album I ever heard by him, and I freaking love the title track
Wow!!! Goes to show anybody can post anything. Never imagined such a lightweight analysis could have been possible.
Great job Mike! Being a fellow Jersey guy (Edison), I love your top three picks. Darkness is my fave.
My brother just moved from Edison - great town.
Great video mate! The closest ranking I've seen to my own opinion. I think the bottom five and top three you got spot on. I would only give Magic and Western Stars more love. Brilliant that you put Wild & Innocent second. Thank you
Thanks my friend in Bruce!
AM i the only one that loved Outlaw Pete live at London Calling 09? Is was awesome!
Great song story outlaw Pete is a very underrated song I love it
Sorry - it just doesn't work for me. I respect your opinions though.
People missed the sense of humour in this...
Great video.
Always interesting to hear someone choosing their top albums from one of your favourite artists and seeing how it compares to your own.
My number 1 Springsteen album is Nebraska though. 👍
Glad I'm not alone in that opinion. Atlantic City is my favorite
Excellent review....I love your delivery and explanations of each LP. Plus your affection for NYC Serenade...I know exactly what you mean.
Excellent review !! As a long time Springsteen fan I concur with most of you rankings . Would put Magic higher on my list . My favorite post reunion album . Agree with your top 4 with special love to Wild and Innocent . Well done
I totally agree with your top 7 picks.I personally never cared much for Born in the USA (too commercial for me) and would've had it lower. Also, Wrecking Ball and The Ghost of Tom Joad, in my opinion, are great later Springsteen albums that would've made my top ten. Overall a great video. Well Done!
I'm with you. Tunnel of love is amazing
Great rankings. I totally agree with your number 1. Born to Run is an album I could never get tired of listening to. Title track is also my all time favourite Springsteen song. The first time I heard about Springsteen was 1978's Hungry Heart but Born to Run just blew me away.
Think you mean 1980
@holitipu Oh yes it was 1980. Thanks for the correction.
SIXTEEN shows of the 1978 tour? You lucky, lucky bastard! I agree with you 100% that was the best tour ever by anyone and that Tunnel of Love is his most underrated album. Darkness is my number one album ever by anyone- it helped save my life when I was eighteen. I discovered him in 1979 and first saw him in 1980. But I would say Thunder Road is my favorite song and BTR number two. Albums: BTR, Darkness then E. Street Shuffle. Each a masterpiece and yet each totally different- all in the span of five years. Unbelievable! Great episode!!!
Thank you. I listened all the way through and found it a really satisfying assessment of Bruce's recording career and very close to the way I would have ranked the albums myself. My first serious exposure to him was BORN TO RUN which I played non stop for months and it encouraged me to go back and find 'GREETINGS...' and '..WILD...' and fell in love with both of them. (one of the most beautiful songs I've heard is 'WILD BILLYs CIRCUS STORY'). Now you probably already know that you said '85 instead of '75 for your first concert but (being from Australia) I actually didn't get to see him 'til '85 by which time he was on a BORN IN THE USA tour with Nils Lofgren. Naturally the set list was dominated by that album so I didn't get to hear much of his early work live and I haven't seen him since. Still, there's plenty of filmed stuff I've managed to find so I don't feel that I've missed out. Just a mention of another often forgotten song from BORN TO RUN (which incidentally I would rank 2nd behind "WILD') was the haunting 'MEETING ACROSS THE RIVER' . Just him, a piano and a trumpet - Bruce at his storytelling best. Thanks again and I'll check out your other rankings where I can find them.
Thanks for your support. Yes, I caught my 85 v 75 misspeak. Yes, Meeting is a classic! Please subscribe if you haven't yet and you can easily find the other Ranking videos in my playlist.
Fantastic video!!!! For me, it's a tie for number 1. The river, darkness, and born to run. Thanks again!!!!!
Mike - enjoyed listening to your Bruce album rankings. Many notable points for all of them. I agree that Working on a Dream was a little lackluster for me, and I think I was at that same Atlanta show! But it's great to see how many people liked Western Stars, especially given how unlike anything else in his catalog that record is . Kudos to your #2 pick, because that's a fantastic record and deserves the high honors. Looking forward to checking out the live archives, as I didn't know those existed. Great job!
Thanks much! Trying to think where I would slot the great new LP.
@@mbodayle glad you like it! I look forward to hearing it sometime soon. I was excited to hear it was knocked out in the studio in less than a week - a lot of records come out great that way.
Song after song, album after album Bruce writes catchy tunes that tell stories that have a importance, a gravitas that few other popular musicians even attempt. Wonderful Genius! In a interview He said that more than riches, or fame, He wanted to be great. He is! Dive in deep!
im know im late but a great video abot a legend in music. when he first toured in austrlia was like watching god sing with nils clarenrence , nils and band blew my mind 3 half hours. a memory i dont forget im 62
thank u
Totally nailed the top 3 for me. Have you seen the live in Rome version of “New York City Serenade”...Watch for one of the violinists to completely lose it, overwhelmed with emotion. Born to Run turned me into a life long musician. The best Springsteen has musicality as top priority...I concur with you on fave all time album. It was my youth...
lovely review Mike greetings from england
Thank you! My top five are the same as yours, but perhaps in different order, and as far as the rest of the catalog, think I rate the late career material a little more. But this is a great summary for anyone new to checking out Bruce. You saw 16 shows in '78? That's just unreal - I was just born then!
Letter To You album has made my top 10...cant wait to hear your thoughts.
Gosh - I love it! Not a bad song to my ears. The best thing he's done since The Rising. Sure wish he was on tour right now!
Great overview No.2 questionable but very solid ranking-how about asking for future ranking suggestions-try Graham Parker -great logical fit
One artist non neglected is Graham Parker. Hope you can cover his great recordings.
I love Graham Parker. There must not be many of us around which is rather sad and very disappointing. Squeezing Out Sparks is 5🌟 stuff. The Rumour were a fabulbous band..
You are spot on on Tunnel of Love
Great ranking and some great stories to go with it - love to hear these rankings from a genuine fan! I’m only 18 so haven’t really grown up with Bruce’s music in the same way as many, and haven’t been able to see him live just yet, but Thunder Road is my favourite song of all time so for me Born To Run can’t be anything but number one - great to see Wild and Innocent so high. Subscribed!
Thanks so much for writing. I sure hope you get to see Bruce live. Sure was hoping for a tour this year, but with this set back I just don't know. His age may be catching up with him.
Music City Mike - you could be right. Let’s hope not! Although I fear that the Broadway show in the last year or two could be an indication of him possibly beginning to wind the schedule down a little. Re-watched his Glastonbury headline set over the weekend. What a show
Well here we are in 2024...and looking forward to seeing him live..yet again...last summer was brilliant..can t wait till this summer
It's interesting that I also did a review of exactly those two artists, be it in the other order. I value Costello higher though, Springsteen having had a clear drop in quality after Tunnel of Love, while Costello made several efforts to break out of his idiom for better or worse and he kept his peak until about his 15th album.
As for Springsteen I'm a little biased towards his biggest success because that's how I got to know about him. Even if it has some slickness to it, the songs hold well even after all these years. My other favorites are Darkness and Nebraska. I don't seem to like Born to Run as much as most people, I even prefer his debut over it.
Thanks for doing this!
Great ranking Mike. Totally agree with your number one. He has made some great albums in his career. Love The River a lot too.
Thanks for your comments. Sure missing seeing Bruce live . I was hoping he'd tour this year.
Music City Mike Thanks Mike. I have seen him 2 times in 2013 & 2014. When he came to Australia. Hope he gets outs out there when this virus ends.
Nice video, Mike. This is the first one of yours I've seen. I have a channel where I go over my music collection, but ranking always scare me. Bravo, well done. I'm not as big a Springer fan as you, but I like him a lot, though it ebbs and flows. I have read his autobiography and loved it. I did like Human Touch and Lucky Town when they came out, but still really like Lucky Town. I also liked Tunnel of Love way back when. Emmylou Harris covered Brilliant Disguise. I learned it on guitar too. I do love the Seeger Sessions, but that kind of music is right in my wheelhouse and I think Bruce nailed it on that album. I hear what you're saying about the Ghost of Tom Joad. I like it, but it has a certain blandness to it. Like many, I haven't been into his later stuff. Like you say, maybe that's our brain capacity. We get used to an artist in a certain light and lose interest when they veer into other territory unless they're your favorite or way up there. I'm that way with the Stones. I even like their later material, though not as much, I still find the good stuff in it because I've been into them for 40 years and they were my first musical love. It's amazing you've seen Bruce 60+ times. You have great stories. Last, I love all the classics; from the first one all the way up to Born In The USA. Great albums, all of them. Tracks was amazing also, just how prolific he is, putting out 4 CDs of (mostly) unreleased material. Not many other artists can do that (Stones, Neil Young, Tom Petty, Dylan, Tom Waits). Anyway, great video. Thanks!
Thanks and let's be sure to subscribe to each other!
Saw him 6 or 8 times. Kinda glad I missed those concerts.
Es el mejor del mundo springsteen y punto
My top 5 Springsteen albums:
1. Darkness on the Edge of Town- rolls by like a train but stays with you for years after and has you coming back for more
2. The River- best sounding Springsteen album imo, feels a bit more complex than it's predecessor and I might even like parts of The River more, but its dragged down to spot no 2 by the nature of being a double album (although it's a damn fine one)
3. Nebraska- a sinister, unsettling, uncomfortable but ultimately rewarding portrait of the dark side of middle class America. Nebraska proved Bruce's worth as a songwriter and is utterly enraveling to listen to
4. Born to Run- Jungleland is on it, which may be my favorite Springsteen song. I have it lower than the others because I find that Meeting Across the River and She's the One are a bit throwaway and sort of stop the pace of the record in its tracks, but I absolutely love every other song on here.
5. The Ghost of Tom Joad- I absolutely love this album and listen to it regularly, I just love the quietness and stillness of the record that contrasts brilliantly with all of the murder and turmoil on the songs. I'm a songwriting fan first, Springsteen fan second, so I love this and Nebraska more than most but I think the storytelling on Ghost of Tom Joad is absolutely impeccable. The melodies are sort of plain for sure, but I don't think it's at all bland or boring. The droning but subtle synthand fiddle, as well as any time the harmonica appears and Springsteens own very hushed delivery are very ambient and cathartic, listening to it is sort of like listening to the sun coming up in the winter. You just lay back and relax while the stories flood through you, and I think that's where the enjoyment of the album comes from. It works real well in the early hours of morning or late at night I find.
Nice video. I love hearing about Bruce.
Nice work - really enjoyed - jealous you were at Botton Line
Like that #2 pick. Outstanding record. Great storytelling on the record backed up by his funkiest band.
Western Stars is really good, enjoy it very much.
Great shout out to Vin Scelsa!! "Idiot's Delight" was my favorite show. You'd likely remember Pete Fornatale, too. I'm also from Jersey, Newark in fact.
1. Nebraska
2. Born to run
3. Darkness
4. Tunnel of love
5. Born in the U.S.A.
6. River
7. Wild, innocent etc.
8. Magic
9. Western stars
10. Greetings from asbury park
Springsteen's post 2000 material is fabulous, and it never gets the recognition it deserves. High Hopes should not be included in any poll as it was no more than a compilation album full of outtakes, re-recordings and cover versions.
Two good points! I am so ready for another Bruce record.
I can’t see how I could rank ANY of these differently. Great list.
Awesome - thanks for watching. Sure hope we get another LP from him soon.
Music City Mike I ordered his latest country album after watching your rankings. When you mentioned that it’s a nod to Glen Campbell, it sealed the deal on adding it my collection.
@@mikef2813 Awesome - it's a great record. It's time for a new one thought!
Excellent list from someone who clearly understands and appreciates Springsteen. Mine probably matches this pretty closely with a couple surprises. The "Tunnel of Love" relatively high ranking surprised me. I'll have to re-assess that one. I also got into Springsteen starting with the second record and completely understand why it would be rated so high. I also rate "Born In The USA" somewhat lower as he did. For fans that started with Springsteen near the beginning, as popular as "Born In The USA" was, there are more brilliant albums in his catalog and those are mostly reflected in Music City Mike's top 5.
Some gold in Devils and Dust. Give it some time. Especially Devils and Dust live with the band you can see on youtube. Outstanding
Rgert missing that tour. Was too busy with young kids.
You re so wrong about The Seeger Sessions and Devils and Dust...live these albums were transformeed. And he re worked other stuff too. On Devils and Dust tour he ended with a mesmeric performance of Dream Baby Dream...so i for one am glad he put that on a record. Wholeheartedly agree with Working on a Dream and High Hopes being weak and i find Joad too bleak. But the double release of Human Touch and Lucky Town contains some good tracks too.
When you said that you thought that One Step Up was one of the best songs on TOL and New York City Serenade on The Wild, I knew we were on the same page. Agree with almost everything, maybe Born in the USA a bit higher.
Best songs not on those 20 albums : Roulette, Light of Day, Seeds, County Fair, Quarter to Three, Thundercrack, Ain't Good Enough for you,...
I really can’t disagree with anything. I could have swapped Tunnel of Love with Born in the USA. But I also understand why it’s lower. And I agree on how underrated Tunnel really is. Brilliant Disguise may be in my top 5 Springsteen songs.
What really surprised me was Western Stars. It is a great record but I was definitely surprised to see it in the top 10.
Totally agree with where you placed Nebraska. Amazing album and Atlantic city is great! Personally i would have The Rising placed higher. Mostly because of how it was played live. Same with the Wrecking Ball. Studio versions don’t sound just right, but when live they are amazing.
River above Tunnel
1. The Wild, The Innocent, &The E Street Shuffle
2. Darkness on the Edge of Town
3. Born To Run
4. The River
5. Magic
That a strong list my friend!
Regarding "Working on a Dream," you are spot on. Dave Marsh (husband of Barbara Carr who works with Bruce) has said that "the audience just didn't get what bruce was trying to say with this album (paraphrased.)" Not sure anyone understands why the hell he would even record "queen of the supermarket or surprise! surprise!"
Happen to have the same top 3 but my ranking could flip-flop anytime. Thanks!
Great list,im a massive fan.Seen him live loads of times.Agree with 99.9% of the list.Would definitely swop The River for The Wild…The River MUST be in the top 3.Lucky Town and Human Touch would have made a great single album with the best tracks from each album
I thought Western Stars had some great songs but hated the mass strings of the production
Good review and ranking. I was surprised when Western Stars came out, the sound was so different, but really good, love the album, maybe got a bit tired of the sound of the E-street Band over the years. On the other hand, I never got into Nebraska or Tom Joad, for me most of the songs on them musically are not interesting. My favourite record still is his first, Greetings from Asbury Park, it has this youthful feeling on it, especially love Growing up, but love all his seventies albums, also half of The River, most the rockers on it sound a bit childish, but the ballads are great.
Same top 3 for me!!
Completely agree except for the lucky town album. Probably a top 5 spot for me. The only song I don’t like from that album is The Big Muddy, and that one deserves a spot in the top 5 worst songs he’s done... ;). Lucky town, If I Should Fall Behind, Better Days, Leap of Faith, My Beautiful Reward such a great album for me! Great video!
Thanks for your comments!
Top 5:
1. Darkness
2. Nebraska
3. The River
4. Born To Run
5. Tunnel of Love
Yes!
My ranking would be way different. I'd rank Tom Joad & The Seeger Sessions much higher. You refer to the live versions a lot which should not be a factor when talking about the albums.
Fair enough - didn't realize I had done that and I agree. Thanks for pointing that out.
Excellent. I would like to see album rankings by Joe Jackson and Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings.
Definitely will do Joe. Not sure if I know Bill's music enough. I was lucky though to meet him once. Thanks for watching and suggesting.
great video! though personally I’d put The River at #1
Its Western Stars not sky
My vote for number 1 is Nebraska. As brilliant as it is underrated.
Great video, ty. 'Born To Run' and 'Nebraska' are BS's masterpieces, IMO. After them, it would be 'The Wild, The Innocent', 'Darkness' and 'Tom Joad'. I would have put 'The Rising' and 'Devils/Dust' higher.
Born In The USA is too low in my opinion. In fact I’d put it at one, I just listened to all these albums again and it still sounds phenomenal. Every song sounds like a hit. Greetings From Astbury Park is a nice little album and shows promise but better than Born In The USA? Not for me! I realise it’s probably not cool to put Born In The USA first though but I’m sticking to my guns on this one. His new album is surprisingly good too. I’d rank it around the middle. Magic is my favourite album of his in the last 25 years.
Great video though and i respect your musical knowledge and opinions
Nice work.
Obviously, you’ve got deep feelings and history with the boss.
My top section would be a bit different:
1. Born in the USA - yeah, it’s glossy, but it’s also flawless.
2. Darkness - the top tracks in this match anything he’s done, but a few tracks I could take/leave.
3. Born to Run - an all time great. Needs no defense, but a track or two that aren’t quite perfect.
4. River - as a single album, I’d pick tracks that would put it top 2-3.
5. Asbury Park - the top tracks are as good as it gets.
6. Wrecking Ball - by far, the best album he’s done since the 80s. The rock and roll rebel is in the DNA of this record.
--
IMO: most underrated record ... Tom Joad, most overrated record, tunnel of love.
Generally underrated... human touch and lucky town.
Generally overrated... the rising.
Sorry I disagree outlaw is a Pete a great song. Also Queen of the Supermarket another Classic my personal opinion. My top 3 albums would be B.USA The Rising TOL. Thanks for your video
Fair enough!
20. High Hopes (just horrible. No theme no direction. Just sounds bad)
19. Working on a Dream (by far some of his cheesiest songs as you mentioned)
18. Human Touch (bad production with just WAY TOO many bad songs)
17. Seeger Sessions (average but would be better as a bootleg)
16. Lucky Town (slight improvement from Human Touch but semi average)
15. Wrecking Ball (better than previous album but kind of wonky)
14. Ghost of Tom Joad (good acoustic sound and good stories but hard to grasp)
13. Devils and Dust (another descent stripped down album that's kind of moody)
12. Western Stars (great production and great songs but gets old towards the end)
11. Letter to You (Really good with classic Springsteen sound but he sounds aged)
10. Born in the USA (good but VERY VERY overrated)
9. Wild, Innocent, E Street Shuffle (more of a debut for the E Street band. Songs maybe a little long but they are fun)
8. Greetings from Ashbury Park (great debut even if it is too Dylanesqe)
7. Tunnel of Love (different side of Bruce, themes of love and loss seem so real)
6. Magic (great rock/bluesy album, little too angry and political)
5. Born to Run (of course it's an iconic classic, but I like my top 4 a little more)
4. The Rising (showcases best songs since early 80s. More uplifting than anticipated despite being a response to 9/11)
3. Darkness on the Edge of Town (great follow up to B2R. Defines his sound and style and rocks the hardest)
2. Nebraska (great acoustic sounds and great storytelling. Atlantic City is hands down my favorite song)
1. The River (perhaps his greatest collection of songs, sure there's 2 or 3 unnecessary songs but they dont delude it. My go to album)
It’s Western Stars, not Sky
Guilty!
Good review so I subscribed
Thanks much! Means a bunch.
@@mbodayle thanks for the information regarding the 33/3 book I will purchase it soon. Stay safe
Just reviewed Letter To You! My first FULL Springsteen album. Growing up in jersey it was kind of blasphemous not being a fan, but I really liked the new album so I’m going to dig into his discography. Check out my review in my channel if you’re interested :)
Will be Great to see you rank Bon Jovi and Billy Joel someday
Billy for sure. I have not followed Bon Jovi enough.
Dylan, Lou...
Agree with the rankings on the lower end but not the top. For me Darkness and TOL will always be the top 2. Guess it also depends when you heard these for the first time, what impact they had you then... I heard the first 2 albums long after I heard next 8 albums and so am never been a big fan of either Greetings or The Wild...
Spend some more time with the second record! It's just amazing to me.
@@mbodayle yeah have heard NYCS sounds awesome live particularly with the strings. Where would you rank LTY. I think it's a solid effort with no bummer but also not having too many great tracks like some of his other albums. Also been listening to Magic a bit these days and I like it more than I did initially, let down by the muddied sound.
Nice video, but... :)
I must say that I don't agree with the opinion on "Working On A Dream". It is very straight forward and might not have his most clever lyrics but I like the poppines to it. I find that when Bruce Springsteen doesn't get it 100 % right it tends to be pretty bland music (which for me is the case on many later albums). I rather have a easy-listening pop song than som mediocre "deeper song" which doesn't effect me deeply at all. Also: I think it's album cover is far better than many of his others. Most Bruce albums has quite bad artwork to be honest!
good review mike ,, proberly put rising a tad higher ,, must admit , i dont like magic , belongs at the bottom along with working on a dream ,, in a long career, bruce hasnt hit many duff notes ,,
Todos los discos son preciosos y es el mejor guitarrista del mundo es que no lo veis
Oh my god ! Another ranking where the post reunion albums are considered weak and in my opinion got ranked too low. Magic is great, The Rising is fantastic, Wrecking Ball is wonderful, Western Stars is outstanding and I think all his post reunion albums are very good. I listen more to them than to the old ones nowadays.
@@mattcook4896 It certainly was
The more E Street Band the better. Bruce never impressed me but seeing the band live in the late 70's was quite an experience. I've always had a problem with Racing in the Streets, you cant put "fuellie" heads on a 396. Beautiful music, dumb lyrics.
My fave dumb Bruce lyric is the "speedball" mention in Glory Days. It's always been a "fastball" to me and the rest of the baseball world.
The Stars the limit
(Western Sky)
You're listening!
keep rockin!
Couldnt disagree more...thank god we are all different
Thanks for your honesty!
When you ranked Tom Joad so low I turned you off. Wow!
It's a crowded field!
Tom Joad and Human Touch + Lucky Town are far better than Magic and Wrecking Ball...
The Rising should be number 3.
Do Jackson Browne
Yes i will at some point. Did you see the one on his old pal Warren Zevon that I did?
Late for the Sky. My #1.
Only things I agree with is #1 and WOAD worse album cover ever.
Tunnel of Love was boring. Outside of Spare Parts and Tunnel of Love the rest of the album sounds like crap cubscouts sing around a camp fire. Brilliant Disguise was the biggest hit of that album but was way too bland.
Bruce's records that I find tolerable are from 1973 to 1982 or 1984 or Tunnel of Love ....