25 years later, 'Born in the USA' is still iconic Bruce Springsteen

Twenty-five years later, you can still hear the songs of the cash registers ringing away for our '80s blue-collar hero Bruce Springsteen. Yep, on June 4, 1984, the Boss released an album you may have heard of ... Born in the USA. 

It's nearly impossible to say anything about this album that hasn't already been shouted from the corners of the planet. But here's some quickie facts that still amaze 25 years later:

• Born in the USA went platinum just one month after its released and spawned seven Top 10 singles during 1984 and 1985.
• Dancing in the Dark was the first single, but actually a late addition to the album lineup after producers wanted a sure-fire hit right away. Of course, everyone knows which Friend appears in the music video.
• On Rolling Stone's list of the greatest albums of all time, it ranks 85th. Born To Run, his 1975 album, is No. 18. (But Born in the USA does rank No. 6 on the magazine's 100 greatest albums of the '80s list.)
• The iconic cover photo of Bruce's butt? Taken by Annie Leibovitz of course.
• Only one song reached No. 1 on the charts -- Dancing in the Dark. (The title track, which is often mistaken for a patriotic anthem, only reached No. 9).
• Most of the songs were written about the same time as the songs from 1982's Nebraska, according to interviews with Bruce. 

It's probably one of five albums from the '80s that anyone who grew up in the decade HAD to own, whether you listened to it or not. Others would include Michael Jackson's Thriller, AC/DC's Back in Black, Prince's Purple Rain and U2's Joshua Tree.

TOP 5 FAVORITE SONGS FROM BORN IN THE USA:

5. COVER ME: Straight out rocker. (And sorry, but there's no way I'm putting the title track on this list. I can't stand it.) Listen

4. MY HOMETOWN: For some reason, I think of its use in Roger and Me every time I hear it, and think of poor Flint, Michigan. Live performance

3. DANCING IN THE DARK: Okay, I admit it. It's just because of Courtney Cox.

2. I'M GOIN' DOWN: Catchy, fun and thankfully not an earworm. Listen

1. GLORY DAYS: Sorry, but it's practically the unspoken anthem of Stuck in the '80s. And it has a classic video.

Comments

[Al]

Also love "Bobby Jean"......that 80's piano chorus gets me every time.

[Al]

Also I love "Bobby Jean".......that 80's piano riff gets me every time.

[jim]

You wanna hear "sultry"..listen to Heather Nova sing "I'm on Fire"...Bruce is a wonderful singer/performer and an incredible songwriter!

[Ian from Baltimore]

Spearsy,
Stop apologizing for your lists. We get it. Anything popular (such as the title track on Born in the USA) you don't like. Both you and Sean D like hidden gems when it comes to music and movies. I just wish you would stop being wishy washy about it. You like things and don't like other things. Just have conviction about your lists.

That said, you SUCK for not putting BITUSA on this list.

just kidding

[Sherrie]

This is one album that I've played incessantly, it's my second favorite Bruce album (after Nebraska). Here's my top 5:
5. No Surrender
4. I'm on Fire (I agree the video is full of lameness but the song is straight up sultry.)
3. Working on the Highway (it has one line, short but so full of meaning it could be worked into a novel: "One day I looked straight at her and she looked straight back")
2. Glory Days
1. Darlington County (I could listen to that song over and over, it's one of my favorites ever.)
Now I'm off to fire up the iPod and listen to those songs one more time...

[Brother Ron in Dallas]

Umm... I meant "Glory Days" (with Bon Jovi) and "Dancing in the Dark". But you guys probably figured that out.

[Brother Ron in Dallas]

I was able to catch Bruce and the E Street Band last year here in Dallas. He put on an amazing show and they totally rocked on "Prove It All Night" (off "Darkness on the Edge of Town"). The only songs off "Born in the USA" they performed were "Glory Days" (for which Jon Bon Jovi, who was playing the next night in Dallas, joined him onstage) and "Glory Days". Bruce saved these for part of the encore. They didn't have an opening act and easily went for at least three hours. All around, a great show!

[Remarkably Great]

Anyone I have ever spoken to who has seen him in concert says it is the best...he goes for hours!!

[Anders E]

Am I the only one who prefers Big Daddy's cover of "Dancing in the Dark" to the original?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OG7nj9s96TY

[DerekT]

And the 5 albums people in the 80's had to have... well I never had U2's Joshua's Tree or even Born in the USA (I did hear Born in the USA a lot, due to that ex mentioned before. Perhaps she is the reason I really can't get into the album), however one album from the early 80's everyone had to have in the midwest was REO's classic album Hi Infedelity. Perhaps it was a midwest thing, but everyone was singing off of this album when it came out. Another one was the Police (totally spelt wrong) Syncrinicity and Def Leppard's Hysteria and Pyromania.

[CHAD]

nice to see some love for cover me. i think it's a great song. that and glory days are my two fav's from this record.

[Brother Ron in Dallas]

Al and Mary, right with you there on "Downbound Train"... my favorite track on the album (yeah, I've got the vinyl version, which I've actually been playing a lot lately) in spite of the downer lyrics.

[DG]

"Dancing In The Dark" was never a Number One hit. It was kept out of the top slot by "When Doves Cry."

The only Number One single that Springsteen has ever had is Manfred Mann's cover of "Blinded By the Light."

[Mary]

I'm with you, Al - very sad, but VERY sexy song.

[Dr. Dim]

A bit of trivia...

The video for 'Dancing In The Dark' was shot in my hometown St. Paul, MN at the St. Paul Civic Center (yes, the one mentioned in The Replacements' song 'I Bought A Headache'). The Civic Center is gone now. It has been replaced by the Xcel Energy Center, which is the home of the MN Wild hockey team.

What do I think of the album?

I was never much of a Springsteen fan and this album didn't improve my opinion of his music.

[Al]

I love "Downbound Train".......classic track.

[NavySeabee]

The album makes me think of the song.
The song makes me think of Canadian Bacon.
(The only good Michael Moore movie.)
The heroes are riding along a Canadian highway singing the same line over and over.
'I was born in the U.S.A.'
'I was born in the U.S.A.'
'I was born in the U.S.A.'
'I was born in the U.S.A.'

[Mary]

WOW! I've been reading "Stuck in the 80's" for a while now and I can only remember 2 stories about Springsteen (this one and when he was bashed for playing the Super Bowl.) on this site. Seems like someone there REALLLY doesn't like the Boss. Even if ya don't like him or his music, I think it's ignorant (and unresponsible) to keep ignoring the huge impact Bruce had in the 80's and to this day (he just had to add 2 more shows at the Meadowlands due to the huge demand. Guess he's not so washed-up (as many bloggers said during the Super Bowl).

[Spears]

"I'm on Fire" is indeed on the album, and it would rank No. 6 on my personal list. The memory of that dull video taints it to me. Just a little too slow and plodding.

[Mark in East Texas]

Agree with Glory Days in the top spot.

[DerekT]

My ex-girlfriend's mom was a big Springsteen fan and thought that this Album by the Boss was his most depressing. Nearly every song on it (she said) had a sad overtone, even Born In the USA.
I loved the video Dancing in the Dark and the girl who got on stage was (and still is) a babe. Way to go Courtney.

[Kazz]

Among my favorite Onion headlines: (1950s)Flint, Michigan enters never-ending period of prosperity.

I've always been a fan of 'I'm on Fire,' wasn't that on this album ,too?

[Bassnote]

This album is probably the least favorite among Springsteen fans. Bruce doesn't play a lot off this album these days, although, he has been doing a more guitar heavy version of 'Dancing In The Dark" on the past few tours.