Born to Rank: The Top 25 Bruce Springsteen Songs

The criteria are flexible. They're a combination of songwriting, listening pleasure, live performance and at what point in the song I begin to cry like an 11-year-old girl.
This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. If you need to flag this entry as abusive, send us an email.

November 16 -- that's Christmas, Hanukkah (Hannakuh? Channukah? I'm a horrible Jew) and a birthday all rolled up in one for Springsteen fans. The box set of Darkness on the Edge of Town, his fourth album, hits stores. Not only does it include the remastered record, but 21 unreleased songs from the studio sessions, plus a live concert DVD and Thom Zimny's film, The Promise: The Making of "Darkness on the Edge of Town," which premiered to excellent reviews at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Because I can't wait that long, I've spend the better part of the past two weeks developing this list of Bruce's top 25 songs (Why 25? Because it's college football season). My initial list contained 63 songs -- cutting 38 from that group was nearly impossible ("Night"..."For You?" How are they not on this list?). The criteria are flexible. They're a combination of songwriting, listening pleasure, live performance and at what point in the song I begin to cry like an 11-year-old girl.

The list is not a matter of opinion. It is fact. Until I change my mind in eight minutes. And I suppose your opinion counts too. A little.

Born to Rank: The Top 25 Bruce Springsteen Songs

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot