Born in the USA Songs Ranked

Born in the U.S.A. is the seventh studio album by American rock singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen. It was released by Columbia Records on June 4, 1984. The album’s music was written by Springsteen and recorded with his E Street Band and producers Chuck Plotkin and Jon Landau at The Power Station and The Hit Factory in New York City. Born in the U.S.A. was met with positive reviews and massive commercial success. It produced seven top-10 hit singles and was promoted with a worldwide concert tour by Springsteen. Born in the U.S.A. became his most commercially successful album and one of the highest-selling records ever, having sold 30 million copies by 2012. It has also been cited by critics as one of the greatest albums of all time. The album received a nomination for Album of the Year at the 1985 Grammy Awards. Here are all of Born in the USA songs ranked.

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12. I’m Goin’ Down

“This was the 6th of 7 top 10 US singles on the Born In The U.S.A. album. The album had been out for over a year by the time it was released as a single. The band recorded this in May, 1982, but it wasn’t released until Born In The U.S.A. was finished in 1984.”

11. Bobby Jean

“This was written as a farewell message to guitarist Steven Van Zandt, who left the E Street Band during the recording of Born In The U.S.A. pursue other projects. Van Zandt returned to the band years later. Springsteen: “A good song about youthful friendship.”

10. Working on the Highway

“Springsteen never had a job doing something other than making music, but many of his songs deal with characters who work very hard trying to get by. In this song, Springsteen looks at how work can lead us to take desperate measures. The original title was “Child Bride.” Springsteen originally recorded this as part of a demo he taped in his house in 1982. This tape became the Nebraska album.”

9. My Hometown

“This song is about Springsteen’s experiences growing up in Freehold, New Jersey, his hometown. Bruce doesn’t have many nice things to say about Freehold. The original title was “Your Hometown.” This was the last track on Born In The U.S.A., one of the most successful albums ever, selling over 18 million copies. It was the last of 7 US top 10 singles from the album.”

See more: Bruce Springsteen Albums Ranked

8. Darlington County

“Springsteen originally wrote this for his 1978 album Darkness On The Edge Of Town, but it didn’t make the cut. This was first recorded in May, 1982, but was not released until Born In The U.S.A. was finished in 1984. Springsteen had written about 70 songs for the album, and this was one of the few that made it. Darlington County is in South Carolina.”

7. No Surrender

“Springsteen wrote this about the inspirational power of Rock music. It came to represent his friendship with members of his band. This was the last song chosen for the album. E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt had to convince Springsteen to put it on. Van Zandt had left the band, but remained close to Springsteen and would eventually play with him again. “

6. Cover Me

“Springsteen wrote this for Donna Summer, but decided to keep it for himself after recording the demo. A fan of Donna Summer, Springsteen gave her a song called “Protection” instead of this. This was the second of 7 Top-10 US singles on Born In The U.S.A. Springsteen was not known for hit singles, but this album was wildly successful.”

5. Glory Days

“This is one of Springsteen’s favorites. He almost always plays it at the impromptu bar gigs he is famous for on the Jersey Shore. In concert, Springsteen often extends this to over 10 minutes. Perhaps the most compact version he ever played was at halftime of the 2009 Super Bowl, when he squeezed 4 songs into a 12 minute set. Springsteen: “The first verse actually happened, the second verse mostly happened, the third verse, of course, is happening now.”

See more: Bruce Springsteen Songs Ranked

4. I’m on Fire

“Springsteen came up with this song in the studio during recording sessions in early 1982. He was playing around with a slow Johnny Cash rhythm which he put to some lyrics he had already written. The song was recorded in May, 1982, and originally intended for the Nebraska album, but it was not released until Born In The U.S.A. was finished in 1984. Springsteen, pianist Roy Bittan, and drummer Max Weinberg recorded the first version of this song themselves because the rest of the band was taking a break when inspiration struck.”

3. Downbound Train

“Springsteen originally recorded this as an acoustic demo in 1982 along with the first version of “Born In The U.S.A.” and most of the songs that would make up Nebraska.”

2. Dancing in the Dark

“Springsteen wrote this about his difficulty writing a hit single and his frustration trying to write songs that will please people. Ironically, it was a hit single – the biggest of his career in terms of chart position. Directed by Brian DePalma, the video was filmed at the St. Paul Civic Center in Minnesota on June 28, 1984. The audience was not real: it was made up of about 200 extras.”

1. Born in the U.S.A.

“The original title was “Vietnam.” The director Paul Schrader sent Springsteen a script for a movie called Born In The U.S.A., about a Rock band struggling with life and religion. This gave Bruce the idea for the new title. Unfortunately for Schrader, when he was finally ready to make the movie in 1985, the title “Born In The U.S.A.” was too associated with the song. Springsteen helped him out however, providing the song “Light Of Day,” which became the new title for Schrader’s movie and the feature song in the film.”