10 Perfect Albums That Defined The 1970s

During the '60s, Bob Dylan was the messiah of the trendy, proto-hipster types. But more than that, he was a spokesmen for political and social freedom; a rebel, who embraced rock over folk; and a wordsmith of unrivalled talent.

In short, he was the voice of his generation. By the time the '70s came around, however, the poet of the people, had long shrugged off the political spokesmen mantle. His electric controversy had been forgotten, and he was releasing records about his failing marriage. America needed a new voice.

With Born To Run, Bruce Springsteen became that voice. His stuff wasn't as high brow, or as pretentious, as Dylan's; he didn't profess to have unmatched insight; and at this point, he wasn't all that political. He just wrote about the everyday life of everyday people. It was the trademark that made him America's new darling - that, and his raucous energy, augmented by one of the best backing bands of all time.

But, Born To Run, was almost born to fail. It cost a bomb to produce, and Springsteen took months perfecting the songs. It consumed him to the point of madness. He delayed the release several times, and begged for more money on more than one occasion. For many, including his record label, it was seen as his last attempt to break the mainstream. But his obsessive dedication paid off.