BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN - WORST TO BEST 

Never had really taken much notice of Springsteen until a friend played me Darkness On the Edge of Town just after release and my 18-year-old self was hooked and have been an avid fan since. To this day it remains my favourite Springsteen album.

Very much enjoyed your music discussions. You've a talent for this and so I hope you'll change your mind and do a lot more.

Another great review David. Dig into your record collection and keep them coming!

Darkness is essential elemental Springsteen. And your views on sound quality and production are spot on. Thanks for sharing your experience and fine judgment. Bruce fan since 1978 and saw The River tour in 1980.

Fantastic video. Seen Bruce 2 times. Such a great artist. Love your rankings. I might go with Born To Run as my number 1.

Very well done “mate”! As an avid Springsteen fan love your takes. Early on I think Toby Scott rings a bell as his early sound man. Looking forward to your next.

Love how you have 2nd copies of the LP’s in the background! My friend took me along to the Seeger sessions show at Wembley, we were in the front section and I went from not really getting him at all to putting him up there with some of my favourite artists. Unbelievable live and after seeing the live performance I understand what lol the hype was about. That remains one of my favourite gigs ever and have since seen him another 7 times I believe... Agree with Wrecking Ball being high (yes that Tour was incredible) and Darkness will always be my favourite too. Great video!

Absolutely brilliant discussion and analysis! Amazing to find we agree on every point

I was planning to do a Bruce ranking myself. Nice video, well done.

Just came across this last night , and couldn’t believe how our love Bruce is almost paralleled . My first gig was also Newcastle City Hall ( with Chris Rea sitting in front of me ) , and I’ve also jumped on a plane to see him over the years . Great to see fellow fans share their views, I agree with just about everything you said ( nice to hear YOURE MISSING getting a nod )

Great video - I loved the quote you used in the intro, I've always thought that sums him up more than any other. He's not authentic, but is clearly immensely empathetic

Fantastic video, well done

His new album Letter To You would be a top 10 for sure. I love The River but i do think it suffers from what you pointed out earlier, tinny production. Nebraska is so sublime, its my number 1. My 5 favourite Sprinsteen songs: Adam Raised A Cain, Atlantic City, Highway Patrolman, The River, Brilliant Disguise.

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!

Really enjoyed this, and your Genesis post. Seeing Gaucho behind you, would like to see your SD Top ten?

Excellent video thank you for sharing your opinions.

Never gotten into Springsteen but gonna give it another go now, especially after your excellent Genesis post. One savvy Genesis fan can’t be wrong!

A friend sent me this knowing that I am a big Springsteen fan - probably midway between how you describe yourself and the real obsessives ! Thought I would play the first couple of minutes just to see what it was like, but just listened to the whole thing. Really interesting and entertaining with some pertinent comments. Thanks very much

Thanks for a great review Dave, I saw bruce manchester and Brum 81 and since..lost touch with latter day albums but really enjoyed western stars!, totally agree with your top 3..Thanks for the Van appraisal too will help me to dig in deeper I particularly enjoy enlightenment.. lookin forward to the genesis review too, keep em comin! Qp

So good these posts... any more to come? Rush??

For some reason, tunnel of love is the album i always come back to. It is also one of the few albums of Bruce with decent sound quality.

Really interesting video - agreed with most ofyour ratings except for Western Stars, which I would definitely have in my top 10

Great video. I only miss Letter to you, that was released last year. To me that album is somewhere in the top 4.

Nice video…I’m in the +100 group…first show was November 1974 at a small college near my house in NJ. Was at the Philly show the night Lennon was shot. Last show was this past March…still great.

I only own a few Springsteen albums (Born to Run, Born in the USA, Darkness on the Edge of Town) and would consider myself a very casual fan. However, I found the way you spoke about the albums and how the music has affected your life very inspiring. Also, I will echo the comment below and say that you should do more of these "worst to best" type videos. As a music fan I found it very enlightening and entertaining. Going to check out your Genesis video after this. Cheers.

Thanks for doing this video. I'm a huge Bruce fan and really enjoyed it. Lucky Town should be higher.

I don’t agree to your ranking at all, BUT I have to say, you did a valuable job there and the way you explained your choices really was entertaining. Thanks 😊

Very enjoyable. Cannot argue with the top three at all. Funny, I only said to someone recently if you want to get just one Springsteen album make it The River. Personally I rate Lucky Town above Human Touch. There are some great songs on Tracks particularly the version of Stolen Car, which could have been included on The River alongside the other version. Thanks.

Great list! I’m a fan but don’t own everything. I kind of regret buying Magic and Working on a Dream. The last album I bought was Wrecking Ball. The Rising and Tom Joad are my favourites. Saw him live twice at Arsenal stadium and Olympic Park....Now to watch your Genesis list!! 👍🏼

Do you recommend any live DVDs other than “Live in NYC” which I think is fantastic! Anything equally as good or better? Cheers! 😀👍🏼

I've seen Springsteen about half as many times as you but they are my favorite concerts. I'm not as down on Western Stars as you but I agree with your criticisms of Working On A Dream as it is my least favorite Springsteen album. I would probably have Lucky Town a little higher. I like Wrecking Ball more that most people as well. I would have Born To Run but it would be very close. Wonderful job.

Very enjoyable ranking by a knowledgeable dude. Just a few variations with my ranking,most notable being the switch between one and two but that's quibbling. For what it's worth Born To Run is my favorite song by anybody.

Loved your assessment of the worst to best. Especially the worst, like Western stars and Working on a dream, etc being at the tail end.Totally agree with most of your list. Human Touch makes my top 10, and Born in the USA, my top 5, due to all those great songs you mentioned from both. Didn't expect such a similar view to what I'd have so I found your list very pleasing.

Great analysis, interesting ranking, and a most enjoyable video! Completely agree on Darkness on the the Edge of Town being number 1. I personally think Lucky Town is much better than Human Touch, however.

PS Did you go to the Human touch/Lucky town shows in Paris organized through Badlands if so we would have been on the same bus just a thought.

Awesome pick for Darkness as your #1! For me, I go back and forth between Darkness and Tunnel of Love as my #1. (I admittedly haven't listened to every single one of his albums, though). Born to Run would probably my #2. Also, great to see Wrecking Ball so high on your list. I myself don't know of a better album that The Boss has released so far this century.

How could you have left out the river box set in your discussion?

Great video and interesting comments. HOWEVER, Greeting from Asbury Park at #15? No way. That would go way above Seeger Sessions and Tom Joad. Your genesis video was also enjoyable.

Thanks for the post David it was excellent, I actually stopped buying albums after Working on a dream I found the lyrics to be pretty poor and substandard (Outlaw Pete, WTF)that said the tour was fantastic The last time I saw the band was at the last "Rive tour" in Glasgow again fantastic. It was strange watching your countdown as it pretty much mirrors my own preferences. I agree with you regarding the solo stuff I saw the Ghost of Tom Joad tour in Edinburgh and Devils and Dust in the RAH Dream Baby Dream was on another level and in my opinion Nobody could carry that level of emotion in a song other than Bruce Springsteen................hopefully we can all congregate one day Further On (Up the road), when it is safe to do so, take care and keep up the good work! All the best John

20. Working on a Dream 19. Human Touch 18. Lucky Town 17. High Hopes 16. Western Stars 15. Wrecking Ball 14. Ghost of Tom Joad 13. My Letter to You 12. Seeger Sessions 11. Devils & Dust 10. Magic 9. Born in the USA 8. Tunnel of Love 7. Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ 6. The Rising 5. Nebraska 4. Darkness on the Edge of Town 3. Born to Run 2. The River 1. The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle And since he brought it up, Trespass is actually my favorite Genesis album.

I was never a fan of Bruce untill the Ghost of Tom Joad and the only reason that got my interest was it's literature reference. Can't say I love all his stuff but Devils and Dust and Nebraska plus Ghost is all I need from his output. Enjoyable video and love your prog stuff too. I used to work in Boldmere Rd. 40yrs ago!

Really enjoyed the show. Yes, darkness is no.1. It's always so fresh. Tom joad is a masterpiece of narrative writing and should have been higher on the list. The lives of outsiders, told brilliantly and without judgement. Galveston bay had me on the edge of my seat on the first listening ... What will he do with the knife ... Just brilliant story telling. On this record his writing is up there with Dylan. How many artists can you say that about?

Tremendous list...thank you. I think Human Touch and Lucky Town deserve a higher placement though, derided unfairly as both were on release.

Yes! Darkness has always been my favorite Springsteen album. 👍👍👍 Excellent pick.

Darkness is my favorite Bruce Album. Over the last 20 years The Rising is his best work. I have all the box sets and Live 1975-85 is great my favorite live album. Great analysis.

Agree with many things here. Not only your top three (although I would probably put The River as number one). But also your point about the fairly rough quality of production in many of his albums, even from the beginning. I think this is what makes the live albums often preferable because the studio versions never really stand out by comparison, which with well recorded bands they often do.

I guess you put this out before A Letter To You which I think is the best album with the E Street Band since Born To Run

Came across this video tonight, really good, especially as you mentioned Bob Seger as well. Bob Seger just does not get enough credit, also good news ahead Seger vinyl re-issues are set to be released.

thank you. this was great.

Mr. Atkinson, I agree with practically your entire ranking, especially "Darkness on the Edge of Town." However, I would flip the rankings of "Human Touch" and "Tom Joad." I think "HT" is the most under-rated album in Springsteen's oeuvre.

Well I never knew Bobby and Jack had a long lost brother!! 😀 😀 😀 😀

When does your world tour start?

Very good list. I agree with Top 10 but in a very different order. The Rising especially is an incredibly written album.

As I said in a follow up to my remarks regarding your Genesis critique; Springsteen came to my rescue when the Progressive started to run out of gas. I had been aware of him for sometime, but it wasn't until my girlfriend left me until his music hit home. That is the thing about his music's evolution; it has paralleled life as it has unfolded over the years. It seemed like he was watching me at times...to the point where I think he owes me royalties for some of his songs.

My favourite Springsteen album is the ghost of tom joad love it,I see steely dan in the background,ye must do a ranking

My # 1: THE RIVER 👍🏆

Enjoyed that mate Darkness Innocent e street shuffle The river Born to run

Steely Dan ranking would be beautiful (the gaucho album in the background suggests you're a fellow Dan fan!) Nice and tight discography not much fat.

Was lucky enough to be near the front of the pit when he played The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle from start to finish In Brisbane (Australia) (only the second time he'd done that) was a magical experience - the live version of Kitty's Back is incredible.

I enjoyed Western Stars quite a bit myself.

Love to hear your comments on Martyn Joseph.

Darkness on the Edge of Town is also my favourite Springsteen album . The boxset you showed has a great dvd of a show he did in Houston on that 1978 .tour . I saw him in November of ‘78 at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto , about 2 weeks before the Houston concert was filmed. 4 hours of greatness topped off by a stomping version of the Detroit Medley that had everyone dancing in the aisles. There are some great 3 cd sets of shows on that tour . A great review of his albums . If you don’t have this album , you should pick up Hearts of Stone by Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes . Springsteen supplies a couple of the songs and some backing vocals . It’s great . Thanks !

Greetings is one of his best, take it from a New Jersey guy.

You are clearly a Springsteen aficionado and you definitely know what you are talking about. I love springsteen A Lot and own almost every album (except Working on a Dream) but you broke my heart at #20. I can’t stop listening to this album. Letter to You is a great album, but very familiar. Western Stars is melodic, lush, and sets a wonderful mood. I respect and understand your opinion, but I really disagree! It isn’t Springsteen by numbers for sure and not everyone will love it....but I sure do! Great video...still watching it...

I liked your best of Genesis and Springsteen . Any chance of doing Steely Dan next?

I really enjoy your analysis, even if I don't 100% agree with your rankings. Springsteen is difficult for me, because there are parts of his career/discography that I love... but when he kinda puts on that "rock-and-roll" hat and goes all roadhouse bar band, I cannot stand it. It just feels like such a put on, coupled with the fact that it is the least interesting thing that he does, artistically speaking. I could happily never, ever hear songs like Ramrod ever again.

‘Hey Eddie, can you lend me a few bucks tonight/ Can you give us a ride/ Gotta make through the tunnel, got a meeting with a man on the other side.’ Sums it up for me.

"Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ" on #15? Behind "Human Touch"? I agree on the sound production but the songs on his first official LP are fantastic, far better than what Bob Dylan was doing at the time IMHO.

I agree on Darkness as #1, but disagree that the album is about “young people.” Darkness is all about Bruce himself, highly autobiographical. About his maturation as an artist and struggles to overcome his past and his legal issues with Mike Appel. Best autobiographical Bruce lyric ever - “Poor man wanna be rich, rich man wanna be king, and a king ain’t satisfied till he rules everything. I wanna go out tonight, I wanna find out what I got.”

Wonder why "Letter to You" isn't on your list

You redeemed yourself after putting TGOTD so high, but snapped back with Tunnel of Love. Very underrated

I’m sorry, but I don’t get it. Don’t get me wrong, I like some songs and I own born in the USA, but I don’t get it.

Springsteen has always been a social poet creating beautiful lyricism and eternal tunes/melodies- drawing from his mental health/depression. He should be given the Nobel Prize for Literature and all the people including me who he has helped in their lives, kept sane and lifted them up. I still think that the Tunnel of Love Tour at Villa Park/Birmingham with the brass band was the best - his subsequent live show especially at the NEC the sound quality was awful. He's energy levels and artistic output has been phenomenal.

Where was Letter To You?

Love the shelves -- are those IKEA?

All my Springsteen music is permanently on shuffle most of the time so you don't know whats coming. I've never bothered about best and worst. It's sacramental to even think about it. 🎸

Seen Springsteen brammel Lane tunnel of love tour.good show.

I think if you took the best 5 songs off Lucky Town and best 5 songs off of Human Touch...you'd have a great classic album. I also feel that Magic deserves to be in the Top 10...really the final album with the full E Street Band (including Danny).

Devils and Dust inside the top 8

great review - I would put Darkness and BTR in that order too. For me the River would have made an excellent single LP, but IMHO there is too much filler on the double (you mentioned them). I would also place his new LP somewhere in his top 5

Never understood why Human Touch and Lucky Town were poorly received; even all these years later they are often looked down upon by "critics" as they were at the time. The production style was panned as I recall but I think they're two of his best; the production manages to be crystal clear with great separation while still being rather lush. Great Telecaster stuff on these two records as well. I also find the songwriting to be stellar (who else can write like that?). Although Im a big fan, I am just being as objective as possible, they're just great records by any measure.

Great video. Here's my list. Quite different from yours! :) I absolutely loved Western Stars and couldn't stand The Ghost of Tom Joad at all. (Also you left off Letter To You) 1. Born To Run 2. The River 3. Nebraska 4. Born In The USA 5. Darkness On The Edge of Town 6. Western Stars 7. The Wild The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle 8. Tunnel of Love 9. Seeger Sessions 10. Wrecking Ball 11. The Rising 12. Letter To You 13. Lucky Town 14. Greetings From Asbury Park 15. Magic 16. Human Touch 17. Devils and Dust 18. Working on a Dream 19. High Hopes 20. The Ghost of Tom Joad

tend to agree with your list dave ,,, other than western stars ,, which after quite a few plays has really grown on me ,, working on a dream and magic are easily bruces low point for me ,,, and as for nebraska what more can one say , top 5 album all day long ,, got tickets for villa park next year , cant wait ,, bruuuuuuce :))) .

Your top three are the only three Springsteen studio albums I play regularly, yet Bruce comes in at #5 in my most played artists, after Van Morrison, The Who, Genesis and David Bowie. How did he get that high? The sheer quality of his recorded live performances, originally as bootlegs and now the official recordings. When I invent my time machine, im heading straight back to September 1978 to experience the Darkness tour in person. I have a funny relationship with the studio albums. It's almost as a matter of course that I buy them and I'm left feeling disappointed. Yet I eventually get around to buying the next and then the next. If he had developed the 75-78 sound by his first two albums, they'd be played regularly too. The songs are fantastic live. I ignored the Seeger Sessions and Live in Dublin for years, then I must have seen Live In Dublin cheap. Wow. I love it and think its much better than the studio versions. Of course, I don't play it when I'm in the mood for Springsteen. I remember seeing "the future of rock & roll" adverts in Sounds or the NME when they were still plugging Born To Run in early 1976. So when I saw it on the shelf at Stafford's record library, I borrowed it. Wow. As you learn more about my tastes, you'll see that the saxophone figures prominently. I think that might be because of Bruce and The Big Man, captured on the cover of Born To Run. It's my favourite Springsteen album, edging out Darkness. Thanks Alan. You've been a big help to relieving my boredom. For the last few days , I've been living at my mother's house with my dog while she is in hospital, so i can visit and make sure she's properly set up when she comes out. I thought it was going to be Saturday, then Sunday, hopefully Monday because otherwise, I'll finish up watching nearly all your music videos.

Not bad. Though I’d have Magic higher. I’d have Born In The USA higher too, maybe even at number one. Definitely in front of inferior albums like Ghost Of Tom Joad, Tunnel Of Love and Wrecking Ball anyway but each to their own. You didn’t even mention Letters To You either. That’s a pretty big oversight

Born In The USA should be top 5, top 3 at worst

I couldn't disagree more on Western Stars. I think it's a real return to form (with the exception of the awful Sleepy Joe's Café). I love it. Completely agree with Working On A Dream. Hate Outlaw Pete. Terrible song. Also, never been keen on Born In The USA, which feels overblown bombastic Bruce. Commercially very successful but lacking the depth of other writing. My (studio) favourites are Born To Run (wonderful album cover too), Nabraska, Darkness and Tunnel Of Love (his Blood On The Tracks). Terrific writing on all of these.

I'm a fan of Springsteen. Took him a lot more seriously after I heard Nebraska. Not a poor man's Segar, but rather a poor man's Van Morrison. He doesn't quite pull off Mr. Morrison's authenticity, but the influences are there and they are immense. And I don't think Mr. Springsteen would disagree.

Nearly missed the bus home to Glasgow 18 at the time.

The first time I saw Bruce Springsteen in concert was in1978 at the legendary show at the Roxy in West Hollywood California. I was 17 at the time. That was the concert that was aired on KMET. And yes DOTEOT is my favorite Bruce album.

Interesting program. I became a Bruce fan in 78, a friend got me stoned and played Darkness for me. I was hooked, bought the older albums, bought the River when it came out and saw the concert in Denver I loved the intensity of Born in the USA. Really liked Nebraska and really liked Tunnel of Love A very different sound for him, and I felt like he and I had grown up some. I grew tired of those earlier albums, that urban jungle almosphere just sounded like BS at some point Although Tunnel of Love was one of my favorites, I lost interest in the Boss and never bought another album. He became more and more a left leaning social activist, which is usually a form of look and me, I'm so good kind of posing. In 2016, when I read that he cancelled his concert in North Carolina, because they didn't let men who felt girlie use women's bathrooms, then I knew for sure he was a man who had lost all touch with reality.

I was born in 85 and from new jersey, I've been a Springsteen fan since birth and I agree with almost everything you've said except greetings should be higher and wrecking ball should be lower. Also Nebraska is my #1 but I can't argue with darkness that's very close to #1 to me

I agree with you on Western Stars

I am totally agree with you about "Magic"! I hate the production, the mix of this album ! Why? Why? Why? The songs are really good but my ears are bleeding! Thanks for your video! Jean-marc (a french fan! Sorry about my english !)

I agree on all, except Lucky Town. I still hear it quite often, TOP5 for me.

kudos to u ur such a fan i. ur love for music and ur collection is fantastic spring steen as a artist i love from asttbury park to now, but now he sold out to money

I would disagree totally with Western Stars being the worst. It's one of the best and most consistent albums Springsteen's ever made if you're feeling lost and detached from the world. "Darkness", Born to Run, the second album, Nebraska and "Tom Joad" probably cover most situations. The River has lots of Springsteen classic songs but it is spoilt by bad recording of some of the faster songs. Tunnel of love is good but I find parts of it a bit mechanical at times. The Risings is good live, there is something flat about the studio version. The rest of the albums can be put in any order as desired. Even on Springsteen's best albums there are production issues and song choices that I would change. I consider "Darkness" and "Western Stars" to be superb the way they are.

What's with the weird noises? 9:50

My favourite Bruce album is Nebraska

Great top 20 ..