The Boss Showdown: What Is the Best 80s Album by Bruce Springsteen?

Few artists in any decade have ever gone on a roll quite like the one Bruce Springsteen enjoyed in the 80s. During that stretch, he managed to couple copious critical acclaim with runaway commercial success.

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Springsteen released four albums in the 80s. Which one is the best of this extremely impressive bunch? We have our thoughts, which we’ll deliver after offering a quick overview of the competitors.

‘The River’ (1980)

This was the record where Springsteen finally loosened his reins a bit, foregoing concerns over thematic unity and indulging all his different musical passions over two albums. The commitment to R&B-flavored ravers allowed the E Street Band some room to sparkle. But Springsteen also brought out his singer-songwriter side on stunning songs like “The River” and “Independence Day” that showed his growing grasp of the heartland blues. And he even stormed the pop charts for the first time with “Hungry Heart”.

‘Nebraska’ (1982)

Springsteen recorded a rough demo of eerie, desolate folk songs, intending to incorporate them with the other material he was laying down with the band. But it quickly became evident that these songs couldn’t be improved from Springsteen’s howling originals. Even with the basic setup of acoustic guitar and vocal consistent throughout the record, Nebraska never settles into a rut. That’s partly due to the power of the characterizations he creates, and partly due to the riveting performances he gives as he inhabits these folks.

‘Born In The U.S.A.’ (1984)

Although he felt ambivalent about the scope and sound of this album, Springsteen realized that he needed to make a play for the pop charts before they passed him by. He managed to subversively deliver some weighty messages. “Dancing In The Dark” betrays some autobiographical angst amidst the chirpy synths. And the prickly lyrics of the title track criticized the country that the anthemic music seemed to celebrate. Hit after hit after hit came spewing forth, as Springsteen finally earned the superstardom his loyal fans always believed was his due.

‘Tunnel Of Love’ (1987)

Pulling back from the grandeur of Born In The U.S.A., Springsteen dug into matters of the heart on a large scale for the first time in his career. What he found was rarely pretty. Except for the strutting “Tougher Than The Rest”, his narrators are wracked with confusion and doubt about their significant others, leaving the foundations of their lives teetering above the abyss. Those who listened closely couldn’t have been too surprised that Springsteen’s first marriage ended not long after Tunnel Of Love was released. The evidence was right there between the lyrical lines.

The Verdict

We are absolutely splitting hairs here because this is an incredible quartet of albums. The River features a couple of clunky rockers that slow its momentum ever so slightly, so it’s out of the running. Born In The U.S.A. needed its glossy production at the time. But it also leaves it sounding a tad dated now.

Tunnel Of Love doesn’t do a whole lot musically, which just prevents it from the top spot. For that, we’re going with Nebraska, a flawless set of songs and performances. They needed no musical embellishments. The compelling, often difficult truths that emanated from those narratives were more than enough to carry the day.

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