Bruce Springsteen: Ranking His Albums From Worst To Best

7. Born In The USA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07En6ctrOyU Year Of Release: 1984 Key Tracks: Glory Days, Dancing in the Dark, Downbound Train The album that made Bruce Springsteen a global superstar, Bruce's seventh studio record saw a radical departure in his sound. It was the best selling album of the year and Springsteen's biggest selling album ever. There's no question that Born in the USA marks an important moment in Bruce's life and career, but is it any good? Born in the USA sees Bruce go full-on pop after the introspective Nebraska. It was definitely radio-friendly, spawning seven top-ten hit singles. Most of them are very good, even if Bruce does go a little synth-heavy sometimes. The standouts, Dancing in the Dark and Glory Days, are better when played live, but overall it's a very fun album and an interesting snapshot of Bruce's career at the time. The title track (which really goes overboard with the synthesisers) was misinterpreted as a jingoistic, pro-America rabble rouser by some due to the repeated chorus cry when, in fact, it was actually a condemnation America's involvement in the Vietnam War. A total world-beater, but it hasn't aged as well as some of Springsteen's other, earlier work. Still, you cannot overestimate its importance or impact to Bruce's career.