The 500 - #86 - Born In The U.S.A. - Bruce Springsteen

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by New York-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

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Album #: 86

Album Title: Born In The U.S.A.

Artist: Bruce Springsteen

Genre:  Rock, Heartland Rock, Pop

Recorded: Power Station Studios and Hit Factory Studios, New York, New York

Released: June, 1984

My age at release: 18

How familiar was I with it before this week: Very

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, at #142 - dropping 56 spots

Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Glory Days

There is a particular confidence that comes with being young. Not necessarily confidence in yourself -- I was a chaotic jumble of angst, acne and anxiety as a teen -- but I had confidence in my place in the world. It is a time when you think you know everything and you do know the culturally hip landscape intimately. You're fluent in the slang. You know which movies are worth lining up for on opening weekend, but you've also seen the smaller films that will eventually be recognized for their innovation, craftsmanship, and lasting influence.

You've found your tribe and settled into its uniform. Maybe it's denim, leather, band T-shirts, parachute pants, rugby tops, Polo shirts, high-top sneakers, or some combination that would look ridiculously anachronistic today. You've perfected your hairstyle -- for me it was a perfectly coiffed mullet, with feathered bangs on the sides.

Me in 1985.

At the time, though, it wasn't a costume. It was armour. It told the world exactly who you were and, just as importantly, who you weren't. You might experiment with elements borrowed from another clique's style. You might flirt with a different haircut, a different jacket, or even a different soundtrack. Underneath it all, however, you were absolutely convinced that your look, your music, your movies, and your generation had landed squarely on the right side of cool.

When I think back to that feeling, I often return to a car ride on the morning of January 1, 1984. The night before, I had been at a New Year's Eve party hosted by my girlfriend Maria's brother, Danny. After helping with clean-up and a hearty breakfast, Danny offered to drive me home from the east end of London all the way to Byron in the west. It was a substantial trip, especially after a late night, and while I'm sure I thanked him at the time, I appreciate the gesture even more in hindsight. It was a generous thing to do for his little sister's boyfriend.

I distinctly remember a stop for gas and, as Danny pumped in fuel, Van Halen's latest, and biggest, hit single, Jump, played on the radio. Their upcoming record, 1984, would hit shelves a few days later and my friends and I were still coming to terms with their new sound.

What we didn't realize at the time was that we were listening to more than a hit song. We were hearing a changing of the guard. The great rock bands of the 1970s were finding ways to survive and thrive in a new decade. Synthesizers that once seemed confined to New Wave acts were becoming part of mainstream rock. Advances in recording technology were creating bigger, brighter and more polished productions. Music videos were becoming almost as important as the songs themselves. The old rules had not disappeared, but they were being rewritten. Van Halen was teaching us that the future of rock would not look exactly like its past.

For a long time, I reflected on 1984 as the year when everything came together. What I've gradually come to realize, however, is that we rarely remember a single year as vividly as we think we do. Memory compresses time. When we point to one magical year, we are often talking about a larger period that surrounds it. In my case, when I say "1984," I am really talking about the remarkable three-year stretch from 1983 to 1985. Those were the final years of high school and the beginning of adulthood for me. I moved from 17 to 20 during that span, and felt completely plugged in to the culture of the moment.

The timing was extraordinary. MTV had transformed the way music was marketed in the United States, and MuchMusic would soon do the same in Canada. Record companies were pouring unprecedented resources into turning albums into blockbuster events, releasing multiple hit singles and accompanying videos designed to dominate both radio and television. At the same time, the decade was finally beginning to define itself visually. The earth tones, softly feathered hair, and lingering styles of the 1970s were fading in the rearview mirror, replaced by neon colours, shoulder pads, leather jackets, designer sneakers, spandex, oversized sweatshirts, and enough hairspray to threaten the atmosphere. The ‘80s that people nostalgically remember today had arrived.

And talk about blockbusters. The number of multi-platinum selling albums, with a plethora of hit songs on them, released between 1983 and 1985 was staggering. Just as important was the rise of the music video. Record companies were suddenly spending hundreds of thousands, and sometimes millions, of dollars on elaborate productions complete with storylines, special effects, exotic locations, and cinematic production values. A hit song was no longer enough. Artists now needed a memorable visual identity to accompany it. Consider the first half of this three-year span:

• Cyndi Lauper - She's So Unusual (5 singles, #487 on The 500)

• Culture Club - Colour By Numbers (4 singles)

• Huey Lewis & The News - Sports (4 singles)

• Def Leppard - Pyromania (3 singles) 

• The Police - Synchronicity (4 singles, #448 on The 500), 

• David Bowie - Let's Dance (3 singles)

• Journey - Frontiers (3 singles)

• U2 - War (3 singles, #228 on The 500)

• ZZ Top - Eliminator (3 singles, #398 on The 500)

• Michael Jackson - Thriller (6 singles, #20 on The 500)

• Van Halen - 1984 (4 singles)

• Prince - Purple Rain (4 singles, #76 on The 500)

And we are only halfway through this pivotal period in my teenage life. In June,1984, one blockbuster had barely left the record store shelves before another arrived. On June 4, Bruce Springsteen released Born in the U.S.A., an album that would produce seven Top 10 singles and ultimately sell more than 30 million copies worldwide.

Springsteen in 1984.

Yet its path to becoming one of the most successful records in rock history was anything but straightforward. Much of its DNA can be traced back to the stark, acoustic recording sessions that produced Nebraska in 1982 (#226 on The 500). During those sessions, Springsteen recorded dozens of additional songs, many of which would eventually be reworked with his backing group, the E Street Band, and transformed into the larger, louder, and far more commercial sound of Born in the U.S.A.

Bruce with the E Street Band.

That unlikely journey, from the lonely landscapes of Nebraska to the stadium-filling anthems of Born in the U.S.A., received renewed attention in the 2025 biopic Deliver Me from Nowhere, which chronicles the making of Nebraska and the creative crossroads Springsteen found himself navigating in the early 1980s. It is one of rock music's great tales of evolution. The album that emerged from those sessions became a cultural phenomenon, while the album that almost wasn't, continues to fascinate musicians and fans decades later.

As I was preparing this post, I found myself in a conversation with my good friend and previous guest blogger, Jeff Lewis. Jeff is a serious Springsteen fan, having seen The Boss live four times, so I knew he would have some thoughts on Born in the U.S.A.. I also knew I was giving him little notice. As it turned out, that was less an obstacle than an invitation. Within what felt like minutes, my phone lit up with a thoughtful, detailed response that was longer than most of my high school essays.

From Jeff:

Springsteen’s Born in The U.S.A. album may be one of the most misunderstood albums of the ‘80s. Fans and radio listeners heard a pop album with upbeat melodies and catchy hooks. However, for the savvy record listener, the lyrics told a different story.

Those same songs with the bright keyboard riffs, booming production, and cannon-shot snare drums were, in many ways, a continuation of the dark, working-class stories Springsteen had explored on Nebraska. Beneath the stadium-sized choruses and radio-friendly hooks were songs about people confronting disappointment, dead-end jobs, broken dreams, and the uneasy realization that life had not unfolded the way they had imagined. The music sounded triumphant. The characters often were not.

The title track, Born in the U.S.A., remains the album's most famous example. Originally developed under the working title "Vietnam," the song is still mistaken for a flag-waving patriotic anthem. In reality, it is a bitter protest song about a Vietnam veteran who returns home only to discover that the country he served has little use for him. Its message is uncompromising; ordinary people are often asked to make extraordinary sacrifices, only to find themselves forgotten when those sacrifices are no longer convenient.

Dancing in the Dark may be the album's most radio-friendly song, with its infectious melody and polished pop sheen, but beneath the surface is a young man wrestling with frustration, self-doubt, and the feeling that life is passing him by. My Hometown paints a portrait of a small American town in decline, where blue-collar jobs are disappearing and old racial tensions still linger beneath the surface. Downbound Train tells the story of a man who loses not only his livelihood but also his sense of direction as economic hardship slowly dismantles the life he once envisioned. Even Working on the Highway, wrapped in an upbeat rockabilly groove, centres on a labourer serving time on a chain gang. Meanwhile, Glory Days taps into something universal. We can laugh at the characters' rose-coloured nostalgia, but we also recognize ourselves in them as they cling to cherished memories and look back on the promise and carelessness of youth.

The album was not entirely bleak. Darlington County follows two friends looking for adventure and trouble on a road trip, while No Surrender captures the idealism, friendship, and restless energy of youth. Yet the darker themes are never far below the surface. Misinterpreted or not, by 1985 everyone recognized Born in the U.S.A. from its opening notes. We sang along at parties, blasted it from car stereos, and celebrated its enormous choruses. Only later did many of us realize that beneath the sing-alongs and fist-pumping hooks were stories of struggle, loss, and disillusionment. The music felt like a celebration. The lyrics often told a very different story.

Back to Me:

I suppose I am indulging in a little bit of my own Glory Days nostalgia as I think back to June, 1984, when Born in the U.S.A. began its 140-week run on the Billboard charts. I was preparing for my final year of high school and, at the time, 18 felt grown up. Now I realize it was really the beginning of everything. Life stretched out endlessly ahead, the music kept getting bigger, and every few weeks seemed to bring another album destined for heavy rotation on car stereos, bedroom turntables and MuchMusic. As the summer passed, I could see 20 approaching, even if I wasn't quite ready to believe it.

Here are the blockbusters that followed, and the hit songs contained on each:

• Madonna - Like A Virgin (5 singles)

• U2 - The Unforgettable Fire (2 singles)

• Bryan Adams - Reckless (6 singles)

• Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms (4 singles, #352 on The 500)

• Tears For Fears - Songs From The Big Chair (4 singles)

• John Cougar Mellencamp - Scarecrow (3 singles)

• Whitney Houston - self-titled debut (3 singles)

• Heart - self-titled eighth record (4 singles)

• Phil Collins - No Jacket Required (4 singles)

Looking back at that time makes me realize that Springsteen nailed the emotion I now feel

“Glory Days, yea, they’ll pass you by
Glory Days, in the wink of a young girl’s eye
Glory Days”

The 500 = #133 - The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by New York-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

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Album: #133
Album Title: The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle
Artist: Bruce Springsteen
Genre: Rock
Recorded: 914 Sound Studios, Blauvett, New York.
Released: November, 1973
My age at release: 8
How familiar was I with it before this week: Fairly
Is it on the 2020 list? No
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)

The film Blade Runner, the television series The Wire, and the teen dramedy Freaks and Geeks rank among my all-time favorite works of media. Like this week’s featured record, The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle, each was hailed by critics, yet initially struggled to find an audience and commercial success.

Thankfully, time changed the trio’s fortunes. Blade Runner became a science fiction classic through home video, and The Wire built a devoted following across five brilliant seasons. To their credit, the HBO network stuck with the gritty crime drama despite lacklustre numbers, and it is often listed as one of the greatest television shows of all time. Only Freaks and Geeks met an untimely end, cancelled after one perfect season. That single season, however, has since achieved cult status, and I’ve used it for years as a creative way to teach Ontario’s Health Curriculum to middle school students.

Recorded in the spring of 1973, the record marked an important shift in Bruce Springsteen's sound. His debut record, Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ, was heavily influenced by folk traditions. Specifically, Springsteen was inspired by the song-writing approach of Bob Dylan, leaning into dense wordy songs, vivid imagery and stream of consciousness storytelling. This is evident in tracks such as Angel and Mary Queen Of Arkansas, both of which were composed as acoustic pieces in the tradition of the singer/songwriter style.

The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle saw Springsteen learn more into the style found in early rock and roll or the soulful rhythm and blues songs of his youth. I am currently reading his biography, Born To Run, in which he writes that his earliest musical influences came from the transformative impact of Elvis Presley, who represented rebellion and escape from the confines of his working-class upbringing, as well as The Beatles, who opened his eyes to the joy and camaraderie of rock and roll.

He also discusses the impact that soul musicians and Motown artists had on him as a youth. He loved their ability to combine emotional storytelling with irresistible grooves. These influences can be felt, particularly on the record's opening track, The E Street Shuffle, which echoes the rhythmic energy of James Brown and the layered texture found in many Motown hits.

Like his debut, The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle earned glowing reviews but struggled commercially at first. Undeterred, Springsteen and his newly christened E Street Band hit the road, playing relentless, high-energy shows up and down the East Coast. These marathon concerts, equal parts sweat, soul and storytelling, built a fiercely loyal fan base and kept the band afloat despite lacklustre record sales.

Everything changed with Born to Run (#18 on The 500), the breakthrough Springsteen had dreamed of. It quickly went Gold and within a few years surpassed six million copies sold. That success sent fans back to his first two albums, both of which were eventually certified Platinum. For critics, and for Springsteen, the vindication must have been sweet.

The 500 - #150 - Darkness On The Edge Of Town - Bruce Springsteen

 I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by New York-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: #150

Album Title: Darkness On The Edge Of Town

Artist: Bruce Springsteen

Genre: Rock, Heartland Rock, 

Recorded: Atlantic and Record Plant Studios, New York City, USA

Released: June, 1978

My age at release: 12

How familiar was I with it before this week: Fairly

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, at #91 - rising 59 spots

Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Darkness On The Edge Of Town

In the summer of 1989, I took a job at Morphy Containers, a box-making factory in London, Ontario. My first assignment was the “Bailer”. The work involved wheeling a cart through the vast factory floor, sticking to the clearly marked aisleways and steering clear of the whirring machines that sliced, perforated, folded and painted cardboard into boxes and other products for shipping to companies throughout Canada and the United States.

My task was to collect the scraps of cardboard discarded from the production lines. For example, large, rectangular sheets of waxed cardboard were fed into a bus-sized machine that punched out circles destined to support frozen pizza products soon to hit Ontario grocery shelves. My job was to gather discarded remnants left behind after the circles were gathered and stacked by busy workers at the machine’s far end.

As I walked around the factory floor, I drowned out these cacophonous mechanisms with headphones connected to my portable CD player. That summer, my favourites were Don Henley’s End Of The Innocence (#389 on The 500) and the soundtrack to the Martin Scorsese film The Passion Of The Christ by Peter Gabriel. Because I wasn’t working with the many clanking contraptions around the facility, I was permitted to wear headphones connected by wires to a device.

I was a solid bailer – efficient and dependable. Within weeks, I earned a raise, a whole 50 cents an hour, along with a promotion to the cutting machine. That’s when things went sideways and I realized too late that I should have declined the offer. First, I had to retire my trusty CD player. Then came the safety glasses and a gigantic pair of noise-cancelling headphones, gear that made me feel less like an employee and more like part of these iron giants. The opening scene in Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times – where he is trapped in the cogs of a factory apparatus – always comes to mind when I think of those days.

By the end of day one, I knew I’d made a terrible mistake. The job was mind-numbingly monotonous. For eight hours a day (minus the sacred coffee and cigarette breaks), I stood at the end of a machine, catching sheets of cardboard launched at me by a grizzled veteran who looked like he’d been born beside that cutter. Every ten sheets, I’d pivot like a robot and stack them on a wooden pallet. The only brief reprieve was when the stack reached about five feet high and we would wrap it in cellophane and call over the forklift operator to remove it…only to begin anew. It was silent. It was soul-sucking. It was cardboard purgatory. I watched enviously as my successor bailer wandered by with his cart and his freedom…music blasting away in his headphones.

This would be my one, and only, factory job. I survived it for the summer and redoubled my efforts in university that fall. It was a good experience because it showed me the challenging world of blue-collar labour firsthand. It’s a world captured with raw honesty and poetic grit by Bruce Springsteen – affectionately known by his fans as “The Boss”. Springsteen has long been a voice for the common man, chronicling the struggles, hopes, and quiet heroism of the working class. His lyrics, nurtured in the sweat and soul of factory floors, union halls, and small-town dreams, gave resonance to what I experienced that summer. The songs on Darkness On The Edge Of Town (#150 on The 500) echoed the realities of millions of people, reminding us that dignity and hardship often work hand in hand.

Released in 1978, Darkness on the Edge of Town marked a turning point in Springsteen’s career. The introspective follow-up to the breakout success of his third studio release, Born to Run (#18 on The 500), included lyrics stripped of the romanticism found in Springsteen’s earlier works. Darkness on the Edge of Town delves into themes of disillusionment, resilience, and the quiet dignity of working-class life. Springsteen trades youthful exuberance for a mature, hard-earned realism with songs such as Badlands, The Promised Land, and the haunting title track,. The album’s raw sound and lyrical depth cemented his role not just as a rock icon, but as a storyteller about the common man.

Springsteen has a knack for capturing the tension between hope and hardship with unflinching honesty. In 2009, he was honoured at The Kennedy Center For Performing Arts in New York City with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to American Culture. Fellow New Jersey native and comedian Jon Stewart introduced Springsteen gave a witty, heartfelt and reverent speech that highlighted his (and by extension many fans’) admiration for Springsteen’s legacy.

As Stewart put it:

“Whenever I see Bruce Springsteen do anything, he empties the tank – every time. He has never once performed without total commitment to his family, his art, his audience, and his country.”

The seventh track on Darkness On The Edge Of Town is simply called Factory. A lyric from it has resonated with me since my first listen:

“Factory takes his hearing, Factory gives him life.”

Those eight simple words capture the paradox of a working class existence for so many – the price they pay for earning a living..

I’m thankful that noise-cancelling headphones were mandatory for me in 1989. Not only did they preserve my hearing, they gave me time with my thoughts and, although I was just a tourist in the blue collar world, I learned to respect their tolerance of tedium and monotony to support themselves and their families.

The 500 - #226 - Nebraska - Bruce Springsteen

I was inspired by a podcast called The 500 hosted by Los Angeles-based comedian Josh Adam Meyers. His goal, and mine, is to explore Rolling Stone Magazine's 2012 edition of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. 

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Album: #226
Album Title: Nebraska
Artist: Bruce Springsteen
Genre: Folk, Heartland Rock, Lo-Fi Indie
Recorded: Springsteen's rented home in Colt's Neck, New Jersey

Released: September, 1982
My age at release: 17
How familiar was I with it before this week: Fairly

Is it on the 2020 list? Yes, at #150, moving up 76 places since the 2012 list.
Song I am putting on my Spotify Playlist: Nebraska

It was recently announced that Jon Stewart intends to return to The Daily Show (TDS) –.a half-hour satirical television newscast and interview program that has aired on Comedy Central since 1996. Originally hosted by Craig Kilborn for its first two years, comedian Stewart took the helm in 1999 and stayed with the program for the next 16 years. The following six years featured South African comedian Trevor Noah as host. When he departed in December, 2022, TDS decided to rotate guest hosts, among them Al Franken, Sarah Silverman and Roy Wood Jr.

The three longest serving hosts, (l-r) Kilborn, Stewart and Noah.

These days I watch TDS far less than I once did and although I enjoy the occasional episode, it is not the appointment viewing that had me riveted during Jon Stewart's tenure. In fact, on August 16, 2006, two days before I was married in New York City, my bride, her father, my pal Steve "Lumpy" Sullivan and I attended the taping of an episode. The guest was former New Jersey Governor Thomas Kean. During a Q&A session before the show, Lumpy was able to ask Stewart a question about his career in television.

Stewart behind the desk on The Daily Show.

On Monday, February 12, Stewart will return to the TDS desk and he plans to host Monday episodes for the remainder of the year -- a presidential election year in the United States. There is unlikely to be a shortage of comedic fodder for Stewart's biting satirical wit. His remarkable intelligence, coupled with his compassion and reasonable outlook on humanity and politics is compelling, engaging and highly entertaining. Additionally, Stewart isn’t just an armchair political critic. He is willing to engage in important political and social issues. In 2019, the longtime New York resident worked tirelessly to ensure 9/11 first responders were provided with funding for health care.

Stewart appearing in the U.S. Congress with 9/11 first responders.

If you  are wondering why I am prattling  on about a political comedian in a post about Bruce Springsteen's sixth studio record, Nebraska, it’s because  Stewart was asked to speak at the 2009 Kennedy Center Honors Award show when Springsteen was among the recipients.

Kennedy Award recipients, flanked by Michelle and Barack
Obama were - (l-r) Mel Brooks, Dave Brubeck, Grace Bumbry
Robert Di Nero and Springsteen.

Stewart's speech about Springsteen is one that my friends and I have watched many times. In typical Stewart fashion, his prose was brilliant, punctuated by insightful commentary and delightful wit. It is well worth the effort to watch the entire piece. There are a few lines that perfectly capture the spirit of Springsteen and his impact on contemporary music listeners. Listen to Stewart as he encapsulate the way I feel about music and about Springsteen's powerful impact:

"I didn't understand his (Springsteen's) music for a long time. Until I began to yearn. Until I began to question the things I was making and doing in my own life. Until I realized it wasn't just about the joyful parade on stage and the theatrics. It was about stories of lives that could be changed...When you listen to Bruce’s music, you aren’t a loser. You are a character in an epic poem...about losers. But that is not the power of Bruce Springsteen. It is that whenever I see Bruce Springsteen do anything, he empties the tank – every time...And we, on the receiving end of that beautiful gift, are ourselves rejuvenated, if not redeemed."

Stewart’s remarks galvanize the spirit and energy of Nebraska  – the fourth of eight records by Springsteen on the 2012 edition of The 500. Nebraska deals with ordinary, down on their luck, blue collar characters who are facing a challenge or turning point in their lives. The songs are often bleak in theme and some deal with criminal activities. The tone is set immediately with the opening track, Nebraska, which is based on 19-year-old spree killer Charles Starkweather who, during the winter of 1957 and 1958, murdered eleven people. When he was arrested, he was accompanied by his 14-year-old girlfriend and accomplice Caril Ann Fugate. Their story was, in part, inspiration for the films Badlands, Natural Born Killers and Kalifornia. In fact, it was Badlands that inspired Springsteen to research the murderous pair and write the song.

Starkweather's arrest photos.

Springsteen recorded most of the record at his home studio in Colt's Neck, New Jersey, in a house he was renting following a successful tour promoting his 1980 record, The River. (#253 on The 500). Initially, he planned to be accompanied by his backing group, The E Street Band. However, it was decided to release the record in its original, stripped-down, acoustic form. The band did tinker with the tracks and Springsteen fans have long speculated whether those recordings, often dubbed Electric Nebraska, will ever be released. A few can be found on the internet, but a polished, official release seems unlikely.

A fan-made mock up of the Electric Nebraska album cover.

I'm content to stick with the original. Much like The Daily Show, I like the classic content best. Re-listening to Nebraska in preparation for this post, reminded me why I like Springsteen so much. He helps me understand my own yearning and reinforces the fact that just hearing his songs puts me on the "receiving end of that beautiful gift...and I am rejuvenated...and redeemed."