As always, I cut things off when I got to the songs that I just 'liked' rather than really liked or loved. That number ended up being 79, so as always, if I've left your favourite Springsteen song off the list, just pretend I had it at #80 and it was a tough, agonizing, last-second cut.
This was one tough list, btw. Not only did I have my usual vague feeling that I could do this list again tomorrow and the order would be markedly different, but such a ranking is difficult for Bruce songs since they vary greatly from the album cuts to the live versions. To use one example, "4th of July, Asbury Park" wouldn't be here if I was ranking album tracks, but the live version was probably a top-25 song, so I just split the difference. I think what clinched it for my #1 choice was that the album track, the live version and the acoustic/piano live version are all phenomenal. Truly it is the song of champions, and yet it was still a tough call since I so dearly love the #2 song on this list.
Another caveat: though I'm a big Springsteen fan, there are undoubtedly loads of B-sides and rarities I've never heard before, so for all I know, I haven't heard my favourite Boss song yet. That's the beauty of being a fan of a musician with such a deep back catalogue --- my #5 pick, for instance, is a fairly obscure B-side that I hadn't heard until a couple of years ago, and now I love it so much I want to dance to it with my daughter at her lesbian wedding. Also, it's a tribute to Bruce's 40+ years of recording consistency throughout the years that I've got at least one track from each of his studio records….except for 'The Ghost Of Tom Joad,' that album sucked.
If you don't recognize a title on this list, I heartily recommend checking it out on YouTube, since there are few better ways to spend couple of hours than falling down a YouTube hole of Bruce Springsteen music. Onto the list!
79. Two Hearts
78. From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come)
77. Further On (Up The Road)
76. For You
75. Secret Garden
74. One Way Street
73. Backstreets
72. City Of Night
71. Radio Nowhere
70. Lonesome Day
69. Out In The Street
68. She's The One
67. I'm A Rocker
66. Better Days
65. Mary's Place
64. The Fever
63. Factory
62. Streets of Philadelphia
61. Racing In The Street (electric version from "The Promise")
60. 4th of July Asbury Park (Sandy)
59. Highway Patrolman
58. Growin' Up
57. Incident On 57th Street
56. Pink Cadillac
55. One Step Up
54. Shackled And Drawn
53. The River
52. Tenth Avenue Freeze Out
51. Two Faces
50. Trouble River
49 .When You're Alone
48. Ramrod
47. Long Walk Home
46. Human Touch
45. Jungleland
44. Glory Days
43. The Promised Land
42. My Love Will Not Let You Down
41. Ain't Got You
40. Cadillac Ranch
39. Johnny 99
38. Death To My Hometown
37. Into The Fire
36. Open All Night
35. Missing
34. The Rising
33. All I'm Thinking About
32. Waitin' On A Sunny Day
31. Sherry Darling
30. Wrecking Ball
29. Fire
28. Brilliant Disguise
27. Reason To Believe
26. Darlington County
25. I'm On Fire
24. Blinded By The Light
23. Terry's Song
22. Stolen Car
21. Tunnel Of Love
20. Murder Incorporated
19. I'm Going Down
18. Lion's Den
17. Spirit In The Night
16. Lost In The Flood
15. Land Of Hope And Dreams
14. Bobby Jean
13. The Wrestler
12. Born To Run
11. Rosalita
10. Hungry Heart
9. Livin' In The Future
8. If I Should Fall Behind
7. My City Of Ruins
6. Dancing In The Dark
5. Ain't Good Enough For You
4. No Surrender
3. Badlands
2. Atlantic City
1. Thunder Road
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1 comment:
Awesome post.
I'd definitely put Atlantic City #1, but I'm not going to get up in arms about it being #2.
Think you've overrated The Wrestler...and really overrated Murder Incorporated (which is a fun track, but hardly top 20 worthy). Aside from that, my only other beef is "I'm On Fire" being way down at #25 (one behind "Blinded By The Light," even though Bruce's version is--to my ear--pretty lousy.)
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