Ranking Bruce Springsteen's studio albums

Released simultaneously with Human Touch (more on that in a bit), Lucky Town has a couple of memorable numbers like "Better Days" and the underrated "If I Should Fall Behind," which became a live staple on the massively successful 1999–2000 Reunion Tour. That said, the overall collection of songs, which Springsteen penned in addition to a couple of pieces that weren't considered for Human Touch, which was in the works since the dawn of the '90s, don't deliver much punch. They're not usually played live. Though the album received solid reviews and peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 in the United States, the record can best be described as "meh."

Bruce's most recent studio release is the second to feature a track list of covers. With Only the Strong Survive, Springsteen showcases his fancy for soul and R&B tunes. Highlights include Tyrone Davis' "Turn Back the Hands of Time," "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted," originally recorded by Jimmy Ruffin, and the classic "Someday We'll Be Together," which was a hit for Diana Ross and the Supremes. However, The Boss's take on Commodores' favorite "Nightshift" steals the show. 

This essentially qualifies as a cover album. The Seeger Sessions was Springsteen's first record of all non-original material. The Boss was heavily influenced by folk music and particularly by activist-artist of the genre Pete Seeger. These songs, written by various artists, were performed by Seeger over the years. Highlights include "Jesse James," "Jacob's Ladder," and the renowned "We Shall Overcome." While the project won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album and generally received critical praise, fans of Springsteen's rock work might be bored.

The first of Springsteen's acoustic records that we'll mention. It's not the best of that batch of albums, but Devils & Dust debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Then again, it's Springsteen, and in the early 2000s, anything he put out was going to sell. A good number of the songs on the album, like "All the Way Home" and "Long Time Comin'," were written long before this project was released. The record generally received positive reviews and is a good place for casual Springsteen fans to go if they want to see a different, stripped-down side of The Boss.

A mix of covers, rarities, recycled tracks, and even some outtakes. High Hopes is made for those Springsteen fans who like the deeper cuts like the underappreciated "Down in the Hole") but also some familiar tracks like "American Skin (41 Shots)" and "The Ghost of Tom Joad." The record topped the Billboard 200 but received mixed reviews from critics, with some even questioning whether the project was worth releasing. While the E Street Band contributed to the album, it's also known for featuring Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, who toured with the group.

One of Springsteen's most recent releases, Western Stars is quite ambitious. At least from a songwriting standpoint. With a focus on that aspect of his craft and in-depth character development, Western Stars proved that Springsteen can still deliver the goods as the years continue to mount. An ode to the Southern California sound of the1970s, dominated by a bevy of singer-songwriters offering colorful, breezy lyrics and composition, Western Stars reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200. Highlights include "There Goes My Miracle" and "Hello Sunshine."

It's worth a listen any time Springsteen decides to go unplugged. The Ghost of Tom Joad is his second acoustic project. Inspired by the character from John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, the album is not necessarily a concept album. Still, it offers plenty of Springsteen insight on depression-era trials while also paying homage to his folk influence — notably Woody Guthrie. In addition to the popular title cut, the record, which won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album, features the severely underrated "Youngstown."

As noted, Human Touch was released on the same day as Lucky Town. Judging by its place on this list, it's the better of the two albums. A record about isolation and longing, Human Touch is far from a perfect record, but by the early 1990s, Springsteen was becoming more in tune with his inner self while leaving the E Street Band in the review mirror. Personal music, as evidenced by the title cut, was now a consistent presence for Springsteen, who was not in that full-blown, rock-and-roll party mood. Bassist Randy Jackson, of American Idol fame, and late Toto drummer Jeff Porcaro appeared on the record.

Working On A Dream, sadly, was the last album with the E Street Band to feature original contributions from organist Danny Federici, who passed away from melanoma. The album was dedicated to Federici, becoming Springsteen's ninth to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Produced by Brendan O'Brien, Working On A Dream is kind of all over the place. 

Opening number "Outlaw Pete" clocks in at eight minutes, while a song like "Tomorrow Never Knows" is a shade over two minutes. The almost-dreamy title cut has an old-school Bruce vibe, just more polished, but worthy of winning the Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Solo. "The Wrestler," a bonus track on the album, was written for the 2008 film of the same name starring Mickey Rourke.

Released toward the end of 2020, Letter To You was Springsteen's first studio album to feature the E Street Band since High Hopes. It was good to have the band back together. The album features a rather interesting collection of tunes, including some written in the early-to-mid 1970s, like "Janey Needs a Shooter" and "Song for Orphans." However, tunes such as "Ghosts" and "I'll See You in My Dreams" make the record special.  All while detailing life, death, and overall mortality, which folks like Bruce, who have passed middle age, will ponder regularly.

The American story, Americana, good or bad, has been the backbone of Springsteen's musical approach. While the sound, structure, and production of his music have evolved through the years, Springsteen has generally kept the heart of Americans (at least in his view) as a general starting point. Wrecking Ball is reminiscent of some of Bruce's earlier work. Tracks like the stellar "Jack of All Trades," "Land of Hope and Dreams," "American Land," and the title cut were written several years earlier, and some played live before the album's recording. In addition, the pulsating "We Take Care of Our Own" and "Death to My Hometown" reinforce the overall strength of the project.

This is where it all began for The Boss. Longtime E Streeters Clarence Clemons (saxophone) and Garry Tallent (bass) played on the album before Springsteen's legendary band was officially formed. Undeniably, there's promise with Bruce's debut, but it was also somewhat obvious that he tried to be a second coming of Bob Dylan but much harder, jazzier, and bluesier. "Blinded by the Light" and "For You" tend to be more associated with Manfred Mann's versions, but "Spirit of the Night" and "Mary Queen of Arkansas" offer signs of what was coming down the road from Springsteen. However, "Growin' Up" should be considered the album's highlight and proof the boy from New Jersey was willing to shoot for the stars until those rock-and-roll dreams came true.

Released 10 months after Springsteen's Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. debut. Like that first record, the seven-song The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle was mainly well-received by critics but lacked a breakthrough commercial hit. However, "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" became one of Springsteen's most beloved classics and a regular highlight of his live sets. As the 1970s went on and Springsteen found commercial success and became one of the biggest rock stars on the planet, this album — along with the first one — garnered more attention from fans looking for the complete Bruce listening experience. It has gone two-times platinum. 

After making Devils & Dust and We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions without the E Street Band, Springsteen's legendary backing band was again in the mix for Magic, which topped the Billboard 200. And the sound result was quite welcoming. Bruce was back to his rock roots but still mired in post-9/11 thinking. Perhaps the American dream was slipping away — innocence lost, and simple joys, like listening to music on the radio ("Radio Nowhere"), shouldn't be taken for granted. However, there's some pop flair ("Girls in Their Summer Clothes") amid the disenchantment, making this an intriguing record that should be held in regard amid the same conversation as Springsteen's more celebrated, iconic albums.

Three years after the release of perhaps Springsteen's most recognizable album, he delivered a more toned-down record. Though one of The Boss's most underappreciated efforts, Tunnel of Love won a Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Solo. Yet, this album is almost forgotten within the confines of Springsteen's catalog. It's a shame because, even though Bruce sounds jaded and worn, it's some of his most compelling songwriting. "Brilliant Disguise" is a beautifully haunting track, while "Tougher Than the Rest" and "One Step Up" are two of Springsteen's strongest deeper cuts.

Bruce Springsteen is an icon, but this remains his most iconic moment. From the seven top-10 singles to the 17-times platinum distinction to the memorable cover art, Born in the U.S.A. is an unforgettable piece of work — even if a good chunk of music fans still don't get this is not a flag-waving, patriotic record. The poppy, MTV-friendly "Dancing in the Dark" sold The Boss to the mainstream masses, while deeper cuts like "No Surrender," "Working on the Highway," and "Bobby Jean" harken back to those rugged early Springsteen years.

Jarred and inspired amid the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, Springsteen delivered one of the most emotional and important records of his career. It was his first studio album since The Ghost of Tom Joad, back with the E Street Band, and featured Brendan O'Brien on his maiden production voyage with The Boss. The stellar title cut has become an anthem of resilience in this post-9/11 world, while "Lonesome Day" and "You're Missing" continue to be impactful in the years since. "Waitin' on a Sunny Day" and "My City on Ruins" were written pre-9/11 but fit well on an album that was Springsteen's first to top the Billboard 200 since Tunnel of Love.

Before the mainstream bombast of Born in the U.S.A., there's the stripped-down brilliance of Nebraska. Recorded in demo form on a 4-track, it's a down-to-Earth, everyman's type of record ("Highway Patrolman") but also gritty and dark (the title cut, "Johnny 99," "Atlantic City"). It was Springsteen in raw form, a departure from his first five records that valued rock, but nothing that seemed too extraordinary considering how he was growing as a songwriter. While not a true commercial success compared to his others from the '70s and '80s, plenty of critics and fans consider Nebraska to be Springsteen at his best.

The only double album in Springsteen's expansive catalog, The River solidified Springsteen as one of the great songwriting storytellers. Classics like "Independence Day" and "The Ties That Bind" were castoffs from his previous album (more on that shortly) but fit in well on an album that was written during a recession, where emotional and financial good times were few and far between. The album is a journey, often rollicking ("Hungry Heart, "Out in the Streets," "Crush on You") but straight-up depressing ("Fade Away," "Wreck on the Highway") as it moves forward. Co-produced by E Street stalwart Steve Van Zandt, The River went five-times platinum and is regarded as one of the best double albums.

By the late 1970s, Springsteen had made a name for himself as a rock force to be reckoned with. However, Darkness On The Edge Of Town proved The Boss had staying power. The album showed Springsteen's maturity as a writer and composer and that he really should be taken seriously as a prominent rock voice. "Badlands" is one of the best album openers of all time and a live favorite along with "The Promised Land. The breakneck "Candy's Room" is legendary E Street drummer Max Weinberg at his best, while "Prove It All Night" and the title cut provide an exceptional 1-2 closing punch. Darkness went three-times platinum in the U.S. 

Two records into his career, it was a make-or-break moment for Bruce. His first two albums, while showing raw promise, were not completely critically successful and failed to produce a significant radio hit. Springsteen needed to make the record of his life and delivered. Born to Run saved his career and propelled The Boss to superstardom.

 Sure, it’s cheesy sometimes, but the album is an eight-song joy ride filled with unbridled musical passion. Complete with emotion and power, from the opening piano/harmonica combo of “Thunder Road” to the final bars of the epic "Jungleland" (highlighted by Roy Bittan's memorable piano intro). The title cut is one of rock’s most iconic songs. At the same time, the rollicking "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" is essentially a three-plus-minute mini E Street autobiography. Since its release, Born to Run has gone seven-times platinum.