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Bruce Springsteen will turn 70 in 70 days — on Sept. 23 — and in honor of that, NJArts.net has created a special project: A list of his Top 70 songs, restricted to songs recorded and released after his 40th birthday (Sept. 23, 1989).
I will be revealing the songs, one per day, between now and then, starting at the bottom of the list. The No. 1 song will be posted on his birthday. Each song will have its own post, and I will add the links here as they are revealed.
I know, I know: There are already too many Springsteen lists in the world. But I thought this one would be different, and worth doing, because it could shed light on some gems Springsteen has created over the last three decades that have not received much attention or, in some cases, have been almost totally forgotten.
I am not making the argument that Springsteen’s recordings, post-1989, are better than the ones he made when he was younger. Few, if any, Springsteen fans would. Born to Run and Darkness on the Edge of Townremain my favorite Springsteen albums. I’m not going to argue that The Rising is better than The River, or anything like that.
But Springsteen has remained prolific and musically adventurous since turning 40, and it’s very possible that he has written more quality songs, between 40 and 70, than any other rock star or singer-songwriter. It seemed like a good time to acknowledge that, and to take a closer look at some of those songs.
Some ground rules: I decided not to include covers, so you won’t be seeing them here. I also excluded songs that were written and initially recorded before 1989 but not finished and/or released until after then. “This Hard Land” and “Murder Incorporated,” for instance — Born in the USA outtakes that were first released in 1995 — will not be on the list for that reason.
That leaves about 150 eligible songs, by the way.
So here we go, starting with No. 70 and working our way up. I invite you to continue checking out this post, between now and Sept. 23, as new songs will be added daily. And feel free to write about which post-1989 songs are your favorites, and why, in the comments section below,
49: “Shackled and Drawn,” from Wrecking Ball
50: “57 Channels (And Nothin’ On),” Human Touch
51: “I’ll Work for Your Love,” from Magic
52: “Souls of the Departed,” from Lucky Town
53: “You’ve Got It,” from Wrecking Ball
54: “The New Timer,” from The Ghost of Tom Joad
55: “You’ll Be Comin’ Down” from Magic
56: “The Wayfarer,” from Western Stars
57: “Gloria’s Eyes,” from Human Touch
58: “The Long Goodbye,” from Human Touch
59: “Hey Blue Eyes,” from the American Beauty EP
60: “Worlds Apart,” from The Rising
61: “Leavin’ Train,” from Tracks
62: “Life Itself,” from Working on a Dream
63: “Paradise,” from The Rising
64: “Good Eye,” from Working on a Dream
65: “Your Own Worst Enemy,” from Magic
66: “Tomorrow Never Knows,” from Working on a Dream
67: “Cross My Heart,” from Human Touch
68: “Heaven’s Wall,” from High Hopes
69: “I’ll Stand by You,” from the “Blinded by the Light” soundtrack
70: “Drive Fast (The Stuntman),” from Western Stars
Enjoy!
