History YMMV / BruceSpringsteen

** It also should be noted that many songs by him are definitely more popular in Europe than in America; notable examples are "Tougher Than the Rest" and "Waitin' on a Sunny Day", which weren't even released as singles in America and aren't among his most beloved tracks there, while in Europe they are among his most popular songs and were successful singles. ZigZagged with "The River": it wasn't released as a single in the America as well, but was a hit in Europe; that said, it's widely recognized as an absolute classic and one of his best songs.

** "Born In The USA" is ''not'' a patriotic song. It is supposed to be a criticism of how Vietnam veterans were treated. This misconception has often been carried over to newcomers who think Bruce is an overly patriotic all-American figure, to the frustration of fans and the artist himself. Because of how prevalent the misunderstanding is, Springsteen now plays the song as a somber acoustic number instead of its bombastic studio arrangement.

** Bruce's most iconic and critically acclaimed work has mainly been in the 70's and 80's, with ''Music/BornToRun'' and ''Music/BornInTheUSA'' being the two most famous albums. While he has continued making successful albums, none have had quite the critical acclaim or cultural impact as his work in those decades. It's not hard to find fans who feel that ''Music/BornInTheUSA'' or ''Tunnel Of Love'' is Bruce's last great album.

** "BornInTheUSA" is ''not'' a patriotic song. It is supposed to be a criticism of how Vietnam veterans were treated. This misconception has often been carried over to newcomers who think Bruce is an overly patriotic all-American figure, to the frustration of fans and the artist himself. Because of how prevalent the misunderstanding is, Springsteen now plays the song as a somber acoustic number instead of its bombastic studio arrangement.

** With Music/{{U2}} fans, one of the few PostPunk bands to have a consistent connection. The artists have been friends and admirers since the early 80s and have influenced one another. Notably, Bono inducted Bruce into UsefulNotes/RockAndRollHallOfFame in 1999, while Bruce returned the favor for U2 in 2005.

** With Music/{{U2}} fans, one of the few PostPunk bands to have a consistent connection. The artists have been friends since the early 80s and influences upon one another. Notably, Bono inducted Bruce into UsefulNotes/RockAndRollHallOfFame in 1999, while Bruce returned the favor for U2 in 2005.

** With Music/GaslightAnthem fans, as Bruce is a major acknowledged influence on the band and especially the frontman Brian Fallon. This also extends to a whole generation of punk and indie bands/artists, as Bruce is a major influence on many later bands and artists: ranging from Music/ArcadeFire, Music/TheMenzingers, Music/TheWarOnDrugs, Music/TheNational, Music/TheHoldSteady, Music/TitusAndronicus and so on. As such, it's not surprising that fans of Bruce would gravitate towards these other bands.

* SignatureSong: "Born to Run", "Born in the USA" and "Dancing in the Dark" overall. By album:
** ''Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.'': "Blinded by the Light" and "Spirit in the Night" initially, but now it's easily "Growin' Up" thanks to its massive concert popularity and autobiographical themes.
** ''The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle'': "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)". Then, "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)" is the second-best known song here.
*** While they are not really signatures, there are notable examples of EpicRocking: "Kitty's Back", also known in live performances for being an energetic showcase of the talents of the E Street Band (and its 7 min length gets extended to 12 more often than not), and "New York City Serenade", with its reputation as Springsteen's longest studio composition in his catalogue (9:56). Also "Incident on 57th Street" is an example of the trope itself, being almost 8 minutes long.
** ''Born to Run'': the TitleTrack especially, and "Thunder Road", are probably Springsteen's first truly defining songs ever, and are widely considered not only as his absolute best songs, but also as masterpieces in rock music history. "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" is also well-known in live performances for introducing the E Street Band to the audience. "Jungleland" and "Backstreets" are also reasonably well-known and considered among Springsteen's best songs, and are examples of EpicRocking, especially the former which clocks at 9:35 (and is also considered by Springsteen as one of his absolute best songs).
** ''Darkness on the Edge of Town'': "Badlands". "The Promised Land", the TitleTrack and "Prove It All Night have become extremely popular through live performances, with the latter song known for its extended guitar solo intro. There is also "Racing In The Street", which Bruce considers one of his absolute best songs and is very appreciated and a fan-favorite.
** ''The River'': "Hungry Heart" and the title track. "Out in the Street" is also notable, especially for its massive live popularity.
** ''Nebraska'': "Atlantic City". The TitleTrack is also well-received, and Bruce seems to consider it one of his best songs.
*** Not a true signature, but "My Father's House" has gained notable live popularity thanks to its appearance on the Broadway setlist and autobiographical themes. "Johnny 99" is the song on the album he played live more often, though.
** ''Born in the USA'': the TitleTrack, "Dancing in the Dark", "Glory Days" and "I'm on Fire". "My Hometown" is also well-known.
*** To be fair, on that album even the songs that weren't released as singles are classics in their own way; among them, especially "No Surrender" is a firm favorite.
** ''Tunnel of Love'': "Brilliant Disguise" and "Tougher Than The Rest". Arguably, the former is better-known in America, while the latter is more popular in Europe, since it wasn't released as a single in the US but was a hit in several European countries. The TitleTrack and "One Step Up" were massive hits when released, and are well-known but not considered as timeless classics.

** ''Lucky Town'': "Better Days", although "If I Should Fall Behind" is by far the most popular live track from the ''Lucky Town'' and ''Human Touch'' sessions.
** The ''Greatest Hits'' new tracks: "Streets of Philadelphia", although also "Secret Garden" is well-remembered.

** ''The Rising'': the TitleTrack and "Waitin' on a Sunny Day" are the main contenders. It's an example similar to the "Tunnel of Love" album, since "The Rising" is more popular in America and is generally regarded as the best song on the album, while "Sunny Day" is more popular in Europe thanks to its hit status in European countries, and he often lets kids sing it live with him. "Lonesome Day" and "My City of Ruins" are also important tracks, and the latter was also a defining track since it started out as a tribute to Springsteen's adopted hometown of Asbury Park before taking on renewed significance after the 9/11 attacks.
** ''Devils & Dust'': the TitleTrack, although it has no tracks that are really outstanding in popularity. Another reasonably well-known song is "Long Time Comin'", which he also sang on Broadway.
** ''Magic'': "Radio Nowhere" going by popularity, although also "Girls in Their Summer Clothes" and "Long Walk Home" are fairly well-known. Springsteen arguably seems to consider "Long Walk Home" the most defining song here, and he also sang it on Broadway (even though it didn't appear on the album release).
** ''Working on a Dream'': the TitleTrack. Also the bonus track "The Wrestler", originally from the eponymous film soundtrack, is fairly well-known.
*** While far from being a signature, "Queen Of The Supermarket" is a defining song for more infamous reasons.
** ''The Promise'': "Because the Night" and "Fire", which also count for his ''Live 1975-85'' box set (in that case, there's also his CoveredUp version of "Jersey Girl" by Music/TomWaits).
** ''High Hopes'': "American Skin (41 Shots)" or his CoveredUp versions of "High Hopes" and "Dream Baby Dream".
** ''Wrecking Ball'': "We Take Care of Our Own", although the title track and "Land of Hope and Dreams" aren't far behind; the latter is particularly popular in concerts, and also counts as the signature for his ''Live in New York City'' album.
** ''Western Stars'': "Hello Sunshine". Also "There Goes My Miracle", "Tucson Train" and the TitleTrack are well-known and appreciated.
** ''Letter to You'': the title track and "Ghosts". Bruce seems to consider "I'll See You in My Dreams" as a particularly important song, since it's the only one he sang on Broadway. Also very well-liked, especially in Europe, is the promo single "The Power of Prayer".

* NeverLiveItDown:
** Bruce was appalled that UsefulNotes/RonaldReagan picked up "Born in the U.S.A." as his 1984 re-election anthem, hijacking what was supposed to be a ProtestSong decrying the plight of working class Americans in general--and Vietnam veterans particularly--and re-purposing it as an unironically patriotic ballad.
** Bruce's overall image in the "Born in the U.S.A." era has, for better or worse, been his most famous. During this time, he played up a more masculine image, while utilizing American flag imagery which led to him being known as "The Rambo of Rock". It also coincided with Bruce's rise to superstardom alongside artists like Music/MichaelJackson, Music/{{Madonna}}, and Music/{{Prince}}. When someone thinks Bruce Springsteen, chances are that they're thinking of Bruce during this era. However, Springsteen himself felt that his image during the time did not really represent him.
** Even before this, Bruce had to grapple with a legacy of hype, stemming from Jon Landau's famous quote about being "Rock N' Roll Future."[[note]]Often misquoted as "The Future of Rock N' Roll"[[/note]] People either loved his music or believed that he was overrated.
** To those less familiar with Bruce, it might seem like all he writes about is cars and girls. Exemplified in the Music/PrefabSprout song "Cars and Girls".

* FaceOfTheBand: Springsteen grappled with this throughout his career in regards to the E Street Band. Although he wanted the creative control and freedom of a solo artist with his name at the top of albums, he also valued his collaboration with the E Street Band and wanted them to be recognized rather than anonymous. As far as the E Street Band itself, Clarence Clemons is often seen as the most famous member; introduced last, to the loudest applause, with a strong dynamic with Bruce as onstage foil. He and Bruce are also on the cover of ''Music/BornToRun'', which remains one of the most iconic covers in rock music history due to its symbolism of brotherhood within the E Street Band.

* FandomRivalry: Some with Music/BonJovi fans as New Jersey's other biggest rock artist and band. The two are friends, with Bruce being a big influence on the younger artist so this has overlapped with FriendlyFandoms as well.

** A number of Springsteen's songs use language like "Little girl" and "daddy", some of which are conventions of the time to refer to significant others. Today, these terms might seen as either sexist or condescending. Hearing them together in a song like "I'm On Fire" is likely to make the viewer wince due to the unfortunate implications. This has not gone unnoticed by various comedians.

** A number of Springsteen's songs use language like "Little girl" and "daddy", some of which are conventions of the time to refer to significant others. Hearing them together in a song like "I'm On Fire" is likely to make the viewer wince due to the unfortunate implications. This has not gone unnoticed by various comedians.

* ValuesDissonance: Very minor compared to other examples from the time, but in older songs he commonly used the term "Gypsy" to refer to either drifters ("Song for the Orphans") or fortune tellers ("Brilliant Disguise", "My Lover Man"). Today, the term is widely considered a slur against Romani people. Similarly, the line "They're breakin' beams and crosses/With a spastic's reelin' perfection" in "Lost in the Flood" might make a modern audience cringe as the term is seen as ableist. (He notably changed the line to "Making the midnight connection" in some concert performances).

** "Quarter To Three" was originally recorded by Gary U.S. Bonds, but it became more well-known as a closer to many of Springsteen's concerts.

** Are the characters in "Glory Days" happily reminiscing about their high school days, or are they lamenting about how their lives have amounted to nothing since graduation, and thus the happy memories of their high school achievements are all they have?