Line #34 YMMV/BruceSpringsteen


1	* AccidentalInnuendo: The chorus of "For You", assuming it's not an intentional DoubleEntendre:
2	-->''For you, for you, I came for you\
3	[[SpeedSex But you did not need my urgency]]\
4	For you, for you, darling I came for you\
5	But your life was one long emergency\
6	And your cloud line urges me\
7	And my electric surge is free''
8	* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation:
9	** Are the characters in "Glory Days" happily reminiscing about their high school days, or are they lamenting about how [[JadedWashout their lives have amounted to nothing since graduation]], and thus the happy memories of their high school achievements are all they have?
10	** Is the narrator of "Reason To Believe" praising the people who have found hope in dire circumstances, or commenting on how people desperately delude themselves in those circumstances? To this day, whether "Reason To Believe" is an optimistic or pessimistic song varies depending the listener.
11	* AmericansHateTingle:
12	** While ''Music/BornToRun'' broke him through in most of the world, the British Isles took a while to warm up to him. He didn't score a Top 10 album in the UK or Ireland until ''Music/{{The River\|1980}}''. He's been a consistent favorite in the UK since then, but the Irish still weren't quite sold on him, with none of his albums in TheNineties even charting there. ''Music/TheRising'' finally kickstarted his popularity in Ireland.
13	** Unlike a number of his peers, Bruce didn't significantly break into Japan and other Asian countries, touring in Asia only a few times. Some of the reasons were that his English lyrics didn't really connect with audiences who connected more with crowd-pleasing songs. A lot of American cultural significance and context for his lyrics didn't translate as well. Ultimately, the last time he toured in Japan was in the TheNineties for ''Music/TheGhostOfTomJoad''.
14	* ArchivePanic: In addition to 21 studio albums, Bruce has accumulated a backlog of material including live albums, unique live performances (with long monologues and rearrangements), songs written for films, outtakes, songs covered by other artists, songs Bruce and the band have covered, greatest hits, and more. This was exacerbated by Bruce's own working habits: during the making of multiple albums, he would often end up recording over fifty songs while leaving off many that didn't fit his thematic focus. During the making of the compilation album ''Tracks'' in 1998, Springsteen discovered that he had over '''350''' unreleased songs. Various songs have turned up on later boxsets (''The Promise'' and ''The Ties That Bind''), showing the potential alternate albums.
15	* AudienceAlienatingEra: After the major success of ''Music/BornInTheUSA'', the gradually winding down of ''Tunnel Of Love'', and the disbanding of the E Street Band, the paired albums of ''Human Touch'' and ''Lucky Town'' are often seen as Bruce's commercial and critical low point. He made reference to this period in his UsefulNotes/RockAndRollHallOfFame induction speech, stating that "I tried writing happy songs in the early '90s. It didn't work. The public didn't like it."
16	* AwardSnub: Although Bruce has won his fair share of Grammys, he has only won one of the "Big Four" major awards (Album, Record, Song, and New Artist): Song of the Year with "Streets Of Philadelphia". Notably, he lost Album Of The Year to Lionel Ritchie's ''Can't Slow Down'' in 1985 and Norah Jones' ''Come Away With Me'' in 2003.
17	* BrokenBase:
18	** A good example is "Waitin' On A Sunny Day", from ''The Rising''. It has become one of his most popular songs of his last 20 years in concerts, and while it wasn't released as a single in the US, it was a hit in several European countries. It is also one of Springsteen's most streamed songs on Spotify, and on iTunes in the UK ([[https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/bruce-springsteens-official-top-20-most-streamed-songs-in-the-uk__27003/ it's in the top 20]]), and the official video is one of Springsteen's most popular Vevo videos. Still, while many fans like it, other ones think the song is, if not outright hideous, too optimistic and frivolous, and critics often don't consider the song as one of Springsteen's essentials, despite its popularity. In fact, surprisingly enough, it didn't even appear in 2003 on ''The Essential Bruce Springsteen'', neither on the edited version of the compilation; instead, besides the US hits "The Rising" and "Lonesome Day", the other track from ''The Rising'' that appeared on the 2003 edition was "Mary's Place", an album track which is ''by far'' less popular than "Waitin' On A Sunny Day".
19	*** Another part of "Waitin' On A Sunny Day"'s divided popularity is Springsteen's habit of getting a kid in the audience onstage to sing the chorus acapella in live shows. Some see it as a sweet gesture that unites the whole stadium in support of the young fan, others see it as ruining the flow of the song, or worse as an opportunity for pushy parents to embarrass their children.
20	** Which era of Springsteen is the best? Some fans enjoy the first two albums for how loose and creative they are, while others dismiss them as being too heavily indebted to Music/BobDylan and Music/VanMorrison. ''Nebraska'' and the acoustic albums are a common entry point for people who are otherwise turned off by Bruce's more bombastic work. There's also debate on the different musicians of the E Street Band past and present. Some preferring David Sancious, Ernest "Boom" Carter", and Vini Lopez for guiding the sound in a more jazzy style to Roy Bittan and Max Weinberg's more straightforward rock approach.
21	* CoveredUp:
22	** Springsteen didn't write "Jersey Girl", Music/TomWaits did on his album ''Music/HeartattackAndVine''.
23	** "Blinded By The Light", which became the signature song of Manfred Mann's Earth Band, is actually a cover of the "first" Springsteen song, as it opens his debut album.
24	** An odd case with "Because the Night". He wrote it, then gave it to Music/PattiSmith, who rewrote some of the verses and released it as a hit single on her album ''Music/{{Easter}}''. He later released his version (which means his is ''technically'' the cover[[note]]strictly speaking, the cover is the version ''released'' later, even if it's by the original composer[[/note]]), and they are credited as cowriters. (To make things even ''more'' confusing, Springsteen and Smith often sing each other's version of the lyrics, or a blend of the two, for fun. This is what happens when two great singer-songwriters are good friends.)
25	** "The Ghost of Tom Joad" was probably better known in the rather different Music/RageAgainstTheMachine version for a long time... and then things went full circle on ''High Hopes'', where Morello joined Springsteen for a new version that sounds somewhere between the two and got significant airplay.
26	** "Pink Cadillac" is not a Natalie Cole-written song, though she did pretty much make it her own, and she had a hit with it.
27	** The Pointer Sisters' version of "Fire" is probably the most well-known.
28	** "Quarter To Three" was a #1 hit for Gary U.S. Bonds, but it's now frequently associated with Springsteen, from his use of it as a concert closer.
29	** "Dream Baby Dream" is probably better known for Springsteen's version than Music/{{Suicide\|Band}}'s version.
30	** "Trapped" was originally written and recorded by reggae artist Jimmy Cliff. But it became a strong staple in Bruce's own setlists from The80s onwards.
31	* [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic Crowning Music of Awesome]]: His section is [[AwesomeMusic/{{Rock}} here]].
32	* CreatorWorship: Bruce himself. Often recognized as one of the hardest working artists, with some of the best and most energetic live performances in music history. There's a reason people call him "The Boss" after all. Even those who don't necessarily like his music recognize him as an upstanding and generally nice person.
33	* CultClassic:
34	** ''Nebraska'' is a common candidate for the title. No E Street Band, with stripped down instrumentation and darker lyrics. Bruce even chose not to tour in support of this album. It's frequently the one album singled out for people who ordinarily don't like Bruce's music.
35	** An increasing number of fans have shown appreciation towards ''Lucky Town'' for its more guitar driven sound, seeing it as a good album that had the misfortune of being paired with the much more divisive ''Human Touch''.
36	* EnsembleDarkHorse: [[TheBigGuy The Big Man]], Clarence Clemons. Always introduced last, to the loudest applause. You could usually hear, on live recordings, a swell in the crowd noise when he got a solo. Also TheStoic and usually TheVoiceless, although he could and sometimes did sing.
37	** Steve Van Zandt could claim this now, but for very [[Series/TheSopranos unmusical]] [[Series/{{Lilyhammer}} reasons]].
38	** Clemons sometimes toured on his own with a band called "The Big Man's Temple of Soul". And his shows were every bit as intense as Bruce's.
39	** Album variant: ''Magic,'' which had only two singles (neither of them major hits, except that "Radio Nowhere" peaked at #2 on the Triple A chart, on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart and in Norway) and was (allegedly) denied radio airplay by major radio stations, still managed to become his fastest-selling album of the decade thanks to its fan-favorite tracks like "Radio Nowhere", "Girls in Their Summer Clothes" and "Long Walk Home."
40	** David Sancious and Roy Bittan, keyboardists for the E Street Band. Both have been recognized as ''the'' most talented musicians in the band at various points, playing big parts in shaping the sound of the band. Sancious set in place some of the foundations of the E Street Sound on the first two albums, which Bittan proceeded to build upon.
41	* EpicRiff:
42	** "Music/BornToRun"
43	** "Thunder Road" (Harmonica)
44	** "Backstreets" (Piano)
45	** Jungleland (Piano/Violin)
46	** "Born in the U.S.A." (Synthesizer/Piano)
47	** The new version of "Land of Hope and Dreams" highlights a killer banjo / acoustic guitar riff.
48	** "Last to Die" (guitar; violin/keyboard live)
49	** "Radio Nowhere" (guitar)
50	** "Dancing in the Dark" (synthesizer/guitar)
51	** "Hungry Heart" (piano)
52	** "Badlands" (organ)
53	* FandomEnragingMisconception:
54	** "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. This reached its peak when Ronald Reagan used it as a campaign song, which Bruce (a liberal Democrat) was ''not'' happy about in the slightest.
55	** Many detractors have pointed out the irony of Bruce singing songs about the working-class as an increasingly wealthy rock star. Except Bruce himself has repeatedly acknowledged that he's a storyteller and not someone who has necessarily lived out the songs.
56	* FandomRivalry:
57	** 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.
58	** In the mid-80s as Bruce was ascending to superstardom, it brought him into competition with the other big stars of the decade like Music/MichaelJackson, Music/{{Madonna}}, and Music/{{Prince}}. Fans found themselves debating questions like "Which artist sold more records, who had the most Top 10 singles". Notably, Bruce's only chance at a Number 1 Hit with "Dancing In the Dark" was thwarted by Prince's own biggest hit "When Doves Cry".
59	* [[FirstInstallmentWins First Big Hit Wins]]: "Born to Run" is one of his most popular songs overall, often considered as his absolute SignatureSong and it is also one of his earliest and ''the first one to ever chart''.
60	* FriendlyFandoms:
61	** With Music/TomPetty fans, as the two artists are among the biggest in the Heartland Rock genre and also had a pretty similar career path. This also extends to other big names in the genre like Music/JohnMellencamp and Music/BobSeger, though there is some FandomRivalry due to comparisons.
62	** With Music/BillyJoel fans, as both artists are relatively close regionally (Bruce Springsteen in New Jersey, Billy Joel in Long Island) and are staples for their respective home regions. Despite their different subgenres of rock, they are both very appreciated artists.
63	** With Music/TheGaslightAnthem 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.
64	** With Music/{{U2}} fans, one of the few PostPunk bands to have a consistent connection with Bruce. 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.
65	** With Music/JacksonBrowne fans; the two have been friends since the early 70s and Bruce would frequently open for Jackson or participate in events organized by Jackson. Bruce even inducted him into the UsefulNotes/RockAndRollHallOfFame.
66	** While not a full fandom overlap per se, fans of Springsteen's ''Nebraska'' tend to be fans of Music/{{Suicide\|Band}}, as the electropunk duo was a strong influence on the album.
67	* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: Despite (or maybe because of) his all-American image, his popularity in some parts of Europe is so immense he has claimed that ''two-thirds'' of his audience is on the continent. In particular, the Italian, Spanish and Swedish crowds are renowned for their enthusiasm.
68	** 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.
69	* HarsherInHindsight: 1973's "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)," often simply called "Sandy," gained a distinctly dark undertone when Hurricane Sandy completely trashed Asbury Park in 2012 (although that happened closer to Halloween than the 4th). Sensitive to this, Bruce pointedly did not play that song at the post-Hurricane Sandy benefit concert that December.
70	* HoYay: PlayedForLaughs with guitarist [[Series/TheSopranos Steve Van Zandt]].
71	** Seeing as "Bobby Jean" is about Steve leaving the band in the eighties, not ''just'' for laughs...
72	** He used to close "Thunder Road" by sliding across the stage, ending up [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything on his knees]] in front of Clarence Clemons, who would proceed to kiss him passionately.
73	** Clemons had a girlfriend who dumped him because she thought he was cheating on her with Bruce.
74	** The song "My Lover Man", which has Bruce singing about a man leaving his woman for him.
75	** The song Backstreets has it... [[GenderBlenderName possibly.]]
76	--->"Terry you swore we'd live forever/taking it on them backstreets together"
77	** He once (half-jokingly) attributed the relative lack of women in his early fanbase to "the homosexual undercurrents in my music."
78	* HypeBacklash: Often considered one of the greatest artists and songwriters with a correspondingly devoted fanbase, he has run into this. Non-fans may wonder what exactly makes him "The Boss". Springsteen himself tried to avoid this during his career, aware of the various labels he was receiving like "The New Dylan", "The Future Of Rock n' Roll", as well appearing on the cover of both Magazine/TimeMagazine and Magazine/{{Newsweek}}.
79	* IAmNotShazam: The protagonist of "Johnny 99" is named Ralph, not Johnny. The title refers to his [[DisproportionateRetribution 99-year prison sentence for trying to rob a nightclub]], which the song is about.
80	* ItsPopularNowItSucks:
81	** There's a contingent of hardcore fans who dismiss ''Born in the USA'' because it was too commercially successful.
82	** Bruce's initial hype from the mid-70s onwards contributed to this. It first started developing from Rock critic and later manager Jon Landau's famous article about seeing "Rock N' Roll Future"[[note]]Often misquoted as "The Future of Rock N' Roll"[[/note]]. The hype exploded with the release of the album ''Music/BornToRun''. Although it gave him a devoted fanbase, it also generated a segment of people who were frustrated with the hype.
83	* JustHereForGodzilla: While Bruce is undoubtedly an acclaimed artist, a large part of his fame comes from his reputation for having long and intense live performances that last up to three or four hours. It's not uncommon for people to praise his live shows while otherwise not having a strong interest in his music.
84	* LGBTFanbase: Thanks to his themes of hard-won love, as well as the aforementioned Ho Yay and history of supporting LGBTQ+ rights.
85	* MainstreamObscurity: Although Bruce is considered one of the most respected artists and songwriters, his actual popularity and wider exposure has often varied among the general public. Other than ''Music/BornInTheUSA'' (his most commercially successful album), it's common for people to be less aware of his other work. ''Magazine/RollingStone'' once described him as "America's biggest cult artist" due to his strong fanbase on the East Coast but less consistent appreciation elsewhere.
86	* MemeticBadass: Clarence. The story of how he joined the band: They were playing in a small club on a rather stormy night, he showed up and accidentally tore the door off its hinges and told Bruce "I want to play with your band."
87	** According to legend, Bruce's response was, "...uh, you can do WHATEVER YOU WANT, man..."
88	* MemeticMolester: "I'm On Fire".
89	* MemeticMutation:
90	** "Why are they booing?"[[note]]Bruuuuce[[/note]][[labelnote:explanation]] Bruce fans became well-known for their chanting of "Bruuuce" at performances, which to the untrained ear sounds like booing. This confusion has been the subject of jokes from other artists and even Bruce himself.[[/labelnote]]
91	** "Well, they blew up the Chicken Man in Philly last night..."[[labelnote:explanation]]The memorable opening line of "Atlantic City", referring to the RealLife 1981 murder of UsefulNotes/{{Philadelphia}} mob boss Philip Testa, whose nickname came from his front business of selling poultry, but the line sounds goofy out of context, and Bruce's earnest delivery of it is considered {{Narm}} by some listeners, so it's become a common jokey reference.[[/labelnote]]
92	* MisaimedFandom:
93	** How many times has "Born in the USA" been trotted out on Independence Day or otherwise associated with some form of patriotism? It's not only ''not'' a patriotic song, it's about the struggles of veterans who served in the Vietnam War, and how hard life was for them once they got back home due to the policies of the day. Bruce himself eventually got so sick of people missing the point of the song that he started playing a slower, acoustic version of it at concerts. That way, people would finally listen to the non-chorus lyrics and get the message.
94	*** "Born in the USA" got used in Republican campaigns quite a bit during the 80s. Needless to say (given his very openly left-leaning political views), The Boss was not impressed.
95	** Bruce's music is quite popular among blue collar conservatives in the US and treated as anthemic, despite Bruce being decidedly liberal and writing songs from a viewpoint that reflects this.
96	** "Born to Run" is considered one of New Jersey state's songs despite it being about, in Springsteen's own words, "about leaving Jersey". Notably, at the time, working-class [[CrapsackWorld Freehold,]] which he also somewhat bittersweetly skewers in My Hometown, and In Freehold.
97	** "Glory Days" is often used as an anthem for high school (and sometimes college) graduations and reunions. The whole point of the song is that it's pathetic to waste time reminiscing about your high school days when you've gone nowhere in life.
98	* MisattributedSong: The song "State Trooper" was influenced by Music/{{Suicide\|Band}}, especially their song "Frankie Teardrop", to the point where when Alan Vega first heard the song, he initially thought it was an old song that he had forgotten about.
99	* MorePopularSpinOff: Along with Bruce himself, several members of the E Street Band had played together in older bands with and without Bruce before Bruce assembled them together as "The E Street Band". Steel Mill most notably.
100	* {{Narm}}:
101	** From the song ''Film/TheWrestler'': "Have you ever seen a one-legged dog making its way down the street?" The line was so bizarre that Director Creator/DarrenAronofsky even asked Bruce why he picked the line.
102	** "Queen Of The Supermarket" was meant to be a dreamy song about a man with a crush on the checkout girl. For many listeners, it's often been voted as one of Springsteen's worst songs and seen as an over-the-top parody.
103	* NewbieBoom: As his two most famous albums, ''Music/BornToRun'' and ''Music/BornInTheUSA'' were both major gateways to new segments of fans of different generations. There's also the associated tours: Bruce's Hammersmith Odeon show promoting ''Music/BornToRun'' was his first overseas show and exposed him to a British audience including some major names.
104	* NightmareFuel: The last few lines of "Magic": ''On the road the sun is sinkin' low / Bodies hanging in the trees / This is what what will be / This is what will be...''
105	** From "Hey Blue Eyes," The line "in this house there's just the dust of bones, the basement's filled with lye." ''Very'' disturbing imagery.
106	** "State Trooper" is a pretty sinister song. Appropriate, given that it was inspired by Music/{{Suicide\|Band}}'s "Frankie Teardrop".
107	* RetroactiveRecognition: Creator/ConanOBrien's drummer used to be in a rock band?
108	** One of the most famous examples: Monica from ''Series/{{Friends}}'' danced with Bruce Springsteen?
109	* SequelDisplacement: As his breakthrough album, ''Music/BornToRun'' is arguably considered the real start of his career compared to his previous two albums which were commercial failures. It has many of his most familiar themes and cemented his musical direction. Depending on the generation, ''Music/BornInTheUSA'' is another example, as it cemented Bruce as a superstar and is often the first image people think of when it comes to him. In terms of general reputation, these two albums tend to overshadow the rest of Bruce's catalogue for one reason or another. It's not uncommon to find listeners who are unfamiliar or surprised at Bruce's musical turns outside of these two.
110	* SignatureSong: Many, but "Born to Run", "Born in the USA" and "Dancing in the Dark" are overall the songs most likely associated with him, among his most popular material. By album:
111	** ''Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.'': "Blinded by the Light" courtesy of being CoveredUp, or "Growin' up" for its autobiographical themes and association with the artist.
112	** ''The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle'': "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)".
113	** ''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. Though, the album has several well-known minor hit and popular album tracks - "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out", "Jungleland" and "Backstreets".
114	** ''Darkness on the Edge of Town'': "Badlands". "The Promised Land" and "Prove It All Night" are also well-known, very much thanks to live performances, and "Racing in the Street" is a well-known and critically acclaimed album track.
115	** ''The River'': "Hungry Heart" and the TitleTrack. "Out in the Street" is also notable, especially for its massive live popularity.
116	** ''Nebraska'': "Atlantic City"..
117	** ''Born in the USA'': Every track has a reasonably high degree of popularity, but the TitleTrack, "Dancing in the Dark", "Glory Days", "I'm on Fire" and "My Hometown" stand out the most.
118	** ''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.
119	** ''Human Touch'': the TitleTrack.
120	** ''Lucky Town'': "Better Days" formerly, but currently "If I Should Fall Behind", also helped by live popularity.
121	** The ''Greatest Hits'' new tracks: "Streets of Philadelphia", although also "Secret Garden" is very well-remembered.
122	** ''The Ghost of Tom Joad'': the TitleTrack.
123	** ''Tracks'': "Sad Eyes" (to pop audiences) or "Pink Cadillac".
124	** ''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.
125	** ''Devils & Dust'': the TitleTrack, although it has no tracks that are really outstanding in popularity.
126	** ''Magic'': "Radio Nowhere".
127	** ''Working on a Dream'': the TitleTrack.
128	** ''The Promise'': "Because the Night" and "Fire", which also count for his ''Live 1975-85'' box set (in that case, they tie with his CoveredUp version of "Jersey Girl" by Music/TomWaits).
129	** ''High Hopes": "American Skin (41 Shots)" - very notable thanks to its themes, while not outstanding in popularity.
130	** ''Wrecking Ball'': The TitleTrack or "We Take Care of Our Own". "Land of Hope and Dreams" is particularly popular in concerts, and also counts as the signature for his ''Live in New York City'' album.
131	** ''Western Stars'': "Hello Sunshine".
132	** ''Letter to You'': the title track, "Ghosts", and more recently "I'll See You in My Dreams" - which also became a live staple from the start, with Bruce choosing it for the Broadway setlist.
133	*** Going by decade: "Born to Run" for the 70s, "Born in the USA" and "Dancing in the Dark" for the 80s, "Streets of Philadelphia" for the 90s, "The Rising" for the Noughties.
134	* TheyCopiedItSoItSucks: Early in his career, Springsteen was marketed as a "New Dylan"-type acoustic singer-songwriter. His early work was criticized for aping Dylan's wordiness too closely which led Bruce to go away from that style.
135	* ToughActToFollow:
136	** Bruce's most iconic and critically acclaimed work has mainly been in the 70s and 80s, 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.
137	** ''Nebraska'' marked a number of firsts: It was Bruce's first album without the E Street Band,[[note]]He ''had'' intended to record and release full band versions, but found that the solo demos fit his intentions better.[[/note]] the production and instrumentation was much more stripped down, and the subject matter became somber and darker. While there have been other acoustic records such as ''Ghost Of Tom Joad'' and ''Devils And Dust'', Nebraska has had a much stronger impact and influence, to the point where it's become a shorthand for artists trying to make a major change with their sound.
138	* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: A number of songs were based on or inspired by the current events of the day. Ranging from the Three-Mile Island Nuclear Accident ("Roulette"), The Vietnam War ("Born In The U.S.A.", "Lost In The Flood"), the Iraq War ("Devils And Dust"), and many more. When singing "Born in The U.S.A", he frequently has to update the lyrics based on how long ago the war was. But most prominently is Springsteen's thematic focus on blue-collar and factory workers. As time has gone on, the work force has changed and many blue-collar jobs have been rendered obsolete by the economy.
139	* ValuesDissonance:
140	** 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).
141	** 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 be 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.
142	* ValuesResonance: "American Skin (41 Shots)" sounds like something that could have been released in the mid 2010s in response to the Black Lives Matter movement and the various controversial police shootings that made the news around that time. In actuality, it was released in 2001, in response to [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Amadou_Diallo a single controversial shooting]].
143	** Several of the songs in ''The Ghost of Tom Joad'' (released in 1995) are about the struggles of Latino immigrants. They could easily have been written today.
144	** "My City Of Ruins" was originally written as a tribute to Springsteen's adopted hometown of Asbury Park. However, the song took on new meanings and applicability in the subsequent years. Most notably, as a dedication to the victims of the 9/11 attacks and Hurricane Katrina.
145	** His entire oeuvre of work has essentially earned a testament to how much values resonance it has in the 2019 film ''Blinded by the Light'', which is about the impact his music had on a Pakistani-British teenager in the late '80s, over a decade after much of his most famous work was recorded. In turn, the film itself arguably serves as a testament for how this still applies an entire generation later.
146	** The songs for ''Letter To You'' were recorded in 2019, with some songs actually dating back decades. However, it took on a stronger resonance due to its themes of mortality, lost loved ones, the power of music, and the desire to gather again. This was very significant in light of the UsefulNotes/COVID19pandemic where many had indeed lost loved ones. The E Street Band had initially planned on touring but these plans were cut short due to the pandemic.
147	* VindicatedByHistory: Zigzagged. While Springsteen has been consistently praised by critics through most of his career, certain albums tended to receive more attention and appreciation than others. His debut album ''Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.'', while not outright panned, was often seen as aping Music/BobDylan too much, while ''The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle'' was seen as similarly imitating Music/VanMorrison. Over time, these two albums have become more praised for their musical creativity before his big breakthrough.
148	** ''Nebraska'', while critically respected, generally fell under the radar as it was sandwiched between two hit albums (''The River'' and ''Music/BornInTheUSA''). Over time, it's been recognized as one of Springsteen's best and most influential albums, especially for punk musicians and those interested in the darker side of his work.
149	** In TheNineties, Springsteen experienced a creative slump and a relative lack of commercial success and critical acclaim. It was common for articles to ask "What ever happened to Bruce Springsteen?" Main/{{Grunge}} music was also emerging around this time and seemed antithetically opposed to Springsteen's sincerity and bombast, especially in the ''Music/BornInTheUSA'' era. Over time, a new generation of bands and artists started to appreciate his work to the point where Springsteen was considered one of the biggest musical influences of the 2000s.
150	* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids: Springsteen has often had the reputation being more of a safe and upbeat rocker compared to many of his peers and even bandmates, abstaining from drugs and typical aspects of the rock n' roll lifestyle, rarely cursing in his songs. His image during the ''Music/BornInTheUSA'' era cemented him as an appealing American superstar and icon. However, a number of his songs still feature darker and more mature themes of murder, politics, mistreated veterans, drug use, and even sexually explicit metaphors. In his autobiography, he even recalls kids trick-or-treating while chanting "Born In The USA!", likely unaware of the underlying meaning of the song.
151	* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotPolitical: Springsteen being an outspoken liberal, coupled with several of his songs chronicling the struggle of working-class people in America, makes this trope kind of unavoidable.

Context YMMV / BruceSpringsteen