10 Best Bruce Springsteen Albums
On the eve of his new album, Letter To You, here are ten of the best from The Boss.
For nearly 50 years, Bruce Springsteen and his E Street Band have been a constant and comforting presence to millions of fans across the world. Beginning in 1973 with his folk-infused debut, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J., and continuing all the way through to 2020’s Letter To You, few artists in the canon of popular music can rival Springsteen’s prolific nature or the consistency of his work. He has sold over 150 million records worldwide and carved out a reputation as being one of the most relentless live performers of all time. Even well into his sixties, it was not uncommon for a Bruce Springsteen show to exceed the three and a half hour mark.
A master of the narrative song, Springsteen’s strength lies in the characters he creates, often portraying them in ways which reflects his own musings on everything from love and relationships to societal unrest and political protest. His influence is unquestionable and cuts through the history of modern rock music, counting the likes of Arcade Fire, The Killers, Pearl Jam, U2, and many others as devout Springsteen disciples.
To celebrate the release of Letter To You, his twentieth studio album, here are his best up to now.
10. Western Stars (2019)
Deep into the fifth decade of his career, these days the mere announcement of a new Bruce Springsteen album is enough to warrant rapturous celebration across the world. Whether it happens to be good or not is a bonus rather than a necessity. But after a series of middling to forgettable records post-The Rising, even the most ardent Springsteen fan wouldn’t have expected 2019’s Western Stars to be this good.
Channelling the likes of Glen Campbell and Jimmy Webb, Springsteen’s dive into the American West was met with universal critical acclaim, his best for nearly 20 years. There Goes My Miracle, in particular, is a standout composition among his entire twenty-first century body of work, supplemented by other great tracks such as Tucson Train and Moonlight Motel.
The album was recorded solo, sans the E Street Band. They’ll be back for this year’s Letter To You, the first album of original material Springsteen has recorded with them for eight years. Given how good Western Stars turned out to be, excitement is growing that Letter To You could be another of The Boss’ late career highlights.