10 Greatest Classic Rock Songwriters

When it came to rock lyrics in the 70's, things were getting a bit too lofty for modern songwriters. Every hit on rock radio seemed to be either too trite to be taken seriously or too complicated for anyone to figure out. Right in the middle, Bruce Springsteen stripped down the rock lyric to what made rock move people at its inception.

Throughout all of Springsteen's work, listeners got an honest look at working class people trying to make sense of their place in the world. On songs like "Born to Run" and "Thunder Road," the modern desire to escape the confines of a small town almost feel like a matter of life and death. The way Springsteen framed these characters' journeys felt like the life you wish you could be leading. It was as if Springsteen was constructing these narratives to present the beauty behind the Everyman. His lyrics on later albums like The Rising turned a corner by offering grim reflections of the terrorism in the wake of 9/11.

With only a few characters and a lot of heart, Springsteen turned his rock songs from standard jams into a liberating rock and roll force. In a world full of losers, Springsteen played his hand and won.