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Best of Bruce Springsteen (album review)

The liner notes of Best of Bruce Springsteen (2024) steps lightly over the question of this being a great hits set saying it is a “thoughtful sampler that rightly declares these songs to be among Springsteen’s finest.” How can 18 songs from a 50-plus year career, hundreds of songs and 21 studio albums possibly be…

Mike Miller
1–2 minutes
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The liner notes of Best of Bruce Springsteen (2024) steps lightly over the question of this being a great hits set saying it is a “thoughtful sampler that rightly declares these songs to be among Springsteen’s finest.”

How can 18 songs from a 50-plus year career, hundreds of songs and 21 studio albums possibly be the “best” songs? Twenty-nine years prior, Springsteen released Greatest Hits (1995), a single disc of fourteen songs from his albums, plus four newly recorded songs. His record company has released various other compilation sets including The Essential Bruce Springsteen (2003) and Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Greatest Hits (2009).

The contents of Best Of Bruce Springsteen is certainly impressive, representing most of his albums and what should be considered his “hits” or top charting songs, but not all of them. My point is that any collection denoting best, greatest, essential or even hits, is going to get an argument from many in the Springsteen community.

1 Growin’ Up
2 Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
3 Born to Run
4 Thunder Road
5 Badlands
6 Hungry Heart
7 Atlantic City
8 Dancing In the Dark
9 Born in the U.S.A.
10 Brilliant Disguise
11 Human Touch (Single Edit)
12 Streets of Philadelphia (Single Edit)
13 The Ghost of Tom Joad
14 Secret Garden
15 The Rising
16 Girls In Their Summer Clothes
17 Hello Sunshine
18 Letter To You

This set is by no means bad, these are commercial and chart successful songs, but it’s just incomplete. What’s missing? For me, “Jungleland.” It’s a beautiful and poignant song, led by the late Clarence Clemons. “My Hometown” from Born in the U.S.A. I like this song more than “Glory Days” which is also missing. “The River” from the album of the same name is a powerful and defining Springsteen song. “Prove it All Night” from Darkness on the Edge of Town. And “Hello Sunshine” from the misunderstood album Western Stars.

I get it, a single disc can only hold so many tracks. Edits and omissions are required. What would you include or replace?

2 responses to “Best of Bruce Springsteen (album review)”

  1. Christian's Music Musings Avatar
    Christian’s Music Musings

    I completely missed that compilation. I agree it’s pretty good overall. I also agree “Jungleland”, “My Hometown”, “The River” and “Prove It All Night” would have been great additions.

    When looked up this compilation in one of my streaming providers, I noticed there’s an expanded 31-track digital edition. It has some of the “missing songs” and “missing albums.” Still not perfect, which in any case is highly subjective.

    1. “Growin’ Up” (Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.)
    2. “Spirit in the Night” (Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.)
    3. “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)” (The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle)
    4. “4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)” (The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle)
    5. “Born to Run” (Born to Run)
    6. “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” (Born to Run)
    7. “Thunder Road” (Born to Run)
    8. “Badlands (Darkness on the Edge of Town)
    9. “Prove It All Night” (Darkness on the Edge of Town)
    10. The River (The River)
    11. “Hungry Heart” (The River)
    12. “Atlantic City” (Nebraska)
    13. “Glory Days” (Born in the U.S.A.)
    14. “Dancing in the Dark (Born in the U.S.A.)
    15. “Born in the U.S.A.” (Born in the U.S.A.)
    16. “Brilliant Disguise” (Tunnel of Love)
    17. “Tougher Than the Rest” (Tunnel of Love)
    18. “Human Touch” (Human Touch)
    19. “If I Should Fall Behind” (Lucky Town)
    20. “Living Proof” (Lucky Town)
    21. “Streets of Philadelphia” (Philadelphia Official Soundtrack)
    22. “The Ghost of Tom Joad” (The Ghost of Tom Joad)
    23. “Secret Garden” (Greatest Hits)
    24. “The Rising” (The Rising)
    25. “Long Time Comin’” (Devils & Dust)
    26. “Girls in Their Summer Clothes” (Magic)
    27. “The Wrestler” (Working on a Dream)
    28. “We Take Care of Our Own” (Wrecking Ball)
    29. “Hello Sunshine” (Western Stars)
    30. “Ghosts” (Letter to You)
    31. “Letter to You” (Letter to You)

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Mike Miller Avatar
      Mike Miller

      That’s definitely more like it! So many great songs!

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