Born In The U.S.A.

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

Hell yeah! 'Murica! ...oh wait... Springsteen's most popular work. Good times, bad times, high quality musicianship, a little formulaic but a Classic Rock essential. The last half is exceptional.

Great to revisit this. Cigar lit, Bourbon drank, and moon illuminating this gem! The epitome of fun. You can smell the sweaty denim and Jersey Northern Red Oaks. Between the raucous GLORY DAYS, BORN IN THE USA, to the subtle I’M ON FIRE, to more rust belty DOWNBOUND TRAIN, the curation on this album masks the true Bruce aesthetic! Closing with MY HOMETOWN seems almost required.

Very close to a 5

Idk if he’s by the album for me and here I thought I was turning a corner on him

When the haters come for me for saying that Bruce Springsteen is not really my thing, this is the Bruce that is my thing...for the most part

The version of Bruce that I vibe with the most, because it's the one I'm most familiar with. Loaded with bangers that evoke the sound of heartland rock in the 80s. Gotta love dipshits still misinterpreting the lyrics to "Born in the USA" 40 years later

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.

Listening and discussing with a big Springsteen fan, I think this is a mid life crisis album. Great songs, but everything goes so hard and ends up dancing with Courtney Cox.

Really Good!

Class

O disco mais comercial do Boss. Tem uma produção super acessível e, por mais que tenha o som característico dos anos 80 (o excesso de reverb na caixa e os timbres de teclado, por exemplo), traz uma sonoridade - um pouco - menos datada do que de outros discos contemporâneos a ele, conferindo um status um pouco mais atemporal à obra. Bons refrãos e as letras diretas e certeiras são os destaques em um disco soa divertido e dançante do começo ao fim, com as faixas de "respiro" como My Hometown e I'm On Fire sendo algumas das mais bonitas do catálogo de Springsteen.

Tendo escutado os primeiros álbuns do Bruce Springsteen, até o anterior, "Nebraska", é curioso, mas também compreensível que ele tenha seguido essa direção mais pop nesse disco, antenado com a estética da época. "Born In the USA" tem algumas ótimas canções, é prejudicado pela sonoridade, mas é um bom disco.

Four monster hits on this album. Dancing in the Dark is the obvious standout to me. Not surprised it’s his most streamed song. Re: I’m on Fire - great song but I do have a visceral negative reaction to men referring to women they want to have sex with as “little girl.” I know there’s a lot going on about “America” on this album but I didn’t have the capacity to dive in today so I had to let the album tracks wash over me.

I love Bruce Springsteen. But I kind of hate this album. It feels like a parody of Springsteen. The magic of his best stuff is that it feels very grounded and relatable. He's able to tell the stories of blue collar Americans in such an authentic way that you believe the stories are his (even though you know they're not). But on this album, it feels like he’s run out of that magic. It honestly just sounds like a rich guy pretending to blue collar and failing miserably. It's 80s Bruce cosplaying as 70s Bruce with a synthesizer duct taped to his hands. While I can’t say for sure that the lyrics on this album are worse than on his older material. What I can say is that the 80s production and synth work really fails these songs and creates the cheesy, fake vibe. There’s always been a hint of cheesiness in his work but I think the grounded, gritty 70s pub rock production reinforced the authenticity of the songs and made you believe. But on this album, the glossy sound and questionable synth work amplify the cheese factor. It becomes a strange smelling elephant in the room. This leaves the album feeling like a shiny label driven imitation of his better work. He even sorta backs up my point on Glory Days without realizing it: And I hope when I get old, I don’t sit around thinking about it, but I probably will. […] Well, the time slips away, leaves you with nothing, mister, but boring stories of Glory days. Springsteen doesn’t realize it, but on this album he’s already the guy trying to reclaim his glory days (his run of classic albums that lead him to this point). His "boring stores" are the tracks on this damn album and the many albums he'll put out in the future. Sadly, he'll never recreate the success of this album or the quality of his previous work. It's over... and he doesn't even know it yet. Side note: I fucking hate Glory Days. I always have and I think I always will. Additional side note: Glory Days is my Dad’s favourite Springsteen song. I hated it before I knew this, but it makes sense since we have almost zero in common musically. Weirdly the songs that feel like new territory for Bruce are the ones that are stone cold classics. When he stops trying to tell Springsteen-ian stories and instead tackles something more personal and brief, he writes 2 of the greatest synth rock bangers of all time: I’m on fire and Dancing in the Dark. These 2 songs completely cary this album. I’m going to give this album 2 stars and those 2 songs are doing 90% of the work to get that rating. I want a whole album of Bruce singing songs like these… but that is not what we got on Born in the U.S.A. These 2 songs actually stick out like beautiful sore thumbs in the track list. The rest of the songs feel like old Bruce with an ugly new coat of paint, while Dancing and Fire feel like a brand new Bruce fit for the future of music. It’s a shame we didn’t get more of this. Side note: I still love that music video with Courtney Cox. Additional Side note: I got into Springsteen through a scene in The Place Beyond The Pines where Ryan Gosling is holding a dog and swaying to Dancing in the Dark. There are so many better Springsteen albums than this. Listen to Born to Run, Darkness on the Edge of Town, The River or Nebraska. Those 4 albums came right before this one and they’re all way better. It’s wild that the most pure, authentic release in his whole catalogue, Nebraska, came out right before this album. It makes zero sense. Additional notes….

 Cover me - It’s a good track. Maybe the third best song on the album. I dig its lounge-y swagger. Born in the U.S.A. - I want to love this track. I love parts of it. The lyrics are great. The energy of his voice is aggressive in a good way. I love the politics of it from what I can glean. Unfortunately, it's really brought down by the synth work and the production. There’s that famous anecdote of Regan playing it at his rallies, not realizing that it’s satire and that it’s actually anti-American. Normally this story is told in support of the greatness of Born in the U.S.A…. but to me it’s actually evidence of my issue with track. Is it good satire if no-one gets the joke and people instead take it literally? Trump played it at his rallies in the past 10 years, so people still haven’t figured out the song’s true message. Even knowing the truth, it can be hard for me not to hear it as a pro-America anthem unless I’m really paying attention to the lyrics. The production screams all American hero and it can be hard to get past that. I can see Hulk Hogan tearing a shirt while it plays. I think if the synth tone had been a bit more sour or gritty or something… if the production had been more subversive… it could have gone a long way to supporting the satire of the track…. And made it actually cool. Darlington county - Reminds me of Hey You by BTO in a bad way with it’s annoying shalala chorus. Working on the highway - Feels like a goofy 50s pastiche with more cheesy synth/organ. I didn’t like it. Im goin’ down - Sounds vaguely like Wagon Wheel? It’s a solid track I guess. Glory Days - Fuck Glory Days. I hope I never hear this song again.

A classic. Not my favourite Bruce Springsteen album of all time but still such a good album.

Mucha rola genérica... no me gustó mucho :( Aunque tiene unas rolotas como la que da título al disco, y que marcó toda una época, o "I'm On Fire" y "Dancing In The Dark", el resto de las rolas suena como a cualquier banda promedio del género americana... quizá el tema es que fueron de los primeros en liderar ése estilo tan gringo? En fin... Next!

Decent toe-tapping dad rock. Little variation within each song, which makes them sound longer than they are. The title track seems to go on forever. Dancing in the Dark is the only really good song, but there really aren’t any bad songs, just eventless ones

To american

3.5

He's the Boss for a reason!

Just an absolute bop all the way through even if it’s sad. Almost tempted to give it 5 but I don’t think it’s quite worth that. 4 stars

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

1. uza - 1.5 2. cover - 1.5 2. county - 1 4. uuorking - 1 5. train - 1.5 6. fire - 2 7. zurrender - 1 8. bobby - 1 9. douun - 1 10. glory - 1.5 11. dark - 2 12. touun- 1.5

The Boss in fine form!!

There are a lot of times throughout I don't like his voice and other times it is okay. The title track is the worst offender. Nice songs throughout, but I personally can't get over his voice.

This is like Brothers In Arms if Mark Knopfler had the fire of a battered, woefully-American spirit

I’ve tried, but I just can’t seem to get into Bruce in the 80’s. He was supposed to be the next Bob Dylan but instead turned into a caricature of himself. There are for sure classics on this album but too much pop washes it all away.

I’ll be the first to admit I’m not a big Bruce Springsteen fan. His style and voice never really clicked with me in a major way, but Born in the U.S.A. makes a strong case for why he earned his iconic status. It’s packed with hits, and what’s impressive is that even the overplayed ones still hold up. From the driving pulse of the title track to the reflective tones of “My Hometown,” this album is well-produced and full of energy. Whether you’re a diehard fan or not, it’s hard to deny how solid this album is from front to back. A real high point in his catalog.

Enjoyed this, but won't listen to it often

I get it more now that I've listened to it. Honestly, this is the first time I've listened to this album in my life. In the 80s I held no love for Bruce. I still think he sounds and plays like he an his guitar are being strangled. But the anger and frustration is real. And if you think anything about this album is a patriotic paean, listen again...

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.

8/10 I’ve really enjoyed all the Bruce I’ve heard to date, and this is no exception. Deeply sincere, almost a bit too much so at times. Cool mix of 80s synth and big production with heartland rock. I liked the stuff best where it really sounded like Springsteen: huge production, lots of instruments, saxophone Best: Glory Days

Some good songs, but far from the glory days (hehe) of born to run and the river...

I was already familiar with this album but it has all the makings of an album that sounds like summer to me. Banger album cover.

maybe this is the MONDAY talking, but I hate this and I never want to listen to it again. "Born in the USA" has 2 chords in the whole fucking song. adding 1 star because I feel like an iota of respect is due to Bruce for pissing off Trump.

Not my favorite collection from Bruce but that's more of a me thing. Born in the U.S.A. is a very strong aesthetic that the music lives up to with powerful imagery and themes. There is a lot to unpack and I think that this combination of patriotism, nostalgia, and melancholy makes for a pretty heady listen.

This is the Springsteen I was expecting to hear on this list, not that I particularly want it. This is butt rock for a construction site before butt rock became more about butts lyrically than just aurally. I don’t even like the hits. I never have. It’s not even bad it’s just boring unimaginative dreck. Best track on here is “My hometown” which chronicles the story of a quintessentially American shithole. It’s depressing but it made me feel something and that makes this album a 2.

This was a welcome listen after the wannabe folk rock singer album we had last from Bruce. Born in the USA is a certified banger and the supporting tracks on here are foot-tappingly good. I'll bump it up half a star because president orange face coming for Bruce, representing the working class, is an extremely poignant analogy that would go over the head of any red-hat cult members.

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

I might have gone in with too high of expectations, because giving it a four feels like it underwhelmed. I’ll probably have to give it another listen at some point.

born in the usa gfallt mer gar nöd, sini stimm isch mer zu brüllend. di restliche songs sind no okay als hintergrundmusig, cover me und i‘m on fire hani no nice gfunde. süsch generell findis bitz langwiilig.

Fav: Born in the U.S.A.; Cover Me; I'm On Fire; Bobby Jean; Glory Days; Dancing In the Dark;

buce pingting...

love it

Really don’t dig The Boss brand of wall of sound, or the anti-nostalgia of the 80s when this shit was everywhere, but the simpler tunes are pretty great.

I’m just gonna say it… I think every song on the album sounds basically the same except I’m on Fire and Dancing in the Dark.

Still not a Bruce fan after listening to this in it's entirety. It was OK but I can't think of a time I'd intentionally listen again. Best track - I'm On Fire

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.

Just not my thing. It’s not bad, just not for me.

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

Starts strong, ends strong, great Boss sound start to finish. So many "greatest hits" tracks on this one album, definitely belongs on this list. Even if you've never spun this one start to finish you probably feel like you have heard it what with all the radio hits on here. This album deserves to me played at loud volumes in a classic car with the windows rolled down. Tough to pick THE one song off this one, but "I'm On Fire" always gets me.

Not my favorite, repetitive

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.

Love Dancers in the Dark and My Hometown but the rest was just good - can see it growing to a 4 maybe but some of it is a bit too 80s and I think the highlights are just good highlights

Excellent classic rock LP

I have been meaning to listen to Bruce Springsteen for awhile. Literally put his music on the day before this was my suggestion. I really like the message of this album its got some of the classic hits and its so funny listening to the lyrics how it gets used in modern America. Ending on My Hometown is diabolical I think that song really reflects how stuff has changed in small towns based around railways or original highway routes. I've seen it first hand so it hits hard lol

Most songs here if not all give the vibe of a movie with a kid running downstairs to eat breakfast and catch the bus for school. His voice is alot more tolerable than Born to Run, but its still has this showman twang to it that I'm just not a fan of.

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.

Bruce Springsteen is trash

☀︎ça sonne tellement américain (of course) mais i love it ☀︎ “hey little girl is your daddy home” etc. ça me weird out tellement. stop

Pretty good album

There’s no denying the full blown American power in the title track of this album, or the sultry twang of “I’m on fire”. A few other tracks kind of blend together but that’s okay, I am now a patriot!

Iconic album that I've heard LOTS of times. Good stuff.

This album is kinda hard for me. Lots of Bruce seeming to parody himself. Except for I'm On Fire. That song is perfect. I wish it was 20 minutes long.

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

Oikein makee levy vahvalla aloitusraidalla Born in the USA joka avaa tämän yhteiskuntakriittisenkin kirjan eteesi

would i like this better if i were born in the land of the free🦅🦅🦅🦅?

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.

This is my fourth Springsteen album and while I thought this was the best of the 4, I really hope it's the last. This one feels more rock than country which is probably why I liked it more. When Bruce leans into his country side it comes off cringy to me. Born in the USA, Glory Days, and Dancing in the Dark were the best songs on this album in my book. The rest weren't bad but they were fairly forgettable. It's kind of funny because I'm just realizing all 3 of these songs feature as background music in one of my favorite shows, IASIP, which is probably why I have a positive bias towards them.

- He can be annoyingly saccharine and many of his fans seem to see nothing but the surface of his songs, but Springsteen just hits many of the right buttons for me. - A lot of stellar tracks on here: the rage-filled "Born in the USA." The sensual "I'm On Fire" (great earworm of a guitar riff). The beautiful nostalgia of "Bobby Jean." And the wonderfully hopeful and nervous "Dancing In the Dark." - "My Hometown" may be one of the most subtly depressing songs ever recorded. - A bit too hokey for me to give 5 stars, but an argument can be made for a solid 4.5. I sing too many of these songs at karaoke to say otherwise.

I’ve always ragged on the song ‘Born In The USA’, mainly because it is musically the most boring song ever written - 4 notes looped in a single pattern over the whole song. I’d never really considered the lyrics, although I knew the general gist and that it was often misinterpreted as being a positive theme, but listening to the album as a whole really impressed me. Born In The USA, Dancing in the Dark, and Glory Days are all great, but the album as a whole is also really good, and one I’ll revisit.

I've been exposed to a lot of Bruce Springsteen and it's just never hooked me. I can appreciate it for what it is but I don't know if I ever had or would specifically put Bruce on to listen to.

Wellllll this album. Oh man, this is nostalgia central. My dad loved this album and would put it on when we had yard work to do, which is really funny because my dad's go-to was usually Kenny G or Fleetwood Mac. But Bruce came out when we had work to get done. Whether it was working on the deck or fixing the car, he was our soundtrack. I am not an enormous fan of Bruce. I have tried multiple times over the years to get into the album but have never been able to round the corner. I don't know if it is because of my childhood or if he just isn't my jam. It is hard to say. What I do know is that this album is iconic of 80s Americana Rock n ' Roll. There is something about this album: summer, fresh cut grass, barbeques, and living the best life you can. Or maybe that is the nostalgia talking again. I will definitely listen to this album today and anytime someone else puts it on.

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).

I've made no secret in past reviews that I don't have much love for Springsteen. I think his whole schtick is overblown. Credit where it's due, he writes some popular songs and made a storied career, but its just generally not for me. Glad to get the title track out of the way. Its incredibly catchy and obvious why it took off, but I have grown to hate the chorus due to overplay. I do, however, find it funny that so many politicians, etc. play this as if it is a positive anthem of the US. When in fact if you listen to the lyrics its all about sending our kids out to fight foreign wars and "kill the yellow man." I've made it through 7 full tracks and I'm honestly proud of myself for this feat. I cannot do 5 more. Something about Springsteen always makes me think of Christmas music. Not in the excited, this is the holiday season sort of way. More in the sense that the songs feel overtly materialistic and insincere. This is probably more me than the music, but I just can't do it. While this isn't dogshit, it still isn't something I want to consume. Personal enjoyment is really low on this one... giving this a 2 because a 1 feels too harsh.

3.5 stars for me. Dancing in the dark and born in the USA are classics but I'm not huge Bruce fan. Still and okay listen. Watch out Bruce, DJT is coming for you...

Pretty standard dad rock. Born in the USA is a decent anti-war song that is heightened by the general misunderstanding that it is ultra-patriotic. Dancing in the Dark is my favorite off of this one. It feels like every song wants to be like this song though.

I feel like this is probably the most popular and successful album that Bruce put out as it is chock full of radio hits. Born in the USA is always hilarious when played at an event trying to be patriotic even though it is shitting on the US pretty much. Cover Me was a sleeper of a song that I previously knew but never knew the name of it. Was good. The rest is pretty classic Springsteen to me but was all enjoyable. Probably the lower end of a 4

Haven't given any of Springsteen's other albums higher than a 3 but I know this one is his most popular. Classics are solid but still never anything I seek out. Just hear them out in the wild. Dancing in the Dark might be my fav out of them. High 3 on this one.

Many words spoken about Springsteen. He's ok. Couple good songs, a couple painful ones.

Spruce Springsteen

Had high hopes after listening to nebraska, but this album was js kinda meh.

The title of the album became the most boring song I've ever heard by this guy, but that's what they want, I guess. Luckily this doesn't become noticeably country, but the other songs are pretty much all right.

Not really my type of style of music.

FINALLY. This album was great. I’d only listened to the classics on this before, but I really enjoyed some of the new ones as well. My uncle like worships Bruce so I’d been trying to listen to some more of his music this past year but he’s got like 12 albums so it’s tricky. Love I’m on fire but best new song was Bobby Jean that was absolutely brilliant. There were a few lulls with a couple of songs that just kind of seemed lifeless or are just told better in other songs like Darlington County, My Hometown etc., but this hooked me and took me on a journey. You can see where Sam Fender gets it from too!

SO so summery, bruce springsteen the man you are!! rip wade walker aka crybaby you would’ve loved born in the usa, all pretty samey but good regardless!!

this seems like extremely country ( well duhhhhh) but like this is the most countryeyyy album i have ever listened to. its quite shouty. his accent is annoying me . im picturing him like a cowboy and a farmer mixed. again quite shouty. i feel very rural. one song sounded like it belonged in the teen beach movie. its just a bit average. like i feel like this week is just complete weird albums like so unknown. i dont even know. just like not very me. makes me want to say yeee hawwww.

hate it, bored, dont like his sound. soz! dancing in the dark isnt awful though x

Loved it!

This album was inescapable when I was 10 years old, and honestly I would have been fine NEVER hearing anything from it again, but here we are. I am not a Springsteen fan. I hate his voice. I hate his story-telling style of lyric writing. I hate how much he wishes he was Bob Dylan (who I also hate). But mostly, and specific to this album, I HATE that the average American flag waving douche-bag still regards Born In The U.S.A. as a fist-pumping patriotic anthem. Cover Me is probably the closest I've ever come to enjoying a Springsteen song though, so points for that I guess.

Ingen dårlige numre, men når heller ikke helt samme højder som Born to Run. Lidt for poleret. I'm on Fire er et af mine yndlingsnumre med dem

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

Better than Born to run. More bangers.

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.

It's not hard to understand why Springsteen got the nickname "The Boss". He has presence, and a powerful voice. Some of the tracks on the album did become a bit "samey" in sound, but they always remained distinct songs and didn't flow together. Standouts Born In the USA Cover Me No Surrender Dancing In the Dark 4/5

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.

Good album. I really like earlier Springsteen and trying to decide if I would have liked this album better if it hadn’t gotten so much AirPlay.

Ett par klassiker men framförallt väldigt trött. Fattar ej grejen med The Boss.

En gubb klassiker

Shit vad boss

Terrific!

The Boss. Can't say I've ever been a fan of Bruce and I can still say that after listening to this record. It's not the worst, but it is just cheesy and sometimes patriotic ballads. His voice is decent and the music is sometimes fun to listen to, but this isn't something I would seek out to listen to. At least he's fighting for the correct side.

I don't really like this guys music Will I listen to again: 0%

Hits

It's funny that Born in the US is the famous track of this album because the song immediately following it is so much better. In general, this has both that 80s sounds and country-ish vocals that I really dislike. But Cover Me really had a nice sound. 2.5 rounded down. You put a song like "I'm Goin Down" on an album and you aren't cracking into the 3+ stars.

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

this was fun, but only a few songs. the rest felt like a slog. not a huge fan but going to drop off here for today because I just suffered through two metal albums

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 good! So many of the songs feel so 80s but I didn't mind how specific to its era it sounded because of how beautiful they were and the amazing lyrics. Even as someone who doesn't register lyrics these were pretty hard to ignore (which makes it all the more insane that a vast majority of America has misunderstood the message of the titular track lol). I definitely liked the songs that had a more explicitly sorrowful and/or dark sonic style ("Cover Me", "I'm On Fire", "Downbound Train") over the ones that leaned more into rockabilly (?) ("Darlington County", "Bobby Jean") but there weren't any that I truly disliked.

So many hits on this so very close to a 5 but the poor songs are very poor. Stand out song - I'm going down

I like Bruce Springsteen, but Born in the U.S.A. just isn't as strong as Born to Run. U.S.A. has a couple knockouts, and I enjoy it overall, but it doesn't have the oomph factor to really propel it to four stars. Good songs, but no homeruns like Born to Run with Thunder Road, Badlands, and the titular Born to Run.

He's the Boss. Of course the album is great.

This album feels like riding your bike through the neighborhood on summer vacation. It reminds me of playing baseball games late into the summer evenings with my neighborhood friends. The vibe captures a particular point in American history. Optimism for the future was at an all-time high in June 1984. The pinnacle of American society and culture was on the horizon. I wish there were a way to know you were in the good ol' days before they are long gone. 3/5, would listen again. Hits: Born in the USA, Cover Me, Glory Days, Dancing in the Dark Misses: Bobby Jean

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.

Aunque Bruce Springsteen nunca haya sido santo de mi devoción, hay que admitir que este álbum lo peta. Es una especie de Dire Straits menos virtuoso y más comercial, con letras que hablan de los problemas típicos de la clase trabajadora y del desamor. Puro dad rock ochentero. Muy divertido, nada que objetar.

Don't like it

What will become of this album, when the last few trucks become self driving?

Boring

Good record. My older brother gave me this record back in the day. I think my parents disappeared it at some point, I think because they thought the song I’m on Fire was inappropriate.

This was so big when it came out. This man’s ass was everywhere. I’ll admit that this has my favorite singles, but most of this is not for me. He’s popular for the big carousing sound and folksy stories, but I think he’s at his best when he pairs it all down. I’m On Fire is still a flawless track. Probably his best ever. It’s everything else that gets a bit too loud and busy sounding. If I could cut this down to three songs, it’d be 5/5, but I gotta go 3/5.

Rock, 1984 -> 4

Lots of classics, I just don't really like Bruce's classics.

4/5 - This album is more up-beat than the other Springsteen records the generator has provided thus far, but it still has a melancholy edge that gets me teary eyed. (I will always give an extra half a star to any Bruce Springsteen album I get because he was so dreamy LOL). Standout Tracks: - Born in the USA (5/5) - Downbound Train (4.5/5) - Dancing In The Dark (5/5) <3<3<3 perfect for a forever melancholy but optimistic soul <3<3<3 ALSO watching this music video at 12 is the first time I experienced bi panic!!! good times - Bobby Jean (3/5) SO SO SAD and reflective and nostalgic, I cried while washing the dishes

Listened to this as a kid when it came out, trying to force myself to be a Springsteen fan, because Rolling Stone said so. It never took, haven't heard this in 40 years. My ears are different now. What I once thought was a big rock and roll party is now pretty heavy and dark AF. Still not my cup of tea, but it's much better and more poignant than I remember and of course more likely I understand the darkness that he's going on about all too well now.

3.5. The songs are all strong. Im on fire is top 15 Bruce. The production brings the affair down. Too much 80s, too much synth in front. Id like to hear demos/rough mixes of these songs, personally. 3.5

The standouts stand out. The rest very much doesn’t.

Album comes on: "oh great, another boomer classic on the boomer-classics list," but by the time I'm on Fire starts I'm fully invested. No Surrender, Dancing in the Dark, those are perfect songs.

Solid album

classic american music. 7.7/10

I went into high school when this album came out. Lot of nostalgic songs on there that I remember coming out on the radio. But they where never great songs I cared about. His voice could be so much better on some of these songs. Just because of the memories I will give it a 3. Could of been a 4 but his voice is just not very good on a lot of these songs but they could of been.

Not for me, born in the USA is annoying 4.5/10

Rock américain à l'ancienne, je comprends pourquoi ça a été un hit mais ne m'a pas plus impressionné que ça. Mériterait peut-être une deuxième écoute.

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

bra grejer

A very iconic album with multiple of the boss's biggest hits. That being said, I've never been much of a fan of Springsteen's classic stuff and his more pop-orientated doesn't do much more for me either. I appreciate the anti-war sentiments and "Dancing in the Dark" is pretty catchy but otherwise I'm not really into it. Favorite track: Dancing in the Dark

Dear 1001 Album Generator: As an Anglophile, I object the mandatory listening of this album today due to the automatic result of your album choosing algorithm because I are, of course, an Anglophile, and I shall object America and its dominance of the world as this album is considered the official anthem for white supremacists. wait... so the title track is about how hard American's life are? im sorry. And! the most important thing is that i once saw online a video clip of my favourite singer going to Springsteen's concert and chilling out to "Glory Days". That's a positive sign considering his English influences and him being a Commonwealth citizen. but anyway. a 4/5.

I didn't like Springsteen for like 40 years. Lately though, he has been growing on me, and everything I hear endears his music a little more to me. This was his exception. Solid album.

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

This is the 94th album I’m rating. Don’t remember listening to a song on this but I’m sure I have because it is just too popular not to. Adding to my Playlist - Darlington County, Working on the Highway, I’m on Fire, and Bobby Jean. Not Adding to my Playlist - Born in the U.S.A., Cover Me, Downbound Train, No Surrender, I’m Goin’ Down, Glory Days, Dancing in the Dark, and My Hometown. Born in the U.S.A. - I for some reason forgot I listened to this which is crazy because it is so unbelievably overplayed. Cover Me - The worse Cover Me. All in all I liked 4/12 songs. This is very overrated.

AMERICA YEAHHHH #HAWKTAUH

What can I say? He’s the Boss. Happy to finally listen to this album in its entirety. Downbound Train is probably one of my favorite songs on this album. The saxophone solo on the last half of the album is also wonderful. I feel as I get older I start to resonate more with Bruce’s song writing or can see myself in a similar situation. Overall, a 4/5 album.

sick album, American in a good way.

so THAT is what a good Bruce Springsteen album sounds like ! 7/10 even though some songs are really corny. fav songs : I'm on fire & Glory Days

While it was OK, I didn't find it earth shattering nor exceptional in any way. A pity: I wanted to like this album.

There are a lot of hits in this album. I've never been a fan of the Boss... Something about his voice and the simple arrangements. Innocuous though.

Not a big Springsteen fan. Nonetheless, this album is full of the "classic" Springsteen, evoking a middle-America vibe... I was surprised at how many of the songs on here I was familiar with. A weak three though, since it's not something I'd seek out.

Not a big Springsteen fan, but hard to deny that this is a great album.

Bruce Springsteen and Rick Springfield being popular during the same era has always fucked me up. Anyway, this was decent. I think I prefer Born to Run.

What an album

Great Americana. Iconic.

fist bump explosion american flag

A strong album with many hits on it, but also the non hits are pretty good. Probably Springsteen's best album.

Load of shit

Fantastic record. While I don't own it, I do think it's great. 4.5 for me.

Fun, upbeat songs that contains so many of the radio staples of classic rock. Groovy blues riffs that are reminiscent of 50s feel good jukebox hits. Can't resist it.

0, literally worthless

My stomach dropped. I can’t do this. I am not strong. I am not a blue collar steel mining car manufacturer or whomever the evil monsters behind Bruce Springsteen believe they were marketing to. First thing is first. Every Bruce Springsteen song I’ve ever heard is a reason to intentionally destroy your own eardrums. They have a rhythm that will encourage you to bash your skull into rebar until you can vote republican or whatever. Secondly, I already know it’s beer commercial music. I will TRY to listen for criticisms of blind patriotism or anything of substance, but I have a feeling I’ll be straining my ears beyond their meagre capabilities. Don’t cry for me, I’m already dead. No. I can’t do it. My bones are attempting to leave my flesh husk. Please shut up. Music for people who are dumb, but not charming. Beer belly bigots with a penchant for adultery. Take a drink every time he mentions USA and maybe you can pass out before you have to hear that horrible riff one more time. Oh buddy we’re getting’ wild now. Oh yeah here’s some blue collar cosplay. Whoever writes for him writes one riff for each song apparently. Besides his vocals, this one is just sad. It sounds like his retirement tour and this is his PRIME? There is nothing happening here. There’s the riverboat organ. This is also just an interpolation of the first song. Why are you looking for work on the 4th of July? What the fuck is this? Please explain these lyrics. This is mad libs for morons. Let me break it down. We’re driving in a car✅ New York City ✅ Rock N’ Roll ✅ Come on baby ✅ Little girl you’re so young ✅ SHA NA NAs ✅ This is a parody of a parody that isn’t funny. I would pay Bruce Springsteen ticket prices to have this erased from my memory. 50’s fetishization. It’s more blue collar mad libs. It’s not even incisive or knowledgeable about the people it’s pandering to. “Hey you’re uhh workin’ on the highway.” I know you losers uhh do something to build the highways. You’ll eat this shit up won’t ya.” And the problem is, THEY DO. Oh boy. More of this? How are we not seeing through this? “I had a job, I had a girl.” Man, I used to be able to say I haven’t heard this song. We’ve all had hard times Bruce. I thought he was working at the car wash, now he’s got a cushy railroad job? Big union man. Disgusting. You SHOULD be on fire. Much in the style of those self-immolating monks. What the fuck are you talking about here? “Hey little girl is your daddy home? Can he do to you the things I do?” If you’re not talking about providing meals and housing for a minor, then this song gets the pedophilia stamp of disapproval and we move on. It was only a matter of time. Pack your lunch tin up and wear your sweat stained shirt or whatever. We’re going to catch a predator. That’s right folks I am here at this 1950’s cosplay diner owned by a major corporation. We have sent multiple direct messages to one “flaglover69” posing as a 16 year old girl. He has agreed to meet us this afternoon. Bruce! Great to see you. Please have a seat. Uhh this bit really has nowhere to go unless I riff off of the title being “no surrender.” If I insinuate I want Bruce to commit suicide by cop, then I might lose my, until now, untarnished credibility. *LOUD BURP* Is this about a guy? He never mentions. I don’t care, nor would I be surprised considering this guy’s sweaty industry fetish; however, I do know a revelation that this is gay would SHATTER most of the fans of this music. And that would be worth all the five n’ dime soda pops in the free world. Bruce Springsteen plays on the freefall to hell. Horns blare, shattering eardrums if you had known that feeling in life. Regeneration and destruction of tissue as you fall to the lower circles. Molten smog peels your flesh and the screams you can’t control choke your lung’s ambition. Lights flash messages indecipherable. Your life of misery fades from memory. The scars forming on your dessicated vessel the only reminder of your once mortal self. Become one with the fires of the void. Hell becomes all you know. Slave in fire. I peaked in high school and was also a bully who probably did something insane like try to kill a nerd. Hey. It was the 70’s!!! One riff that sucks, repeated over the predictably dumb lyrics of a true neanderthal. Return him to the primordial soup. Hey AI. Write me a song that can accompany footage of an election bus driving through middle America. Uhh no, this is too boring. No wait, it’s too bad. Why did you use this horrible horn? Ah well. AI thankfully can’t create anything a human could. For better or for worse. Oh yeah buddy. I can feel the pandering coming like a wave of vomit. That initial vocal killed me. Wait pause, let me write the song. I WAS YOUNG, TIMES WERE SAFE, EVERYONE WORKED HARD, WE DROVE A CHRYSLER, I GREW UP, I ROCKED OUT, MY MOMMA DIED, I HAD MY FIRST BEER, I VOTED FOR REAGAN, I DEMATERIALIZED INTO A CAULDRON ONLY TO BE REFORMED BY A CRYPTIC CABAL INTO THE ULTIMATE PANDERER FOR THE VOTING POPULACE IN THE LARGEST POPULATION CENTRE IN THE COUNTRY. How close was I? If you’ve ever worked a job, if you’re from a place, if you’ve ever felt an emotion; this should be an insult of the highest order to you. This should hurt like somebody is attacking your family. I don’t often say this, as I believe all art is valid, but this is created so cynically, that I don’t think it qualifies as an authentic piece of music, heaven forfend a piece of art. If you like this, you need to reevaluate your direction on this plane of existence. Observe something genuine. You haven’t thought hard enough about anything. I beg the creators of this site to open up the option for zeroes. For now, since I have to give it a 1, I hold one middle finger up towards this enemy of human creativity. Burn in the fires that your manifest destiny has engulfed the world in. 0 HIGHLIGHTS: Here lies the bloated corpse of the American Dream. Rotting inside a gilded sarcophagus, emblazoned with a Chevrolet hood ornament.

Peak Bruce, though I prefer Darkness at the Edge of Town!

4.5

Not my style, but its a classic.

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!

Oohh I know this one. It's a classic, as ever!

album de country que yo sepa, no es malo pero no escucho mucho country, canción favorita: bobby jean

Not the boss of me

That's AMERICAS ass

Może być

72/1089 - One reason I dislike the 80's gated-reverb snare is how artificial it sounds in rock music. It makes the drums sound like I'm listening in a large bathroom instead of a normal room or a concert venue. Songwriting seems fine but the 80s sound takes me out of the album.

Nostalgic for me for sure, but never been the biggest Bruce fan. I prefer Nebraska.

I love a few songs on this album but it was overall very repetitive

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.”?

This album was everywhere when it was released. And I mean everywhere. From constant radio play to non-stop MTV presence to mentions by government leaders praising the patriotism, only realizing later they missed the message entirely. Probably why I was never a huge fan of it. And while the overall impact of this was massive for Bruce and the record industry in general, it was not enough to convert me into liking the boss anymore than I already had at the time. This was a very big sounding record for a very big time in music, and sometimes I just wanna chill out to some of his tunes and not have to always reach for the stars with big anthemic numbers. Luckily there was enough on this one to do that. But not quite enough to make me give it top ratings.

This is for sure Bruce at his Bossiest, with what is probably the biggest collection of songs he still plays live (meaning, upbeat ones where he can go “ONE TWO THREE” and then share microphones with people)

Man, this hits so hard when it opens. That snare and synth. I didn’t realize how rough his voice is on that. Shocking he didn’t go the way of Bon Jovi or axel rose and blow out his vocal cords. I freaking love I’m on fire and dancing in the dark (as cheesy as it may sound). Glory Days is also a fun one. Man, a lot to like on this but I’m stingy with the 5s. Just a lil too much filler on here for me to put it higher. 4.25

I think I prefer this over Born to Run… slightly, but I’m rounding up slightly to show preference. I’m on Fire is a song I enjoy but find the lyrics quite questionable. Unless I’m missing something which is very likely. Also gotta give props to the song that brought us that Courtney Cox dance. 4.25/5

Almost 3 stars. Little too much yelling

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!

Not bad

When this album came out, it was easy to dismiss it as a typical bit of jingoistic, flag waving propaganda. Indeed, Ronald Reagan himself started using the title track as a campaign rally song. However, when you start listening to what Bruce is actually singing the level of disconnect between the bombastic chorus and the verses is enough to give you whiplash. Born In The USA is a bitter and angry song about the fate of American GIs coming back from Vietnam to find that there are no blue collar jobs in their home towns and then ending up broken and in jail from post traumatic stress. Other songs have similarly veiled barbs - Cover Me is again about coping with hidden trauma and Dancing in the Dark is about someone with a crippling lack of self confidence, at odds with the jaunty, danceable synth pop music. For me, this album is at its best in the quieter moments, and I’m glad that he chose My Hometown as the closing number which mixes nostalgia with frank honesty about a town suffering from unemployment and racial tensions. I think that this album is probably Springsteen’s ‘Dylan Goes Electric’ moment that took him from earnest folk troubadour to mega stardom, maybe alienating some of his earlier fans while gaining a whole lot more. Flag-tastic!

I get Springsteen is an important figure of American pop-rock, but do we need so many of his records here? Well at least this is probably one of his most prominent album, so it makes a little sense. Reading about the album, I changed my mind a bit about his music (at least he has something to say that is not the caricature that is made of him). I was a little less bored than when listening the two previous entries we already have, but it still generic American pop-rock.

Alright, not really my thing, although the title song is a banger. Some songs were a bit to pedo-ish for my liking

Just another '80s rock album. Though with the sing-a-long beat and lyrics I can see why its popular.

Bruce is an American icon, and so many people love his music. The E Street Band is talented. And I just don’t like it. It doesn’t resonate with me. It always frustrated me that folks lumped the title track in the same category as "God Bless The USA" and such, when it's actually an indictment of the country and the culture. 3⭐️ (because I recognize the artistry, even if it’s not my thing)

Same here!

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

The Boss goes more commercial and hits big. I prefere the less bombastic Bruce of Nebraska and the River but it's a fine album.

Come the fuck on

Has some great songs, but also some pretty terrible ones too.

Repeat listen

Overall okay to good, already knew the classics. Kinda hate born in the usa and dancing in the dark. Dont think the album had a bad song by any means but token Americanism probably put me off the sound. Found the drums a bit boring as the project went on but understand thats the springsteen structure. It gets a “its alright, I understand how people like it” rating from me, probably wont go back for a full listen again.

The album that made Bruce Springsteen the household name he is today. So many great songs on this one.

It’s ’80’s Bruce. Between the dance tunes and the bad lyrics they managed to put some good music together.

I’ve never listened to this album. Nobody’s favorite Springsteen album right? Way more keyboard heavy than I remember. It’s amazing he survived the dorky dancing in the dark video. 1984 was something, huge impact and Born in the USA will live forever and be misunderstood.

Not really up my street personally

No issues with Bruce overall, but someone needs to teach the man how to annunciate sometimes! A very iconic album and cover though

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORN IN THE U.S.A.

21/03/25 Never have been a fan of Springsteen and this is the first album I've listened to. It all sounds very samey.

Enjoyed this more than I thought tbh! Thought about Grown Ups 2 a lot during it

He's the boss!

Pretty goated album. I Love music

Je ne me considère pas comme un fan, mais j'aime bien le son straightement rock et roule de Bruce, et cet album contient pas mal tout les bangers de sa discographie, donc un 4 très honnête pour le Boss

there is an EXTREME authenticity that all Springsteen albums are based upon and i love it so very much. he is not writing songs for anyone else he’s writing songs for himself and letting them relate to everyone else because that’s how life works. i honestly don’t think this is one of this best efforts but it was still good

While this isn’t even close to his best record, I still had an instant popoff seeing this one generated for me this morning. You ever just say fuck it we’re making a goddamn pop album? Because the advent of MTV pushed Bruce Springsteen to do so. It seems a little hollow-hearted, given his previous album was this super stripped back, depressing set of portraits that reflected the bad mental state he’d been in for a bit. All of this can be heard in the music on this album. The opener / title track is likely the best protest song of the 80’s and maybe top 10 pop songs of that decade too. Iconic melody front-loads the track, anthemic choruses throughout, all to potentially divert your attention from Bruce lamenting about the domestic and foreign tragedies of the Vietnam war. The next 3 songs are kinda just reskins of each other, which is my major gripe for this record, it’s just song after song trying to be a pop hit with various amounts of success. Most of the topics and even the language he uses stays the same (I don’t like how much he uses the term ‘little girl’ to talk about a girl he likes). Stuff about working union jobs and traveling through county lines. But “Downbound Train” is a little bit stickier and more self-serious, it kinda feels like a holdover from Nebraska, that aforementioned dim last album. I’m pretty sure Born In The USA is too! “Bobby Jean” has an instrumental that takes it back a few years to prime Springsteen days, but the lyrics on this one are painfully rigid honestly - same with “I’m Goin Down”. I also feel like this one specifically has the super typical pop chord structure, I could be wrong on that? That’s ok, because this is a pop album and “Dancing in the Dark” is such a stellar reminder of that! Maybe the most electronic and dancey Springsteen will ever get, and it’s soooooooo good. Just such an ear worm of a melodic progression. A pop song thats about struggling to write a pop song. Fun! Much like Dark Side Of The Moon, I think iconography plays a big part in this albums long-term success. Simple album cover, simple pop hits help you get through some of the pop misses on this one. Bruce takes his great showmanship and ability to paint a picture to the arena rock stage and TV screen all once. A soft but anthemic 4 / 5 stars

I like sparkle rock

Sparkly rock music. Sounds like blue collar working class music, with a ballet ribbon dancer thrown in. I don't hate it but the instrumentation is just weird blend for me

Zesty country rock, wonder where this fella was born…

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.

Few people have ever been better at their jobs than the Boss, though this has always been a tricky one to talk about, even for the most clear-eyed of Bruce fans, the least Kool-Aided of his connoisseur. Why? The taint of popular success, of course, and so many knuckleheads (including a certain POTUS) misunderstanding it. Let's be clear where this fits in the canon – solidly behind Born to Run, Nebraska, Darkness and (personal preference alert) Tunnel of Love, on par with (but probably not quite as good as) The River, so top 5 or 6. The best cuts to one's ears are "My Hometown" and "I'm on Fire" and "I'm Going Down" and "Downbound Train," all of which easily reach his extraordinarily high standards. "Bobby Jean" works well but "Darlington County" and "Working on the Highway" are iffy – borderline annoying. "Glory Days" is slightly too cheesy, but so well written save for the whole "speedball" that shoulda been "fastball." And even relative throwaways like "Cover Me" show his incredible range – good thing he did it and not Donna Summer. "Dancing in the Dark" shows that commercialism and quality aren't mutually exclusive. The title cut is incredibly powerful – direct, angry, impassioned – holds up better than ever (despite [or perhaps because] of so many knuckleheads not getting it so wrong. But as ever wth Bruce there are hidden subtleties and lovely flourishes even in the bangingest bangers: take the missing verse or silent section right after he says "They're still there / he's all gone" about his brother who died fighting the Viet Cong ... the missing vocals, clearly expected, mirror the absence. Dude's a national treasure and easily a top 10 (perhaps even top 5) all-time artist, both a sage and a crowdpleaser, who will be greatly missed when he's gone.

I'm surprised that I was familiar with every song on this album. While I may not be a fan of the jingoistic nature of the title truck. I can definitely understand the musical significance of this album and how it encapsulated the '80s Bruce Springsteen’s *Born in the U.S.A.* (1984) is a masterful blend of anthemic rock and poignant storytelling, capturing the complexities of American life with both raw energy and emotional depth. While the title track’s fist-pumping chorus and triumphant synths famously led to its misinterpretation as a patriotic anthem, Springsteen’s lyrics reveal a searing critique of the nation’s treatment of Vietnam veterans and the erosion of the working class. Tracks like “Dancing in the Dark” and “Glory Days” balance infectious, radio-ready melodies with themes of existential restlessness and faded youth, while “My Hometown” and the haunting “Downbound Train” lay bare economic despair and fractured dreams. The album’s juxtaposition of exuberant sound and somber narratives mirrors the contradictions of the American experience. A commercial juggernaut with seven Top 10 hits, *Born in the U.S.A.* solidified Springsteen’s status as a blue-collar poet, offering both a rallying cry and a lament for a generation grappling with disillusionment beneath the surface of Reagan-era optimism.

I was expecting this to be cringey, America, Fuck Yeah! rock, but I was pleasantly surprised. I’ve obviously heard all the big hits before, but never really paid that much attention. Found myself singing along several times. Highlights: I’m on Fire (far and away the best track on the album), Born in the USA, Dancing in the Dark - basically all the singles.

Read the lyrics to Born in the USA for the first time- so it’s about the mistreatment of the middle class, and in particular Vietnam Vets upon their return. More progressive than US Fascists seem to think. Two issues: musically it’s extremely obnoxious- just a terrible fucking song. AND it’s viewpoint is parochial- focused on the poor vets- but while they are victims- haw about the millions of Vietnamese lives disrupted and ended in the “kill anything that moves” doctrine that war was waged by. Fuck the USA. Also- this album’s production is 80s in the bad way, and Bruce is always singing anthemically- it’s wearying. He chills out on “I’m on Fire” probably the best track on the record. I didn’t know “Dancing in the Dark” was on this record- obviously the biggest hit (504 million views!). It’s catchy and were it arranged and performed in the 1950s I’d probably love it. As is it’s the most synth and sax laden but of 80s schlock imaginable. Put this goddamn album in the discount bin or burn it. My enjoyment- one star. For its earnestness, I’ll give it one more.

Great lyricism.

The Arthur Miller of pop. If you empathise with the tragic hero character, I can see how this is awesome. I don't, so I don't. Dancing in the dark doesn't make up for the awful sax either

Eeeh this was kinda rough.

Awful, DNF, wouldn't relisten

https://youtu.be/G3zriuWpVjo?si=ijgcdyHlBuxtSGz5&t=9

Awesome!!

Don’t really get why he’s so popular, I feel like there’s artists nowadays doing this genre better. Also I heard him singing about a ‘little girl’ on 2 different songs and any more than 1 is too much.

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

It's like an 80's mechanic's garage in here. There's some solid songs here, obviously the hits. I really enjoy "I'm on Fire" despite the creepy lyrics. White it is always funny when people think the title track is some jingoistic, rah rah, patriotic song, I really can't blame them either. After all, the only bit that isn't mealy mouthed nonsense is the chorus. And it pumps you up.

I'm not a huge Springsteen fan, and this album was pretty much what I expected from him. For what he was going for, this is perfectly good, but it's just not really what I love to hear, with a couple noteworthy exceptions. I do like I'm On Fire (especially after hearing Sara Bareilles's live cover of it), and Cover Me, and Dancing in the Dark is alright. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it -- three stars.

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

Springsteen's best album: we enjoyed this one a lot. There are some absolute classics on here like Dancing in the Dark and Born in the USA.

I just don't love him, not fo lack of trying though.

Overblown throaty meat and potatoes. Not my boss.

нахуй нам не нужна ваша версия Газманова, нам своей достаточно

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.

A little samey

Built multiple careers for all involved. lasting legacy. excellent

America

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.

Pretty dang good. Despite its outer façade of just pop hits over and over, there's a good amount of depth here. Might revisit!

The melancholic combination of a triumphant anthem with a dark and serious subject matter is clearly on display. The songs are well written but hampered by an 80's production that also dates it. This album will stay relevant as long as America is the way it is.

Springsteen at the height of his pop prowess. Ironies all over this album. There are some very strong pop numbers on here, and many songs that I'm sure are a product of Springsteen's artistry and drive to present musical tableaus of the "working man". Good examples of how they can't all be winners. The subjects of the songs, and the songs themselves. A powerhouse in the 80s, to be sure.

Good

I...I just don't get it

This album perfeftly paints an "American dream" picture in my mind. These are Songs you'll hear during a ride through a suburb. It's a fourth-of-July Saturday and families are gathering together for BBQ. The smoky smell penetrates your car but you don't mind. Neighboring children with bright t-shirts are playing and giggling, running yard to yard. You can faintly hear the songs in your car echoing from some radio down by someone's lawn. And the lawn is so artificially green, therefore falsely portrayed as healthy. Burgers and hot dogs are ready. Some big-bellied man violently squirts ketchup and mustard from huge bottles. The people are enjoying the music, not looking into the actual meaning of "Born in the U.S.A" as long as it sounds as if conveying any patriotic theme. The music itself truly romanticises white American Patriotism. The lyrics and their meanings are so dissonant to the music, it's chilling. I hate the way most Americans view this. But it's a feel-good album as long as you're some idiotic, white American patriot, and that's how the music of the album makes you feel. The meaning behind it all - that's a different story.

Some amazing songs on this album, i feel like it is the anthem of a certain time and a certain place. Not being from that era, it doesn't touch me the way it would other people and a therefore dont view it as one of the greats.

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.

Rating: 9/10 There is a cheesiness to this entire album but it's amazing: insanely catchy, great melodies, great instrumentation, and just a fun listen from start to finish.

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

3x 3.4 it grew on me but still not amazing. catch up 4/15

Truly awful.

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.

not a big fan of bruce (i am more of a mellencamp guy), but i have to give props to this one. this album is blue collar through and through. and the fact that conservatives still think of this song as some sort of patriotic anthem is amazing considering that it is actually a critique of american foreign policy and how veterans are treated once they get back home. that’s pretty genius on springsteen’s part that he could pull that off. the title track notwithstanding, this album sounds pretty dated with the over abundance of synths (to be fair, twas the early 80’s and that was the trend at the time).

I forgot just how good this album is.

Nostalgic as this was on in my parents house a lot in my youth.

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

"Well time slips away leaves you with nothing, mister, but boring stories of glory days." Bruce sums up how I feel about his album. Everything sounds so musically uninspired. I do appreciate the juxtaposition of how "Born in the USA" is used as a patriotic anthem versus the actual lyrics.

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 U.S.A.” was a protest song, but jeans, a white T-shirt, and an American flag made it easy to co-opt—even though the album itself is full of broken dreams, layoffs, PTSD, and disillusionment.

It was the mid eighties and my east coast cousins thought this album was the best thing EVER. Mind you they were hip NYers and generally on point whereas I was two years behind what was cool growing up in Colorado. What did they hear in Springsteen that I never heard? Why do I live the Dead and that version of Americana but Bruce’s puffed up macho Americana seems so flimsy to me? More importantly why do I basically hate this album? Never figured that out.

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.

We love Bruce around here

8/10 BBBBRRRRRRUUUUUUUCCCCCCCEEEEEE 2-26-2025

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

I have all of Springsteen's albums from Asbury Park to Born in the USA, and some later ones, but I have never liked BITU as much as Born to Run or Darkness on the Edge of Town, for example. The production is very '80s, particularly on the drums, but that didn't annoy me as much as it once did. There are some very good songs, some passable ones. The E-Street Band plays as well as ever - I really noticed the bass playing this time. And I love the fact that the title track subverts the whole patriotic anthem sound of the music with the downbeat lyrics, and the irony that this is completely lost on those politicians who punch the air in the chorus.

Good old brucey, you know what you’re gonna get, and what you’re gonna get is mediocre with the odd banger thrown in

If you don't listen to the words you'd think its a really upbeat album. Esp if you can find the MIDI version of Born in the USA. But then you listen to the lyrics and realize its not. Kind of impressive that Bruce can pull that off.

Not even a huge Springsteen fan

No. Just no.

I don't like America the way Bruce likes America

2/21/25. First time listening to this famous record, I understand why it's well liked. Nicely crafted songs straight from Americana, but catchy as well. Even if you're not blue collar, I feel like the music is still accessible.

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

Generally speaking, I can take or leave Bruce, but this album is the exception. Still not necessarily my favorite, but hard to deny how many timeless hits there are on this album.

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.

Ultimate dad rock with a small dose of cirngey good ol' boy lyricism. Good tunes though, nothing great, but good.

When this record came out I was a New Wave/Post Punk loving teenager trying to be edgy and considered Springsteen to be music for normies and dorks. i did like I‘m On Fire, but hated Dancing In The Dark and the title track which would.be unescapable for the next couple of years on German radio. Today I‘m in my late 50s and not so much has changed, except I‘m probably normie and dorky myself now. The rejecting passion has calmed but still no Springsteen fan, really. The album is a defining soundtrack of the 1980s though, a cultural impact which I kind of respect in its own right.

He yells a bit too much for my liking

Bruce just never did it for me.