Born In The U.S.A.

Good stuff!

goo0d, loved it.

A good listen. I enjoyed this one overall!

Álbum incrível! Que momento brilhante do Bruce Springsteen! TRN VX PRO+.

Not a single weak verse.

It never ceases to amaze me how Born in the USA is constantly misunderstood as a flag-waving, fist-pumping, patriotic 'Murica song. It is not. Listen to the song. Born in the USA, Cover Me, Goin' Down, Glory Days, and My Hometown are all standout songs. Glory Days in particular is so upbeat, but captures that bittersweet feeling of nostalgia so well. It is an amazing song. Dancing in the Dark is not a bad song, but I cringe thinking of the music video for it. Too much of the Boss dancing. This is his most popular album and probably the only Springsteen album that I do not mind listening to all the way through. It is excellent.

An absolute classic by a real, red-blooded American who loves his country so much he dedicated a whole album to it. All jokes aside, this album is still phenomenal, even coming from somebody who has no nostalgic attachment to it. I hear they call him "The Boss" because he's in charge of all white men over the age of 40, and this album is part of the reason why. It's got incredible highs, with mega-hits like Born in the USA (which isn't a song I particularly love, but I can appreciate), I'm on Fire, Glory Days and Dancing in the Dark, which is an absolute classic. What makes a great album though are the songs in between the highs, the "mediums and lows", but this album really doesn't stray far off course. It stays pretty true to it's sound the whole time and none of the songs suck, which is really, rare in my opinion, and really a sign of phenomenal talent. It also doesn't really feel like every song kind of sounds "the same", a problem lots of album suffer from, but Bruce really goes all kinds of directions on this album, and really changes everything up from song to song in a way that makes it incredibly easy listening. Just phenomenal.

This is just a great album. The hits are incredible, and the filler is strong enough to stand on its own. I'll never be a huge fan of his voice, but it works here.

Born in the USA: 5/5 - ikonisk, peak åttitallet. Cover Me: 2/5 - litt seig, men ålreit. Darlington County: 1/5 - platas svakeste Working on the Highway: 3/5 - har du hatt jobb hvor du dusjer på kvelden og ikke på morran så skjønner du, Downbound Train: 5/5. Dette er mørkt. Kunne vært på Nebraska, det høres. I`m On Fire: 5/5 sprengkåt, dette er en hvit manns "Lets get it on". Fin synth. No Surrender: 5/5. Little Steven-produkt. Bobby Jean: 2/5. Middels. I`m Going Down: 2/5. Glory Days: 2/5. Sportsbarrock om å gå på sportsbar. Dancing In the Dark: 5/5. 4 minutter og ett sekund med helgevorspielstemning. Synther, shots, ut og leve livet. My Hometown: 5/5. Historietime.

Fantastic album from the Boss! Dancing in the Dark is an all-timer. I really like I’m on Fire (although I prefer the fat guy’s cover on youtube). Glory Days, Cover Me and the title track are all great examples of what John Mellencamp could never be. My Hometown is a great closer too. I definitely prefer earlier Bruce but this still hits the heights.

American classic

This annoying but feels good to listen to

At first, I felt like I didn’t really understand a lot of the hype around Bruce, but I finally listened to this album all the way through. It really is a masterpiece, definitely one of my top surprises from this project. Every song is enjoyable, I feel like I could just sit and listen all the way through. There’s no way it’s coincidence that it came on my list around the Fourth of July either. Five stars easily.

Classic

Easy 5 stars, but lower 5 stars than I anticipated. May not be a Top 5 Bruce album? "I'm on Fire" "Dancing in the Dark" and "No Surrender" are undeniable, but the rest of the record is a touch underwhelming. But 5 stars here, for sure.

I think born to run was maybe better (title track is def better) and I gave that a 4 but I like this so im giving it a 5. Also, I love I'm on Fire.

Springsteen gravely voice over mostly ballads. Was a great album

Surprisingly good. Great song writing. Classic rock energy.

I FUCKING LOVE BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN I AM A GAY MAN WHO DOES NOT PLAY ABOUT BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND I AM NOT SORRY

5/5. Bruce is the best storyteller and the songs just rock. So many iconic hits.

Amazing

Great!

5 stars! A lot of hits! Most of the non-hits more than good enough!

feel rather nostalgic about bruce springsteen, my parents love him and always played him growing, im on fire is lovely

I not really a fan of Bruce. Not really sure why. Maybe his political views or maybe some things he’s done outside of music. Not really sure. But I have never really dived into any of his albums. But I have to say this is an awesome record. From beginning to end.

9/10 Absolute stonker of an album. Near perfection of the heartfelt, good ol' boy American rock. After having Born to Run earlier this month, I didn't have high expectations, but where that album is almost musical theatre, this is proper songs keeping to the right side of overwrought, heart bursting emotion. Every song is good, a few are great. Well done Bruce.

This is like THE American album of the '80s, even sporting an iconic album cover. I've always liked that this seems like an upbeat, happy album but there's a sense of sadness in the lyrics and vocal delivery ("Dancing in the Dark", for example). The song selection is mostly strong, I'd cut "Working on the Highway" and maybe "Glory Days". The latter was a hit so it doesn't make sense but it has never been my fav with the "Alright, boys, keep it rockin' now" shouts and the sports arena organs. Maybe that's just my European brain. Highlights: "Born in the U.S.A.", "Downbound Train", "I'm on Fire", "No Surrender", "Bobby Jean" & "Dancing in the Dark". 4.5 stars.

Heard this a million times and it's one of my favorites. Some days, it's my favorite Bruce album. Some of my very favorite Springsteen songs here -- "I'm On Fire", "No Surrender", "I'm Goin' Down", "Dancing in the Dark", and what's probably the most underrated Bruce song for me, "Bobby Jean". A heartland rock classic. 5 stars.

When a red hat meant you were a real American.

Sincerely surprised by how much I enjoyed and related to this album

I posted a review and it’s not here? What happened?

Better than ever before since the jackass in chief is in a pissing war so he can bathe his face in yellow pee.

Absolute classic. I love Springsteen, and there are timeless songs on this. This marked the beginning of his transition from his "bar band era" to his "troubadour era." The results are fantastic, even if some of the songs don't resonate as much as the others.

Absolutely brilliant. Love it, and will continue to love it for all of time. Brings back so many memories for me.

Listened to this album recently as part of my 2025 resolution to listen to at least one new album per week. Wrote the following note for it on my spreadsheet: "Probs one of my favorite album covers; can't believe I haven't listened to this one in its entirety - post-listening comments: extremely satisfying; gorgeous" Previously listened to 3 songs (Dancing in the Dark; Born in the U.S.A.; I'm On Fire) Favorite Song: Dancing in the Dark

This is a fucking classic! Must have in every collection!

10/10 Album cover 9/10

10

I get the sense that the real Bruce heads don’t love this one quite as much because of how overexposed it is but I could be wrong. And as a more casual fan, I love it. Just an insane track list from top to bottom. Title track is beautifully 80s, I’m on Fire is haunting, Glory Days is Glory Days. And we’ve got I’m Goin’ Down, which is probably in my top 20 favorite songs.

What a massive record. There's enough here to be a greatest hits album all by itself. Born in the USA may be the most misunderstood rock song ever. A very poppy-sounding Dancin' in the Dark covers up great lyrics. I'm on Fire burns slowly with passion. My Hometown is a sentimental retelling of the past while looking forward. There is something that everyone can love on this record. My personal favorite is No Surrender.

A masterpiece. On this album Bruce is able to put searing class and political commentary into tight and catchy pop songs. Every single song on this album is fantastic and I don’t understand how they chose which ones would be singles (I guess it makes it easier when you choose almost all of them). The title track is just a searing indictment of the US government after the Vietnam war and somehow he is able to tell full stories in under 5 minutes a track. Favorites: I’m going down, cover me, born in the usa. He was always political you morons, you just weren’t listening.

All out power American Classic Rock. Got to see him in concert last year, a legend

Murica

Masterpiece. One of the all time greats

His most commercial sounding album, and no the anthems are not what they on the surface appear, Americans sure have a strange relationship with patriotism. For all the polish and radio friendliness Bruce layered on the songs it still contains that downbeat story of hopelessness, desperation and small victories in the land of the free. Prefer how he did it on the River but still a great album. 5 Star

A solid outing by the boss. I really appreciate the old school rock and roll meets '80s production. This is peak Bruce pop writing

I realized as I was listening to this album that I don’t think I have ever listened to it as an album. I know that is sacrilege, and in my listening group, even more so. Not a bad track, and listening in order was an even better experience.

Really Good!

He's the Boss for a reason!

Okay, I finally get Bruce. Dancing in the Dark is an alltime great song, and the political bent slides just under the radar.

Well if this isn't prescient...Springsteen speaks out against all the idiots in charge at a concert last week, and then this album hits first thing Monday morning. I'm all for it. I'm not a huge Springsteen fan. I've always found his vocals a bit grating, but the guy is as good as them come as far as being a decent human. You can't deny that he is the anthem of post Vietnam America. That weird time of American history where things weren't great, people wanted to move on from years of conflict and pain of Vietnam and the social upheavals of the '60's and '70's, but the economy was changing and people weren't exactly sure what to think or do. The funny thing about this album is that so many people misunderstand it. The take the light and happy sounding tunes, and completely miss the lyrics behind them. Again, it's like the '80's, things seem ok on the surface, but when you dig into it there's a lot of disfunction that people are trying their hardest to ignore.

The Boss in top form laying down some foundational tracks to cement his legendary status.

What’s up with the The Boss and girls and little girls? Workin’ on the Highway has the hidden (when you ain’t listening much) depressing message that the guy is working a chain gang because he kidnapped a little girl. The whole album is really depressing lyrics with upbeat tracks. Wikipedia says, “ As Springsteen continued developing "Vietnam", the director Paul Schrader asked him to write music for an unmade film called Born in the U.S.A. The screenplay concerned a Cleveland factory worker who works during the day and plays guitar in a bar band at night.[7]” Makes so much sense. "My Hometown," is super simple and such a heartbreaker and brings me all the small Midwestern town feels. I didn't realize this was the last song and it hits with such a thud. It really sums up the whole album. What an end. Humans are so simple though, every politician (and mostly conservative) since Reagan has tried to use "Born in the U.S.A" on the campaign trail. And every time there are people (like me) sneering from the sidelines, saying, "Did you even listen to the words???" Then you see throngs of people chanting and pumping fists to, okay, a bona fide rocker. Did they listen? No. No they did not. But there's no denying the bona-fide feeling you get colluding with the music and the chorus and ignoring the lyrics. I'm sure somewhere in the mid to late 80s or later some senior class in a small town voted to have "My Hometown" as their class song. We can sneer, "Did they even listen?" I don't think it matters. The feeling is still there. You're gonna feel nostalgic when you leave it all behind and nostalgia is part sadness, part happiness and a feeling you can't shake.

Couple tracks on this album not my fav, but.. if this isn't a 5 star what is?

SO many top hits, and filler that’s good to better than good. I’m on Fire is a personal fav. Glory Days kills, and Dancing in the Dark, of course. Cover Me a darkhorse. But Born in the U.S.A. gotta be THE track, if one has to narrow it down.

Fav: I'm Goin Down Notes: Holy hits. Classic. 4.5 = rounding 5

son, take a good look around this is your hometown

All killer, no filler on one of the best albums of the 80's. Takes on more meaning after reading the book "There Was Nothing You Could Do" by Stephen Hyden. This album has only gotten better over the years. Bruce at his populist best even as the title song was so misunderstood by the Reagan administration.

This one's got everything: smash hits, poignant stories about working class despair, smash hits with poignant stories about working class despair. Yet, like most of Bruce's discography, theres always an unshakeable sense of optimism threaded through. Times are tough and getting tougher but Born in the USA makes things better for 45 minutes every time. Favorite songs this time around: cover me, Darlington county, my hometown.

Excellent classic rock LP

This album is the second can of Budweiser, pulled from an ice cooler, at 5:35 on a warm Friday afternoon in the late '80s. Everyone has circled around in mismatched chairs, the kids are playing in the yard, somebody already ordered some pizzas, and all you need to do is take a load off after a long week, enjoy your time with those your, and wait for the fireflies and mosquitoes to tell you it's time to go inside. 5/5.

This album is great. It’s interesting how late into his career this came out because it brims with energy. The instrumentation is obviously great.

This was a huge album when it came out. I think it really put Springsteen on the map as a superstar just because of the sheer number of songs that got airplay at the time.

Classic Bruce

I was not a fan of the last Bruce Sprigsteen album I listened to(Born to Run), so it was a pleasant surprise to find that I enjoyed all the songs in this album.

For those of you at home keeping score, I've had 2 by Dylan, and now the score is tied with 2 by The Boss! Previously on the Springsteen Files, we found The Boss working on "Nebraska". He recorded demos to play for the E-Street band to make the album, then just released the demos AS the album. It's stripped down, beautiful but spooky and sad; critically acclaimed, but doesn't exactly top the charts like "Born to Run". The door to the world-famous recording studio The Hit Factory swings open, and in walks a man smoking a long cigar. Our Hero dreads seeing this visage yet he pays close attention as this man speaks: "C'mon, Bruce my boy, let's give the people what they want! You're a Rock Star! These people need something to play at their July 4th block party BBQs! There's a cowboy running for president, and he needs a campaign anthem, cheer up, will ya?" Bruce Springsteen is a true artist. He's a poet who writes about the struggle of the everyman. But hell, he's no fool. This is music, but it also business, so he releases one of the top selling records of all time. ******* This is an excerpt from my failed pitch for a Netflix movie about the life of Bruce Springsteen. It never got off the ground. Apparently Warren Zanes already wrote a book about this time period of his life, and they already made a movie starring Jeremy Allen White as The Man Himself. Oh well, I guess I'll get back to work on my Bob Dylan biopic pitch. Nobody's done that yet, right? Okay, seriously folks, review time. Funny thing about records, sometimes you can judge them by their cover, sometimes you can't (see my Soul II Soul review, coming soon). I remember knowing nothing about this record, and seeing the cover of the CD in high school. Bruce's ass, standing in front of the stripes of an American flag, give me a break! Born in the USA? So fucking lame. Karma police, arrest this man. This is another record that I love so much because people still think "Born in the USA" is patriotic, that "Glory Days" is a Jock Jam, and "Dancing in the Dark" is a party song. This record sold 17 million copies in the US alone. It's so subversive, yet so commercial, and 40 FUCKING YEAR LATER, it still flys under the radar. Suck it, American Idiot. Here are the words Ronald Reagan used for his presidential campaign song: Born down in a dead man’s town The first kick I took was when I hit the ground You end up like a dog that’s been beat too much Till you spend half your life just covering up Got in a little hometown jam So they put a rifle in my hand Sent me off to a foreign land To go and kill the yellow man Come back home to the refinery Hiring man says “Son if it was up to me” Went down to see my V.A. man He said “Son, don’t you understand” I had a brother at Khe Sanh fighting off the Viet Cong They’re still there, he’s all gone He had a woman he loved in Saigon I got a picture of him in her arms now Down in the shadow of the penitentiary Out by the gas fires of the refinery I’m ten years burning down the road Nowhere to run ain’t got nowhere to go "Born in the USA" was a cry of anger and pain, not a declaration of pride. This is the first song on the record, and it lays out the exact theme of the record. The American Dream is bullshit. From here, we head to paranoia "Cover Me", lost love, "Downbound Train", "I'm Goin' Down", "Bobby Jean", and trying to find work but getting arrested instead "Darlington County", "Working On The Highway". Then there's feeling trapped in a rut and doing something, anything, to get out "I'm On Fire", "No Surrender", "Dancing In The Dark". And we've got "Glory Days", the anthem for peaking in high school and mild alcoholism. We've got all of these songs about how bad everything is, but the music itself is jaunty and anthemic, and sounds readymade to be blasted from stadium speaker towers and car radios at the same time. It's the E Street Band in full force, sax solos and bouncy organ stabs. "Darlington County" has a "sha la la" chorus. "Working On The Highway" has this chugging, exciting beat and it makes you feel like this guy is gonna make it! You he's just moving on man, we don't need to hear how it ends. "No Surrender" sounds like a valiant champions anthem! "Glory Days" and "Dancing In The Dark", no explanation needed. Pure pop radio gold. If the sound of these songs matched the subject matter, it would still be a great record. Hell, it'd be Nebraska part 2, and I'd fucking love it! But it wouldn't be Born in the USA, because this is exactly how the American Dream comes packaged. It's sold in this bright shiny wrapper, but it's broken on the inside. The exception here is "My Hometown". it closes out the album. It's as if Bruce can't keep up the facade any longer. This song was one of the 7 Top-Ten Billboard hits! I cannot believe a song this devastating was on the radio and MTV and was in the Top Ten. I was eight years old And running with a dime in my hand To the bus stop to pick Up a paper for my old man I'd sit on his lap in that big old Buick And steer as we drove through town He'd tousle my hair And say, "Son, take a good look around" This is your hometown In '65 tension was running high At my high school There was a lot of fights Between the black and white There was nothing you could do Two cars at a light on a Saturday night In the back seat there was a gun Words were passed in a shotgun blast Troubled times had come To my hometown Now Main Street's whitewashed windows And vacant stores Seems like there ain't nobody Wants to come down here no more They're closing down the textile mill Across the railroad tracks Foreman says, "These jobs are going, boys And they ain't coming back To your hometown" Last night me and Kate we laid in bed Talking about getting out Packing up our bags, maybe heading south I'm thirty-five, we got a boy of our own now Last night I sat him up behind the wheel And said, "Son, take a good look around This is your hometown" We've followed these characters as they grew up. They were Wild, Innocent, they were doing the E-Street Shuffle out in Asbury Park with Rosalita, and Sandy, and Kitty, and Wild Billy. They looked around and decided that they wanted more. Come on, Mary, take hold, let's hit Thunder Road, let's step out into the Night, we'll take the Backstreets. We'll Run as fast as we can, maybe this Meeting Across the River will pay off, I'll do this one last job and we'll get out of this town. Now we head to the sea to wash these sins off our hands. Racing in the Street was fun back then, but now there's a shadow cast over the whole thing. Tomorrow it's back to the Factory. The Promised Land is now the Badlands. Then finally, its up the hill, towards the Darkness at the Edge of Town, where dreams are found and lost. This is the dream, found and lost at the same time.

I know this was Springsteen's most commercially successful album, but I'm not sure it's my personal favorite. Born In The USA is an all-time classic and criminally misunderstood song. It ironically sets the tone for the other Side 1 tracks which hit on a lot of sad themes you wouldn't expect after Bruce comes out hot in the opener. Other than Darlington County, I didn't really get pulled by any other song. The Side 2 tracks are where this album is truly great. Glory Days, Dancing In The Dark, and My Hometown are my favorites but frankly all the songs are great in their own right. You definitely get away from some of the sadder themes on the Side 1 part and get more from the rest of the band here. This one lands somewhere between a 4 and a 5 for me. I'll skew towards the latter since there are some downright classic songs in this album that are among the best the Boss ever put out (Born In The USA, Glory Days).

Loved it!

fuck it 5 stjerner, jeg er hastigt på vej ind i min Bruce Springsteen æra

What can you say about this album? Such a classic. I found myself really appreciating the ballads on this listen: I'm On Fire, My Hometown. Amazing songwriting.

An all time top ten album. Hit after hit after hit...after hit. Hey kids, don't let the co-opted chorus of Born in the USA turn you off one of the greatest rock albums of all time.

10/10 classic album for me. Every song is a hit on this album but one or two. Dancing in the Dark is constantly on my rotation, and sung in the kitchen at least weekly. This album has a true mix of feelings and is perfectly put together.

En gubb klassiker

Hits

I was wobbling between 4 and 5, but this albums hits are all great. Title track is somewhat corrupted by its (mis)use as a patriotic anthem. But I love goin down, love I’m on fire (yes it also has the “little girl” stuff this group hates so much but it feels more intentionally villainous.) Of his big albums, this is maybe the least cohesive though. Just feel like more of a collection of (great) singles. But there’s some thematic link. I’m gonna round up

feels so good to listen to this on a sunny spring day with the window open and the breeze coming in. bruce’s music always makes me feel like my heart is too big for my ribcage, like i can’t fit all of that emotion inside. real joy and real frustration, unrelentingly earnest. even ‘dancing in the dark’ which i’ve heard one zillion times in various superficial contexts still has the power to bring me to my knees. ‘bobby jean’ will forever be about a teenage lesbian from the POV of her gay best friend. they were closeted together in high school—”now you hung with me when all the others / turned away, turned up their nose / we liked the same music, we liked the same bands / we liked the same clothes” and “now we went walking in the rain / talking about the pain from the world we hid / now there ain't nobody, nowhere, no how / gonna ever understand me the way you did”. eventually bobby jean made it out of their hometown to a big city where she could be herself and the narrator recognizes that she had to do it and he admires her for it…but he wishes he could’ve talked to her one last time, not to change her mind but just to say i miss you, baby, good luck, goodbye... i’m literally crying writing this. "now i work down at the car wash where all it ever does is rain" from ‘downbound train’ is one of my favorite lyrics ever. it just turns my heart for some reason. and ‘i’m on fire’ is forever transcendent. fav tracks: cover me; downbound train; i’m on fire; bobby jean; i’m goin’ down; dancing in the dark

So this has been a time coming. In some ways, this album feels like a bit of a homecoming — and maybe a chance at redemption? 'Coz y'see, the second album my group ever got was a Bruce Springsteen record, and specifically DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN. It's one I remember giving a 3/5 because... Well, honestly, I have no idea. This was so early in my group's 1001 Albums journey that I had no idea how I wanted to write reviews and express my opinions. Heck, I don't think I really knew how to listen to albums, 'coz I only wrote exactly 35 words about that record, and my biggest comment about it was that Springsteen could be a little unintelligible sometimes. So if this album's anything to me off the bat, it's a chance to give Springsteen a bit more respect, y'know? Then there's the fact that... Well, the only other thing I mentioned in that old review was that I preferred BORN TO RUN to DARKNESS. But y'see, I misspoke there; I've actually never heard BORN TO RUN before. I meant to say that I preferred **this** album, BORN IN THE U.S.A.. (And you can blame me for mixing them up? Both of their titles start with "born"; you can' tell me I'm the only one who got them backwards.) Naturally, then, I must ask myself: why **do** I like BORN IN THE U.S.A.? Or why did I think I did, anyway? And either way, was I basic for picking Springsteen's single most popular album besides the other one with "born" in the title? Like, I mean, come on. This is BORN IN THE U.S.A.. It's one of the biggest albums of the entire 80's. Over half the album was released as singles I may as well say my favorite Michael Jackson album is THRILLER, or that my favorite Prince record is PURPLE RAIN. It isn't and it is, for the record, although that's besides the point. I don't think picking an artist's most popular album as your favorite is wrong if it really does speak to you. So... Why, exactly? How does it speak to me? This is where, once again, I wonder if I'm basic. After all, I'm a girlie who listens to music melody first, and in that sense... Goodness me, this wasn't one of the biggest albums of the 80's for nothing. It sounds absolutely massive, just as I'd want any good 80's album to sound. And hooks? Goodness me, it has hooks for days. With those synths, too? It's hit after hit after hit, it's nuts. You can tell why so much of it was released as singles, and, honestly, in this regard, I feel like I'd be hard pressed to argue about this being one of the best albums of all time, even if it wouldn't be one of mine. And while, at least for my own sake, I've never thought that listening to music for the melody was shallow, it does need to be acknowledged that taking this thing on melody alone is missing part of the point. It's what led innumerable people to think that the title track is pure, blind patriotism instead of being about a disillusioned Vietnam vet's allientation after the war. Yeah, it's one of those albums, where despite how upbeat and poppy it sounds, it's actually kind of depressing once you dig below the surface. It's all about working-class struggles and all that... And to side-track for a second, I jus' wanna say that as I perceive Bruce Springsteen, none of his songs about that stuff have ever sounded inauthentic. Like, even here, on the biggest album of his career, I listen to him and I can't imagine that he doesn't care. No matter how much his star rises, he's still a man of the working class, blue collars and all. And, y'know, that's an appeal of all of his albums — or at least the stuff I've heard. But as for this album specifically, like, come on: it's exactly **because** it's so poppy and unbeat that it hits so well. Not just in the contrast between how anthemic the music is contrasted with its actual subject matter, but also just because it makes it all generally more palatable. Now that I'm thinking about it, my problem with DARKNESS might've just been that it didn't hit the same heights that BORN IN THE U.S.A. does. It's more restrained, and a bit more serious and raw. I don't recall a single song on DARKNESS ripping a sax solo like multiple tracks on BORN IN THE U.S.A. do. And, yeah, I can't act like that's not a reason why I was "fiiiiine" enough with it to give it a 3/5. Besides "Badlands", there just weren't hooks like the ones on BORN IN THE U.S.A.. And I worry a lot about being basic or shallow — ultimately, I don't think it matters. For one, since there's no comment section here, I doubt anyone's gonna seek me out on Bluesky or Discord or whatever to tell me I am. But what I feel is... Let's take the title track. I don't think it's bad to like it for its sound and its sound alone as long as you don't pretend like you know what it means. It's not something to be played at pro-America "rah-rah" campaign rallies, y'know? Like, I'm not advocating ignorance here; just don't act like you know more than you do, eh? Be honest here. And being honest, even if I **do** know what "Born In The U.S.A." means, for the time being I feel like I'm still bound to come back to it more just for how it sounds than for any big, important point it's making in its lyrics. There's nothing wrong with that. But let's get back to talking about the album directly and wrap this up. I think it's a truly great album, and like I said, truly one of the best of the entire decade it comes from (in terms of popular ones, anyway). Put it right alongside U2's THE JOSHUA TREE, or Madonna's LIKE A PRAYER, or Weird Al's IN 3-D. It has deep, important lyrics about America and the working man's struggle if that's what you're looking for, but if you just want the tunes and the hooks, well, damn, it'll provide for yah and then some as well. Other people can argue about if it is or not, but for me, yeah, it's The Boss at his best. Even if, in large portions, I still have no idea what he's saying. Jus' who he be, y'know?

There's something about The Boss that makes him so great, and it's very prevalent on these tracks. 4.5 bumped up to 5.

I’m at a 4.5 that I’ll bump up to a 5. We haven’t gotten Bruce Springsteen since the second day of this entire experience (this is album #480 for me), but he’s done it once again: I really, REALLY liked this. That said, I don’t think I can give this album’s songwriting & storytelling the justice they deserve, in part because I think some of the cultural contexts of this album are simultaneously outdated & way too close to home at the same time. I don’t want to come across like an expert on something that I’m not, but I feel like I’m informed enough to point out that this album is kinda stuck in 1984, for better or for worse. It’s why it’s so frustrating that this album still feels close to home; so many of the struggles Bruce is writing about here haven’t changed, at least not that radically. Trust me, I’m not trying to drink the Reagan-era “it’s morning again in America” working class Kool-Aid – you could make a handful of tweaks to these tracks and they’d fit just as well in the current political/economic climate. I think this album has aged really well with its criticisms, and I think it’s aged poorly in terms of some of the starry-eyed gaze at which Bruce Springsteen hoped we’d resolve those criticisms. This is the slice-of-life Americana I’ve preached about a few times, and Bruce Springsteen’s writing is stellar on a number of these tracks. This is, by & large, the most “baby boomer” album we’ve gotten so far, written by one, for them, and shining through to express the frustrations of a generation. There’s a reason this sold 30 million copies, & why it has the critical acclaim that it does. I’m just not a baby boomer. Granted, my dad was one, which is why some of these tracks feel like they’re hitting a bit closer for me: I can totally see him in every single one of these tracks. It makes each track feel even more full & vivid than it already is, & that enhances the album to a higher degree for me. I do think “Darkness on the Edge of Town” has higher highs than this album, but this has a better consistency in terms of track quality, and my own personal feelings are too strong to ignore. There’s certainly a few lulls in the instrumentals at times, a few hokey lyrics by modern standards, & for as much as I love Bruce Springsteen’s vocals here, I wouldn’t mind if he took a lozenge. Overall, though, this is a great, great album. It’s definitely stuck in 1984, both lyrically & production-wise, but I don’t think it should sound any other way. I think it’s no less than a 4, and for me, a very easy bump up to a 5.

Every song on this album sounds like it could have been a hit, and most of them were!

This is basically the denim jacket of albums. Faded, patched up, still cool as hell. You get grit, heart, and a damn loud mirror held up to America. It’s all fist-pumping anthems and rustbelt poetry. There’s a real Mellencamp energy here, but sharper, louder, and more pissed off. Even the hits that get played at baseball games are secretly flipping the bird. Feels like someone screamed “freedom” with one hand on a factory wall and the other flipping a coin in a gas station parking lot. I don’t know what more you want in a Friday soundtrack. Spins: All Day Playlist Additions: - Born In The U.S.A. - Cover Me - I'm On Fire - Glory Days - Dancing In The Dark

What an album

fist bump explosion american flag

Boss

This was brilliant. Springsteen at his best with quite a few hits. This is a stone-cold classic and deserves it's place on this list!

That's AMERICAS ass

This was an easy 5 for me. The album is iconic, had seven top ten singles, was arguably Bruce at the peak of his powers, and has stayed relevant. I had this on cassette at its release and I have always thought it was a solid work. There are a couple potential skip over songs but overall it plays through and flows well. “Cover me, Darlington county, working on the highway, and Glory days” are my favs here. Also, who can forget the Courtney Cox dance video and the Cheech Marin song parody “Born in East L.A.”?

I'm old enough to remember when Saint Ronnie Raygun made BITUSA his campaign theme song. Perfectly summed up the intellectual rot among Republicans which continued until an angry talking yam repeatedly danced to a queer anthem. But I digress -- dear Bruce...only you could make an album full of poppy bangers and yet be so damned dark. There's so little light shining in the lives of the characters in this album unless you squint a bit to see the hope behind the pathos. My Hometown gets me every time -- thinking about the little coalfield burg where I grew up. Bad luck, bad relationships, the cruelty of the world -- it's all here, wrapped up in stadium anthems that make you pump your fist and sing. It's genius, really.

It was good!

Same here!

Just a perfect album. It's Bruce at his catchiest and with his best songwriting.

Repeat listen

He's the boss!

Previously rated: Born to Run (4/5) Darkness on the Edge of Town (3/5) The Rising (3/5) *************************************** I guess this is my favorite Springsteen album. Nostalgia probably plays a part in that. The title track is so damn anthemic, you really can't blame people all that much for thinking it was a patriotic song. Seven out of the twelve songs on this thing were released as singles which is why it sounds so familiar despite me only hearing it once before. Darlington County is probably my favorite non-single.

Great lyricism.

Awesome!!

My first vinyl record, will always have a place in my ❤️

I listened to it like 10times over the weekend. didn't really like it as a whole, but the hits are really hitting.

Combine everything that made Springsteen great up until this point, add some huge 80's production, as well as his most accessible songwriting yet, and this is the result. It might not be my favourite from him, but this an incredible album. Cover Me might have the best opening 10 seconds on a song ever. I'm Goin Down is in my opinion his most underrated song. There's nothing I can say about Dancing in the Dark that hasn't been said before. This thing kicks ass. 5 stars. In the conversation for the best album cover of all time as well.

Built multiple careers for all involved. lasting legacy. excellent

A stone cold American classic. Often misunderstood but never out of the conversation.

A ridiculously iconic album. If not Bruce’s best, and it might be, it’s probably his most important album. I think most casual fans would call it or Born To Run their favorite, and few hardcore fans would have it out of their top 5. An incredible list of singles, a title track that has brought me to tears more than once (“They’re still there, he’s all gone” usually gets me), and a song in I’m On Fire that ages like a fine wine. One of the easiest 5 star albums for me.

Die hard, old school Springsteen Heads might call Born in the USA a sellout. Ignore them. How great is this album? It's biggest hit, Dancing in the Dark, was an afterthought, written in a matter of hours, after the album was already complete, because Springsteen's manager wanted a single. The title track was originally recorded with an acoustic guitar and a four track for the Nebraska album but didn't make the cut. Springsteen shows up at the studio one day with a new arrangement, shows it to the band, and they nail it on the first take. Darlington County was the soundtrack to my middle school spring break trips, rolling past the flat empty cornfields of southern Illinois. Glory Days was the soundtrack to my senior summer. Downbound Train - "Now I work down at the carwash, where all it ever does is rain". Damn. Bruce Springsteen is an American treasure, and Born in the USA, perhaps his crowning achievement, is a masterpiece of classic American Rock -n- Roll. A perfect album. I too learned more from a three minute record than I ever learned in school. No retreat baby. No surrender.

Willing to give credit to where it's due and giving this album 5 stars because of the long lasting impact it's made on those who grew up alongside it's release.

5/5. At first, I was definitely turned off by a lot of these songs because of their radio presence on the classic rock station. But the fact that he wrote Nebraska and then this right after is versatility. Each song is so catchy and well-written. There are some choruses that can be a little repetitive but it still works. The aesthetic implies an uplifting spirit yet a profound sadness and anger about the state of the world. Even songs like Glory Days, which is about as dad rock as you can get, is a sad song about adults unwilling to move on with their past because of the troubles that are happening now so they drink away their feelings. Bruce shows that their is always a second meaning under his surface level of songwriting. An excellent album altogether. Best Song: Born In The U.S.A., Dancing In The Dark, Bobbie Jean

Who doesn’t love the Boss

Day426 - this album has it all;rock,pop and a political message. one of the boss’ best

Er is een reden dat dit het populairste album is van the Boss

I already have this album. It’s fantastic. I love it. I always find no matter what the subject is, his songs are uplifting. I love his voice. Plus, he cameos in one of my all time favourite films. Legend.

Perfection.

Really powerful lyrics and fun instrumentals. Throughly enjoyed

Klassisches Rock-Album von "The Boss". Starke Melodien, die einen gut mitnehmen. Und die Top-Hits "Born in the USA", "Dancing in the dark" und "I'm on fire". 5/5

This came out during my college years and was blasted out of every Fraternity house for two years. At the time I don’t think any of us took the time to really listen to the lyrics to understand the meaning of the songs. I liked this album more then, but appreciate it more now.

Born in The USA, I'm On Fire, Down, Glory Days, Dancing in the Dark...pretty much standards. Also love I'm Going Down and My Hometown. Wasnt familiar with Darlington County...but I like that one too.

So many classic songs.

Walll to wall bangers. An absolute classic. I'm not too cool to unabashedly love The Boss.

Not even a huge Springsteen fan

An all-time favourite!!!

An album full of singles fit for big stadiums, one of his best records even if I do prefer his 70s work better. As a Springsteen fan I love the record but I am biased.

non ho alcun dubbio che questo voto non stupirà proprio nessuno. non ho NESSUNA critica per questo album, è un capolavoro di songwriting, di passione, di critica e di vulnerabilità. una vera e propria pietra miliare di un'iconicità assurda. poi io sarò pure affezionata al Boss e ogni tanto so che posso avere i paraocchi quando si parla di lui, però questo album merita le cinque stelle e sento nella mia pancia che non sto esagerando.

Ecco, questo qua spacca Album incredibile, no skip

another album by springsteen, peppy-sounding arena pop songs about patriotism, military forces and american values, mainly critiquing this so-called land of the free. unsurprisingly the average american hears just the synthy pop music. it's a brilliant album, especially if you want pop music that contains gold between the typical 80s anthem pop sound. some of the tracks are pretty clever in how they're written.

A blockbuster album. Rightfully so, in my opinion. The band sounds great, and the pop-minded approach works wonders for Springsteen's songwriting. The affection for the early days of rock and roll is obvious across the album. The title track is a full-throated protest anthem that's both bold and despairing. "Dancing in the Dark" is a long-time favorite of mine; he was asked to write a single and struggled, then ended up with a towering banger about writer's block and imposter syndrome. It's great. I'm glad I have the gene that allows me to enjoy Springsteen's music.

As a little kid, I really only heard Born in the USA and thought it was so cheesy. I really didn't get the hype, and thought all Bruce was cheesy music. Upon rediscovering this album later in life, it is clear that this album is solid from beginning to end and is one of his strongest and most consistent albums. Long live the Boss.

Hits hard right now. Right album right time.

Many hits and the rest are pretty cool too.

Great album, very nostalgic. Just goes to show how personal music is. Reminds me of being a kid in our van. Our parents liked this. And, of course, there's always the Courtney Cox dance. Bruce Springsteen is a national treasure.

Listened Before? N Another classic from The Boss! Much like Born To Run, this one is classic rockers and atmosphere from beginning to end. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Downbound Train

The American bard. Every three minutes I fall in love again.

Great album

An all-timer.

wonderful album, iconic album cover

5.

I feel completely transported into the world Bruce created in this album. Personal enjoyment: 5/5 Relevance to this list: 5/5

Proud to be an American

First time listening through from top to bottom and really enjoyed it. So many great songs on this album.

The more I listen to this the better it gets

Love it!

Loved listening to this album. Reminisced about seeing him at Glastonbury and continued to enjoy hearing his huge playlist all day!!

Beautiful

We didn't listen then, are we listening now? Happy MLK Day

Love it! Super gute Laune Musik zum Aufsteheb/ Roadtrip

I'm not really into Bruce but this has all the hallmarks of an iconic classic. Wrote all his songs and although nowadays some people think him a bit cheesy there are a lot of big songs on this album. Sort of a poor man's Dylan?

Man, I've been waiting to review Born In The U.S.A. for what feels like an eternity. I'd hoped that this would pop up for me on July 4, but getting to review it the Friday before TFG gets inaugurated again on Monday feels sadly appropriate too. On my drive home yesterday, I was thinking about how many of my favorite albums I haven't gotten to review yet, and this one definitely crossed my mind, so maybe I willed it to happen. Regardless, I'm excited to jump into this today, and hopefully this isn't indicative of American democracy's last hurrah! Ugh, I love this album so much. This is my fourth album of The Boss’s to review (I only have Nebraska left now), and it’s easily my favorite. I went into Born to Run and Darkness on the Edge of Town, thinking I’d love them, and while I did like them, they just don’t pack the same punch as Born In The U.S.A. for me. I love that this album has so much raw emotion packed into its politically conscious lyrics, but its pop sensibilities really make it land in a broadly appealing way. This album’s arrangements draw on some European influences, giving it a really midwestern feel. The heartland sound of Born In The U.S.A. always makes me forget that Bruce Springsteen is from New Jersey, because this album sounds so much like it could have been recorded in Iowa or Nebraska. I really enjoyed how some of the songs intertwined love song lyrics with lamenting about the death of the American Dream. Those two themes combined in a way that I wouldn’t have thought would work, but Springsteen’s brilliant songwriting pulled it off. One of my favorite things about this album is how every song is brilliant, and could easily stand on its own. It blows my mind that there were seven singles released from this album, but any of these songs would have made a great single. When it comes to the songs on this album, “Glory Days” is my favorite, but by a very slim margin. I love the opening guitar riff that starts the song, but the keyboard and organ playing really steal the show for me here. The booming drums are fantastic too, and give the perfect rock and roll punch to this song with excellent pop sensibilities. The lyrics are fantastic too, and I love their theme about not getting lost in the good feelings of nostalgia so that you don’t miss the present. The title track is my second favorite on the album, and easily one of the best rock songs of all time. I love that Bruce’s voice is all over the place on his singing on this song, and I think it’s because he’s singing with a raw anger, that his voice can’t help but break several times. The keyboards are great here too, and just like on “Glory Days,” Max Weinberg’s drums add enough of a boom to give this song a great rock and roll sound. “Dancing in the Dark” is another favorite of mine off of this album. I love the singing, and the keyboards and saxophone give it a really great eighties feel. “No Surrender” is my favorite non-single off of this album. I love the guitars, and the singing is some of my favorite on the whole album. “No Surrender” has such an anthemic feeling to it that makes it swell with a contagious energy. Despite the criticism it gets, I think “I’m On Fire” is fantastic as well. I love its slower pace and darker tone, and it really stands out from the other songs. One last thing before I close, I thought the Hammond organ playing on “Darlington County” was fantastic. I really love Born In The U.S.A. From the opening keyboards of its title track, to the closing somber notes of “My Hometown,” this album is absolutely perfect. I loved listening to this today, and I was reminded of why this is one of my favorite albums of the eighties, and one of my favorite albums of all time.

I have never liked Bruce I mean he is Ok but cant figure the fascination with him. As a kid hear this album and the hits on radio more than enough. Today I listened to this masterpiece with fresh ears and wiser years. Wow what an album. Storytelling with order from start to finish with ups and downs to emphasize in the ups and downs of regular working class joes lives. Id never thought Id say this but this album is one of the best of the 80s conceptually

So many emotions and images right now. Felling easy, fearless, dreamy, eager for life, full of joy, free, overwhelmed with the feeling of freedom even. Listening to Bruce and this album specifically just took me to my happy carefree teenage years that I never had.

Just the singel alone is decade defining in so many ways, from the snare drum to the anthemic delivery of really serious lyrics — something that was surprisingly common in the 80s. And then the rest of the album is just onw great song after another, with great performances, songwriting and production all over.

Of Springsteen’s albums this one is my favorite. I think part of it was because this album was so prevalent in our 1980s upbringing. The other thing that I’ve always appreciated about this album is it’s got great storytelling and engaging music that you don’t need to interpret. This is a straightforward Bruce Springsteen rock as you can get. I always found it ironic that politicians used Born In The USA as their theme songs, knowing what this song is actually talking about. And I personally dare anyone to sing along with Dancing in the Dark and not do the Courtney Cox dance. These were truly his Glory Days and this is truly an American classic.

Born in the USA was Bruce Springsteen's seventh studio album, and is the album that made Springsteen into a superstar. The album followed Springsteen's solo, introspective album Nebraska, and continued that work's focus on working-class perspective and concerns. This focus, and the album's extraordinary success, helped inspire a trend of "heartland rock" that flourished in the 80s and the 90s. The album includes several of Springsteen's biggest hits, including "Dancing in the Dark," "Cover Me," and the title track. These singles were supported by music videos, and the album's success was driven, in part, by the video-focused music industry of the decade.

The BOSS! It’s so good that Born In The U.S.A. is the weakest track on the album. Killer.

God-tier pop-rock, for one thing, every song a blinder. But shot through with intelligence, sadness and longing, and genuine depth and richness in its narratives. Immaculate, and still not my favourite Springsteen album.

a bruce springsteen dive has been on my to-do list for forever and ever, his melodic voice is not the widestest but its something that just instantly makes me feel at home, and ive enjoyed this record (and all the others ive heard) ever since first listen. ill reflect on it more when i hear it in the proper context of his discography but more than anything i think this just makes me think ab The Imperial Period Pop Magnum Opus as a format and how effortlessly this wraps his sweet and earthy into it, with near flawless results. i think the two main things that kind of record needs to nail are (1) establishing the coherency and vividness of the artist and (2) showing off their range Particularly in the big singles...every song here is v good but its esp impressive that the hits cover such a wide variety of ground and usually with some amount of emotional complication. u dont need me to tell u, but man the title track hits every time. every lyrical couplet is its own knife twist, and the tone of the song is Somehow not trampled on at all by the surface-level shininess, its a passionate bellow either way

Great album, not a bad song on it Favorite song: no surrender

So good. Almost every track is fantastic and brings me right back. My Hometown = a lost gem.

So, Springsteen first wrote Born in the USA for his Nebraska album, and when he played it for the E Street Band the keyboard player Roy Bittan immediately caught a new riff and changed that song forever. Check out the demo ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22Gh1wQEe1I ), it's worlds different, sent chills down my spine the first time I heard it.

I love this album. Bruce Springsteen one of my favorite musicians

Certified 5 star classic record

Excellent! Of course

No comment needed. It's Bruce Springsteen Born in the USA. Either you get it or you dont.

It blows my mind the amount of people that write reviews without understanding the lyrics and meaning of this album. Particularly those that think Born In The U.S.A. is somehow a rah-rah USA song. There is nothing wrong with being proud to be from America and Bruce Springsteen is, but he sees the flaws in America and that is the theme of the album. It is okay to not like story tellers if mindless music is all you are looking for. But if you are going to actually take time to review the theme of a story tellers album, at least listen to the lyrics and get the theme correct.

The Boss. Great album to bring me back to 1001 albums. Some great songs on this one.

A classic 5/5. The boss. So danceable, great music. Vocal focus. Every one a banger. Well ok don’t love Downbound Train. But all the remainder is memorable. And that cover!

Favourite tracks: born in the USA; cover me; Darlington county; working on the highway; down bound train; I'm on fire; no surrender; bobby jean; I'm going down; glory days; dancing in the dark; my hometown

An easy 5. One of the few Bruce Springsteen albums I actually enjoy. Filled to the brim with the favorites "Born in the U.S.A.", " Cover Me", "Downbound Train", "I'm On Fire", "I'm Goin' Down", "Glory Days", "Dancing in the Dark", and "My Hometown". There are no weak songs on this album. It does a fine job of walking the line between loving the U.S.A. and recognizing where improvements could be had. Where NEBRASKA was a drag and sounded like it was poorly recorded, BORN IN THE USA was an album that was filled with characters who lived a vibrant life, while still exploring working people's thoughts and issues, the characters do so with dignity and grit. The album's recording felt more technically skilled and rewarding. By including synths and electronic explorations on some of the album's biggest hits it kept the album relevant for all audiences and not just the core rock and folk audience of Springsteen's earlier years. The 80s had become a great time for sonic exploration as the audiences were increasingly accepting of artists exploring sounds in all kinds of instrumentation and genre. Additionally, the 80s would be the peak of recording budgets by major record labels, which allowed from more interesting ideas to be developed fully. Much, more so, than in previous decades. In my opinion the 80s is probably the best decade of English language music recording and performance. Ignore the naysayers. This is THE Bruce Springsteen album to hear before you die.

Probably one of the best albums I’ve listened to on this journey. All great songs, fun and uplifting

Favorite Track: Glory Days

Guttural, dance-y and fun. Makes me want a cold beer and a summer day.

Great Bruce

Phenomenal album! Great songs, huge arrangements, insanely catchy, enough variation in between tracks. There's also the political commentary aspect, which doesn't really help or detract from my enjoyment of the album. I don't what else to say, it's just great! Key tracks: Born in the U.S.A. Cover Me I'm On Fire No Surrender Bobby Jean Dancing in the Dark

Just good stuff...

This is a pretty solid album by The Boss. Born in the USA and Glory Days are overplayed. They are fine but my favorites are Cover Me, No Surrender, Downbound Train, I'm Going Down. And Dancing in the Dark is one of my favorites of all time.

So many classics on this, plus Springsteen's butt! What's not to love? I’m a sucker for his Americana rock ‘n roll.

Full of anthems. Honestly really enjoyed this album, great way to start a Monday. Stand out songs for me were the titular song, no surrender and glory days. Having said that, there was a song I didn’t enjoy. I guess that’s why they call him the boss

Bruce almighty, coming in hot, bandana and tight denim crotch first, with an ode to the working American man. This is pinnacle Springsteen making albums great again. Cool heartland rock, when Bruce used his voice to make music, and not act as mouthpiece for Obama's ring piece. Putting Bruce's apparent wokeism and present day political retardation to one side I thought the album was great. Enjoyed it from end to end. "The boss" went to work on this one, and just as well.. because in today's world I'd imagine he'd step down and hand his leadership role over to some useless DEI pudding and absolute 'Girl Boss', with no talent.. but to be fair, an excellent subscriber base on only fans. 5/5.

Pop bangers front to back, hard to argue with Bruce's output for that first batch of albums, he was unstoppable.

I already own this album. It's great. The title track and Dancing in the Dark are truly great songs, Glory Days, Cover Me, and I'm on Fire are also very good. The album is also well made, and the deep cuts are better than most album's signature songs.

People have said they find this album dated, and it's true that the world it depicts has slowly been disappearing. To me, living in the Midwest, a lot of this still feels powerful and relevant. The most dated parts are silly but charming, like looking at a picture of your parents with their 1980s haircuts. This is the Album With All The Hits, and the spaces in between the hits don’t hold back either. It’s a good pop album, good rock album, good saxophone solo album. As a political piece it doesn't feel too heavy or didactic, nor does it feel fluffy and jingoistic. Favorites were Downbound Train, No Surrender, I'm Goin' Down, and the title track.

Favorite tracks: Cover Me, I'm On Fire, I'm Goin' Down, Glory Days. I haven't listened to Bruce, aside from the hits. I liked this wayyy more than I expected to, and I liked it even more on repeat listens. The only song I didn't like was Darlington County. This sound is really making a comeback (like, idk, Nathaniel Rateliff or Bleachers), so this album felt surprisingly modern for '84. Dare I say timeless? Ultimately, I think he's an icon for a reason. There's a nuance and complexity to his music that's hard to appreciate when he's, y'know, a superstar with massive hits. (See also: every right-winger misinterpreting Born in the USA.) Originally thought 4 stars, but bumping up to 5. Happy to have enjoyed it as much as I did. (Also, I'm sorry to bring my review down to this level, but this era of Springsteen is just... phewww. The rolled sleeves? The unbuttoned shirt? The fluffy hair??? Come ON.)

One of my favorite albums of all time. Absolutely love this. Lots of big hits/we’ll know songs.

Combine this album with Born to Run and it's basically Springsteen's greatest hits. Born in The USA might have the most misunderstood message of any song in history, great song though. Cover Me is another good song. This album is Springsteen's most overrated, but that doesn't mean it's bad. I'm On Fire is the best song off an album full of great ones. The album tracks are definitely second rate compared to the singles. But those are some pretty amazing singles. I'm Goin' Down is an underrated song. Glory Days, Dancing In the Dark and My Hometown is a Murderers' Row of songs to close an album.

Incredible album

Hadn’t listened to this in years. Born to Run is a bit better but I can see why this was such a hit in 1984.

Sparing a thought this week for those unlucky enough to be born in the USA, or to have made a home there. It must be fucking horrific. Anyway. This record. I've dismissed it before. Even when I was listening through his back catalogue I dismissed it somewhat. Coming back to it today I am beginning to appreciate it. Obviously there are always standouts even when I'm not convinced by the whole album. The title track clearly rewards closer listening unlike Reagan, I'm on Fire is delicious, and Glory Days is nostalgia wrapped up in a slice of 80s pop rock brilliance. I'm enjoying other tracks today though, too. Downbound Train makes me think of REM. Working on the Highway is great. Bobby Jean touched my heart in a way it hadn't previously. Still didn't particularly dig No Surrender. There are better Springsteen albums but this is really good.

One of my favourite albums by one of my favourite artists ever. Seen him a few times and would see him again and again. What else can you say about this album that hasnt already been said. Its an easy 5 stars.

Absolute classic

Listening to this the week Trump was re-elected and god I want to live in a world where it’s Bruce’s America not Donald’s. This album is full of ambition and anger and yearning and regret and love and nostalgia and lust. It’s also a rare album where every song not only sounds like a hit but like a number 1 A classic of the American Dream before that phrase was so toxic

Well.. it's a classic isn't it ?

This album is so intertwined with my childhood I needed a lot of space to really appreciate it. But it is really a solid one.

I liked this more than I wanted to. It has the early/ mid 80's filler in the middle of the album, but when these songs hit, they hit hard. It's a nostalgia of a place that the right seems to idolize, but tells a truer story of hardship and struggle. Even includes a fuck you to them in the form of "Glory Days." Can't believe I'm giving a 5 star to an album my mom likes.

Yeah, this is pretty excellent. I like this. I liked it then and do now. It feels like it's going to stay a classic album. Beautiful vocals and strong lyrics. Evocative. It's the story of an America that I wish was still present.

It's the fuckin' Boss, what else needs to be said?

Back to back bangers. Some of my favourite songs of all time in here. Can't believe I never listened to this in full before. Brilliant

A ‘hidden’ gem! I was fully expecting to find an album full of uninteresting fillers alongside the big hits but I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the whole album. A few really good album tracks as well that I’d never heard before which I really liked. So much better than a lot of that other 80’s generic rock. Will be listening to this one again before long.

Never a big Springsteen fan but recently have been enjoying his music. This album has some classics. Dancing in the dark, Glory Days, I’m on fire and loved the final song My Hometown.

Bruce is so good. This isn’t my favourite but even his mid ranking albums slap.

Awww hell yeah, the boss himself. Once dressed up as the album cover for Halloween. Born in the USA is awfully misunderstood, Springsteen is a patriot but not in the blind nationalism way.

THIS SLAPS and I won't be hearing anything else, thank you. I understand and agree that in any other situation "hey little girl is your daddy home" is deRANGED and CREEPY but it works here and I don't intend to entertain any opposing viewpoints. You can have them it's a free country or whatever but I'll be here with Dancing in the Dark, a song my wife Lucy Dacus and I both enjoy.

(looks in dictionary for definition of Americana)…finds picture of this album cover.

A total classic

You don’t even need to be Born In The USA to be proud of being Born In The USA. You’ve just got to listen to the greatest front man in history once and you’ll be convinced! 4.8

Milestone💪

Mitreisend! Hit auf Hit! Diese Platte gehört in jedem Fall zum besten, was je produziert wurde!

What a great record. I love Bruce Springsteen and his Way of telling the American story.

Right in my wheelhouse, I know this one and really like it. Top to bottom good with a bevy of hits and tracks people know. 1984-85 radio had the title track, "Glory Days", "I'm On Fire", "Dancing In The Dark" & "My Hometown" ib heavy rotation. Those five, plus minor hits/fan favorites, "No Surrender", "Downbound Train" & "I'm Goin' Down" give you 8 out of 12 songs that got airplay, that's a Top 1001 album by definition, it can't be denied. It's cohesive, upbeat, catchy, and the songs are well written and have stood the test of time. Even my kids know 2-3 of these by heart today.

Cover to cover BANGERS Hell yeah brother 🇺🇸🇺🇸

A Classic

Anthemic, big songs combined with sentimental ballads. Not his best, but the singles are some of the best in his career. A+

This album is like someone took a knife, edgy and dull, and cut a six-inch valley through the middle of your skull.

talk about an easy 5. This is Springsteen at his best. Great rock and powerful lyrics from start to finish.

This album is a juggernaut. Great song after great song. No notes. 10/10. Also the way he says “We like the same clothes” in Bobby Jean always makes me laugh

Legitimate masterpiece. Legitimate masterpiece. Every song is a banger. Great guys. The album tracks give you the feeling of lived in characters

4.5 - Really really good. Deffo his most commercial album. He's just really raw and has so much emotion in his singing

Many Springsteen albums are a reaction to the album before it. Quite a few songs on this album were a part of the Nebraska sessions that ended up being ditched for those solo sessions and were brought out as a full band song/album. Springsteen notoriously writes albums that have themes and will kick songs off an album if they don't fit his theme. "My Love Will Not Let You Down" is a good example of a song kicked off this album. Nearly song was/could have been a hit. It's just a very good album that showed what a genius Roy Bittan is as a keyboardist. The way he wove the synthesizers into this album to complement the sound rather than having it overwhelm the sound. Synthesizers sound like the anti-thesis to what Springsteen music is supposed to be about but they fit in really well here. I would have kicked "I'm Going Down" off the album for another song that didn't make the album but it's a nitpick. Really good album that brought Springsteen from a rockstar to an arena rockstar.

This isn’t even a top 5 Bruce record for me, but still easily a 5 star album.

Great album, one of the ones I grew up listening to. Nothing better than Born in the USA making fun of some of its biggest fans while they know nothing!

amazing front to back

Thoughts before listening: I assumed for years that this was Springsteen's lamest album. The hits are catchy for sure but also cheesy as hell, and it just seemed like the type of album I wouldn't like. You know what....there's a lot of depth to this album. It's got massive hits for sure, but also some really good deep cuts. It's an album that deserves its classic status. Review: The hits on this album are some of the most well known songs of the 80s...."Born in the USA", "Glory Days", and "Dancing in the Dark". These have stood the test of time, and for good reason. They're memorable songs with great lyrics that adhered to more of a country inspired sound than Springsteen's contemporaries. While other 70s bands were adding disco and new wave sounds to their 80s albums, Springsteen was standing in front of an American flag with jeans and a tucked in t shirt and releasing an album of heartland rockers. While the hits would be enough to make this a special album, the deep cuts are what really draw me in. Songs like "Cover Me", "Downbound Train", "I'm On Fire", "No Surrender", and "My Hometown" don't have quite the mainstream recognition as the main hits, but they're certainly no less memorable. These are what really drives this as a cohesive album and why I'm giving this 5-stars.

This album is almost completely full of hits. It’s crazy that it isn’t discussed as much as his earlier albums. It’s not as raw as earlier more, poetic works but it is still very strong lyrically. It just has better production. One of the few Springsteen albums that I can listen to all the way through.

Undeniable. Actual rock and roll.

Amazing. Could do this on repeat

The fact that "I'm On Fire" is on the album automatically gets a 5 from me. LOVE this album

Ah, someone I know and listen to. So many good songs on this album!

Even better than I remembered

One of the best albums of all time.

Brilliant set of songs sequenced to take you on a journey. Never really got tired of listening to this album and all the singles from it.

The sister album to Nebraska, Born In The USA focuses less on the effect that societal collapse has on the individual and instead on the effect it has on family units and couples. It’s also just packed full of bangers. I lied in an earlier review, I’ve also got all of the songs on this album liked as well

onhan tämä se paras bruce albumi. vähän liikaa little girlejä ja vähän liikaa juna imageeriä, mutta tältä kuulostaa 80 lukuinen popitus tehty oikein. peruskomppeja ja syntikoita ja maissimaisia saksofoneja mutta myös omalaatuisuutta, ja tietenkin paavon kuiva vituttava lauluääni. annetaan vitosta koska ei ole 30+ päivään ollut. objektiivisuus on hävitty, miljoonien täytyy kuolla... im goin down down down down down down heyy down down down down born in the usa

5/5 This album is mostly loud, poppy and hopeful- leading to an iconic very American sound. Yet on its most melancholic and reflective songs Downbound Train, I'm On Fire, Dancing In the Dark, and My Hometown, it is most powerful and emotional. Bruce's striking vocals and thoughtful lyrics throughout make an amazing listening experience. Born in the U.S.A. 5 Cover Me 5 Darlington County 4.5 Working on the Highway 4.5 Downbound Train 5 (FAV) I'm On Fire 5 No Surrender 5 Bobby Jean 4.5 I'm Goin' Down 4 (LEAST FAV) Glory Days 4 Dancing In the Dark 5 My Hometown 5

Saw Bruce on tour with this album and it remains one of the best shows I have attended (Re Rocks, Morrison, CO.) There isn't a bad rack on here - all good stuff. Love Spingsteen, love this album.

I was initially torn between a 4 and a 5 so broke the album down by track: Born in the U.S.A. - YES Cover Me - ok Darlington Country - ok Working on the Highway - ok Downbound Train - Yes I’m On Fire - YES No Surrender - ok Bobby Jean - Yes I’m Goin’ Down - ok Glory Days - Yes Dancing in the Dark - YES My Hometown - Yes On balance, this is a 5

Love it. Love it. Love it. And still not my favourite of the Bosses albums. Simpsons: Yes

This might be the best album on this list. Loved every second of this album and listen to it multiple times. And yes Bruce you are on fire 🔥

It’s just good shit. I was toying with a 4 but I think it’s good enough to get a 5, but only just for me. Cover Me gave me a chuckle.

Cool

I relate to this album because I too am a cool rockin' daddy in the USA.

Hard album to rate, because this is a solid 9/10. It's an album packed with hits and sublime outtakes, but this is clearly not the best work of The Boss: that's Born To Run. But do I'm On Fire, Dancing In The Dark, Glory Days and My Hometown deserve to be punished by 4 stars?

Poco hay que decir de este deslumbrante disco. Más que un álbum, un estado de ánimo: euforia. Dan ganas de correr, saltar, bailar, lo que sea. ya llegará el bajón (y vaya que si llegó) pero no será hoy ni mañana. Horizonte despejado,, el mundo es nuestro, el futuro también, somos los mejores y lo vamos a disfrutar. Debuts de Run-DMC, The Smiths, Dead Can Dance, Nick Cave, LLoyd Cole and the Commotions, The Style Council y clásicos instantáneos como Purple Rain, Ocean Rain, 1984, Recknoning, Learning to Crawl, Ride the Lightning, Like a Virgin, Let it be, Zen Arcade, Knife, Diamond Life... o Deseo Carnal y Make it Big.

One of the greatest of all time. 5/5

Obviously....five stars.

In my opinion one of the best albums by one of the greatest signer song writers of all time. His characters navigating life of small town America, of desperation & hope is pure poetry set to his incredible sound with his estreet band and his instantly recognizable voice. No doubt an inspiration of so many artists and particular the recent Pressure Machine by the Killers. Love this album.

This his is so great! Every song here is just perfect.

Part of this project is listening to stuff you’ve never heard of from genres you’d never even dream of listening to. Another part of this project is speeding down the highway in sunny, 80 degree weather with the windows open blasting Springsteen. One of the easiest 5-star reviews I’ve given. Banger after banger here.

Vad är detta för dumheter. Det ska vara 5 på detta mästerverk.

Kanonskiva.

Every song is a banger, minus "Highway" maybe. Added benefit of the nostalgia of listening to this with my parents in the living room. "I'm on Fire" is incredible. Every song reminds me of my dad and that makes me smile.

The Boss for a reason! Springsteen and the E Street Band have crafted a classic record that is both enduring and powerfully of its time. I particularly love the tasteful use of synth on this album, coloring lead lines but otherwise staying out of the rhythm and background. It gives the album a charming 80s tone without over saturating the record in decade gimmicks. These songs are classic, poignant, and paint a complex and accurate picture of American Experience.

Nothing to say about this album. Everything has already been said.

Maybe the most misinterpreted album ever but it remains fantastic after all these years. This was my introduction to the Boss and I remain a fan. Great stuff.

This guy is an absolute legend. One of his best albums.

Por Lucía

Hard to have perspective on this album. Listened to it more times than I could count, but haven't listened to it as an album in years. I'm struck by a few things...the looseness of the band on many of the tracks, the quality of the songwriting, and the incredible performance of the band. But most of all I really notice the a complete mismatch of the "hip-hip-hooray" sound of the music with the depressing lyrics. This album was a hit machine...7 top 10 singles and not one of the 12 songs is a dud. Springsteen knew how to write a pop/rock song, but it was the E Street band that made this album a classic. No "backup band" has ever sounded better.

MERICCAAAAAA (not American). I could listen to this album all day every day. One of my all time favourites, love the heart, soul, and instant bangers left right and centre.

Bombastic, heartfelt tales from the street poet laureate himself. As he matured his subject matter followed and he tackles the idea of aging, ones place in this world, all while constructing sing alongs of epic scale.

Well really

Beautiful lyrics. A lyrical tapestrie of the working class life in America.

Easy 5 Usually on an album like this I would go through all the lesser known songs and say what i thought about them. Not for this, most of the album are big hits and great singles The big hitters are big hitters for a reason. I wasn't always the biggest fan of Dancing in the Dark, but it's pretty damn good. Glory days - amazing My Hometown - REALLY great closer, great vibe, great times Cover Me - Great, maybe my favourite, if not then its I'm on Fire Bobbie Jean, No Surrender, I'm Goin' Down, so good 7 singles on an album is MADNESS, but it works lad. 5

Tremendous album. Really showcases his working-man persona.

You’d be forgiven for thinking this was a record full of pro-America anthems. Looking at the cover, and digging even casually into the lyrics of the title track about a disenchanted Vietnam vet, the broken-hearted working man in “Downbound Train,” or the half-drunk has-been in “Glory Days,” you’d think for sure this is a critique of the bankrupt Reagan-era American Dream. Either way, you’d be only half right. Springsteen has a complicated relationship with America, with a kind of love-hate relationship with its promises. Sometimes the songs about promise sound more like betrayals, even if they’re sung in good humor, like “Glory Days,” the sad lament of the loss of a friendship on “Bobby Jean,” or with the overtones of an affair as in “I’m on Fire.” Even Springsteen’s all-time smash “Dancing in the Dark” is about trying to stay hungry for the fight that you’ve to mostly fight by yourself against impossibly lonely odds. It’s easy to see why this record sold a bajillion copies—it’s so full of bravado and energy and it’s so well-produced. But it’s crazy to think of an American teenager singing along to any of the verses in “Born in the USA” and not picking up what Springsteen was putting down for all to see: that this country makes a lot of big promises, the price of which might be your dignity, your peace of mind, or your hope for the future.

4th of July fireworks show soundtrack. ‘Merica!

Alun mantra on kappaleena keskinkertainen mutta konseptina nerokas (todiste: se on meille kaikille tuttu). Tätä seuraa 11 biisin kokonaisuus, jota ei ole laadun puolesta ylitetty varmaan koskaan. Myös B-puolen fillerijakso jää soimaan päähän, ja sen jälkeen on ajoitettu, ei vain yksi, vaan kaksi pientä mestariteosta, Glory Days ja Dancing In the Dark. Aliarvostetuin osuus: Cover Me - Working on the Highway. Ja ai niin, plussaa siitä, että levy saa minut nauttimaan kasarisynasta (olisi tämä 5/5 muutenkin).

I don't think there is anything else like this album--it's complete bangers from beginning to end and sounds different from anything else. Like a bar band with a country songwriter. Plus, the apex of The River, Nebraska, and this album is absurd. This might be a top 10 album ever.

I fully expected to give this a 4, since it's "not my favorite Bruce album", but I had forgotten how many great 80s songs are here. I think I kind of resisted this one has a backlash against the excessive hype, so I've never owned it. BTW, I really prefer the version of No Surrent on the Live 1975-1985 triple album.

AHHHH my headphones went down so I've got some catchup to do. Love this album and loved it before it came up here. I always forget that Dancing in the Dark comes at the tail end though. Just perfect start to finish.

Finns nästan inte en dålig låt. Born in the USA och Glory days är de svagare spåren. Cover me, Downbound train och I'm goin' down be bästa.

Well this was just spectacular. Imagine writing this many hits for one album. Insane! I listened to it twice back to back. The subtly lyrics writing with the big music is such a great combo. Need to delve into Springsteen more. Dancing in the Dark must be one of the best songs of all time, dunno why but it makes me quite emosh

Oh what can I say, it's a banger. Obviously one of the most iconic Bruce albums. Crazy that it's his 7th album that is the one most people think of for Bruce. It's got some of his best on it. Downbound Train is phenomenal, Cover Me is rocking. Obvs Dancing in the Dark. Glory Days is excellent blah blah blah. HOWEVER, it also has I'm On Fire which I always skip because the opening lyrics are weird: 'Hey, little girl, is your daddy home? Did he go away and leave you all alone? I got a bad desire Oh, oh, oh, I'm on fire' Weird but I guess it's just the way people talked then, still strange though. Annoyingly the song is great and the lyrics get really good later in the song like this: Sometimes it's like someone took a knife, baby, edgy and dull And cut a six-inch valley through the middle of my skull At night, I wake up with the sheets soakin' wet And a freight train runnin' through the middle of my head' ANYWAY, BELTER

A very good album . I had not liked his previous suggestion on this list , which I believe was "Darkness on the edge of Town" . But this , I fell in love immediately . I believe his voice is much better and the instrumentation has stepped up a bit. The lyrics too are able to be on par and the combination of all those elements is very pleasing. Favourite tracks were "Cover me' , " Working on the highway" , "No surrender " and the very soothing closer "My Hometown" .

The Boss at his best

i heard a lot about springsteen and now i know why, this album was great, i wasn’t bored through it at all, it was good throughout, 9/10

His best album!

YES CHEF! I loved every single song on this album. It made me both happy (for the musical style, instrumentation, and vibes) and sad (for the lyrics and stories of the songs). I knew some of the songs already but not others, and I definitely plan to come back to this album.

Great music. Great storytelling.

Every song on this album is good. Some are better the others.

Grew up with \"Born in the USA\" on a cassette! I knew the entire songs of this album. I didn't know that they were part of this album. One better than another one, that makes a great album 5/5

Absolute bangers with important messaging (that people naturally miss because bangers often cause brainrot). Kept thinking that the drums seemed a bit basic but also I can clap all these songs so that's just genius crowd preparation.

I'm on Fire alone is enough for a listen to the whole album. Off enjoying "wet" and "head" .... It's so crazy it just might work

Great album.

9/10. Great story telling. Very fun album with some classics.

Excellent album. 5/5. This and Born to Run. Perfect album by the Boss.

okay okay, i'll admit it's a banger

This is a great, great album. Potent, vibrant, passionate. If it was not for one skip, it would be a 10/10

I must be getting old because I really enjoyed this. 10 or 15 years ago I’m pretty sure I would have hated it.

Ah, the Boss. Such a great album!

This is a 5, but it's so familiar it doesn't feel like a 5

one of the best albums so far. Such an iconic sound and it rarely repeats itself.

Great album and great songs!

❤️

♥️♥️♥️

A classic from beginning to end. Still amazed at his vocals on Born in the USA. My Hometown is my idea of what a great song is - like a novel written in 3 verses and a chorus, and a perfectly placed bridge. FIVE STARS!!

yeah i mean this one is a classic. not a bad song in the bunch. it's not my favorite springsteen album (that would probably ultimately go to Born to Run) but it's close. if i can nitpick a little bit, i would say it ultimately is a bit samey. i tend to like the more upbeat tempo songs than the ballads, but i'm on fire is an all timer. just a great album by a great songwriter.

While not my favorite Bruce or even the Bruce I cut my teeth on (how embarrassing to see your first concert and not time the "WOO!" correctly in "Workin' on the Highway"!), but certainly a peak among many melodically. “Darlington County” and the aforementioned “Workin'” are fun heartland rock. “No Surrender” and “Bobby Jean” are affecting paeans to friendship. “I’m on Fire” is as sexy and subtle as anything he’s done. And the singles are monsters, soooo, I think I've just talked myself into a 5 star rating.

Enjoying this one.

Great album. Unfortunately this album covertly started Bruce’s “hate America” Libernazi turn.

Slaps so fucking hard

The sound track of my undergrad years. An all time fave.

I didn't expect to like the album. But I was pleasantly surprised. I also knew a lot of the songs from the 80s that I had forgotten. I will definitely listen to the album again.

While some of the synths sound a little dated now, this was both a critical and commercial success, the culmination of what Bruce had been building up to for several albums. An all-time classic, so many good songs.

We're on a roll of big names and big hits. It's a five from me. What an astonishing collection of songs. I listened to it with 'er indoors on vinyl and we played it three times straight. There are maybe one or two weaker tracks on side one, but by the time you're on the home straight it's like a freight train coming at you. I saw some criticism of Bruce's voice in the other reviews, which I guess was a joke I didn't get? He sounds mega, at his stadium-filling best. Oh, and the title track isn't patriotic gang - maybe you, Donald and Ronald should try actually listening to it - brilliantly subversive pop music.

Classic album which I have listen to a lot in the past. Say want you want about Bruce but so many artists have tried to copy this sound with varying results. It's hard to beat the original. The hits are great "Born In the USA", "Dancing in the Dark", "I'm on fire" etc. But the other songs all keep a high standard and I know all of them by heart. The only dud on the album is "Darlington County" which I never really get. Other than that it holds really high standard and the band sounds great. The storytelling in the songs is really something special too. Sure the subject matter isn't too varied and mainly stays in the "lost youth/love in a small town" category but still, I don't think many people handle that subject matter better than Bruce. Props also for the raunchiest album cover since we had "Country Life" by Roxy Music. Solid 5 from me.

I didn't grow up in the 1960's or 1970's, but I feel that after listening to this album I did. "I'm on fire" is a little out there, but otherwise this album is among the best classic rock albums. I inherited my dads vinyl copy and have never listen to it, but I think I will put it on the shelf for future listens. 'Glory Days', 'Born in the USA', 'Dancing in the Dark' are all the hits, but songs like 'I'm going down', and 'No surrender' keep the album moving.