10 Best Bruce Springsteen Albums

Springsteen had a troubled 1990s. Though he did scoop an Academy Award in 1993 for Streets Of Philadelphia, on the whole his career was beginning to lurch in a downward trajectory. As well as breaking up the E Street Band, his albums throughout the decade were being greeted with an ever-increasing sense of critical indifference. To compound matters, Springsteen’s long battle with depression was disclosed to the public for the first time.

But in 1999, a triumphant performance at his Rock And Roll Hall of Fame induction – which saw him reunite with the E Street Band – sowed the seeds for a revival. However, in a bizarre contradiction, it was the devastating events of 9/11 which gave Springsteen a renewed lease of musical life. Only by channelling the world’s collective malaise was he able to break out of his own. Though many of the songs were written as a direct response to the tragedy, The Rising’s anthemic tales of hope and resilience in the face of adversity possess qualities. In 2008, the title track was used as Barack Obama’s official campaign song, and has continued to be feature as a Democratic anthem as recently as 2020.

Allegedly, the inspiration for The Rising came a few days after the event, when a stranger rolled down his car window and said to Springsteen: “We need you now.” It turns out they did, more than anyone could have ever realised.