In my car I have both Born to Run and Nebraska rotating in and out of my CD player, but Nebraska is definitely in there waaaaaay longer and way more often.
Speaking of weird favorite Bruce albums, I'm pretty sure that Tom Joad is Jason Isbell's favorite album by the Boss.
I thought there was going to be a Tom Joad defender in our ranks. I guess not! I think Fallon just likes the looser sound and lyricism of those first two records. His favorite Springsteen song is also "Zero and Blind Terry," so he's not your conventional Bruce fan. Those songs/albums are probably just the ones that most inspired his writing style--which, listening to The '59 Sound or American Slang, makes perfect sense. I didn't know you put Born to Run third. Not sure how I feel about that, Chris! Also, surprised you put Devils last. I don't love that album, but I definitely don't think it's close to his worst writing.
It's not even like it's bad. It's just really one-note, so I put it on the least. It still has the title track and "Youngstown", so it's pretty good. Just Human Touch, while it has some total filler, also has some tracks I get pumped to put on. Also I was debating including ephemera like Tracks and The Promise, the bonus disc for The River and Live 1975-1985 but then I couldn't figure out where in that top 3 to put Tracks. so I gave up. Haha
From 92 on, Wrecking Ball Tom Joad The Rising Magic Devils & Dust High Hopes Working on a Dream Lucky Town Human Touch That's a pretty easy list, for me. If the bottom two aren't LT/HT, I question your life choices overall as a human. Edit: I just realized I flipped WB & TJ, but I'll go with it.
Yeah, I mostly find it kind of...dull? The title track and "Youngstown" are definitely strong moments, but in general, I find the storytelling less engaging than Nebraska or Devils & Dust, and I don't think the songs are very memorable from a musical standpoint, either.
Ooh, yay! Darkness on the Edge of Town Nebraska Born to Run The River The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle Born in the U.S.A. Tunnel of Love Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. Magic Wrecking Ball The Rising Devils & Dust The Ghost of Tom Joad Lucky Town We Shall Overcome Working on a Dream High Hopes Human Touch After the top three, 4-10 get really difficult. Tunnel of Love has skyrocketed for me over the past year, it used to be in the bottom third. Still hate the production on a lot of it, though. Still, the songwriting in there can't be denied. Some of the absolute best of his career.
Born to Run Wild, Innocent Nebraska Born in the USA Darkness on the Edge of Town The River Greetings from Ashbury Wrecking Ball The Rising Tunnel of Love Magic I think that's about all I can "properly" rank. Rest of his albums I'm not fully familiar with enough to put them in any order
Working on a Dream has actually grown in my estimation as of late. I think there was a time where I ranked it last. Any word on his new album? I feel like it's been done since like the end of 2015, but he just keeps extending the tour. Haha
I listened to Born to Run daily for a long long long time and it was my favorite record of all time for quite awhile. I'm not saying I got tired of it because that doesn't happen with Bruce (duh!), but recently the mood of the writing on Darkness and The River has appealed to me more than the mood of BTR/Wild and Innocent. Also the guitar sound on Darkness is pretty much the greatest in the world so that helps tons too. For the bottom five or so I mostly thought about which ones I had listened to the least. Devils and Dust is definitely the Bruce album I've gone back to the least overall so I guess it's my least-favorite.
High Hopes is under appreciated. That's a Bruce record you can absolutely crank to 11 and just let it play.
It's been oddly quiet. I wouldn't be surprised if he put it on the back-burner to write some new stuff concerning the current political climate. Still, I'm dying to hear anything at this point. Hope he at least puts something out this year.
American Skin is a hell of a tune. I haven't given that whole album much time though. I should change that.
The album is still a disjointed catch all but I feel like every year since it came out I've fallen in love with a new song on it, so it rises incrementally in my esteem
I don't think it's shitting on Nebraska to say that he's made at least half a dozen better records. Oh yeah, I know what you mean. I listened to Born to Run probably twice a day for the entire year of 2009. Agreed on the Darkness guitar sound, too. One of my favorite guitar records, period. I can honestly say I would much rather hear whatever he was working on before the election, haha. It's disjointed, and a lot of the songs aren't memorable at all. Like, I legitimately couldn't tell you what most of the songs in the mid-section sound like. But I think the first few songs and the last few songs are pretty song, with "The Last Carnival" and "The Wrestler" being especially terrific.
If it helps it has arguably his best song, Atlantic City, I know Thunder Road that's why I said arguably
I've only heard Nebraska, Born to Run, Born in America, Darkness, Tunnel of Love, and Tom Joad. Glad to hear that I'm not the only one who just isn't into the latter. I've gotta keep moving on his discography, but got sidetracked by revisiting The Smiths discography and finally into'ing Swans.
Gave High Hopes its first listen in awhile and it's frustrating, but rewarding in spots. "Hunter of Invisible Game" is easily the best track on it though with some hindsight.
Oh, I'm down. (Last Updated 6/22/25) 1. Born to Run 2a. Tunnel of Love 2b. Darkness on the Edge of Town 4. The Wild, The Innocent, & The E Street Shuffle 5. Live 1975-85 6. Nebraska 7. The River 8. Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ 9. The Promise 10. Born in the USA 11. Western Stars 12. Letter to You 13. The Ties That Bind 14. Lucky Town 15. The Rising 16. Human Touch 17. Devils & Dust 18. Wrecking Ball 19. Magic 20. Working on a Dream 21. The Ghost of Tom Joad 22. Only The Strong Survive 23. High Hopes Haven't Heard: We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions Tracks