Born in the U.S.A. | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | June 4, 1984 | |||
Recorded | January 25, 1982 – March 8, 1984 | |||
Studio | Power Station and Hit Factory (New York City) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 46:57 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Producer |
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Bruce Springsteen chronology | ||||
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Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band chronology | ||||
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Singles from Born in the U.S.A. | ||||
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Born in the U.S.A. is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on June 4, 1984, by Columbia Records. The album was recorded with the E Street Band and producers Chuck Plotkin and Jon Landau over the course of several years, while Springsteen was also working on his previously released album, Nebraska (1982). It features tighter songs with a brighter, more pop-influenced sound than Springsteen's previous albums, and prominent synthesizer, while its lyrics explore themes of working-class struggles, disillusionment, patriotism, and personal relationships. The cover features a photograph of Springsteen from behind, taken by Annie Leibovitz and has since become one of the musician’s most iconic images.
Frequently cited by critics as one of the greatest albums of all time, Born in the U.S.A. was critically acclaimed upon release and was nominated for Album of the Year at the 27th Annual Grammy Awards. A massive commercial success, it topped the charts in nine countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom. It produced seven top ten singles in the US. The album has been certified 17× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling at least 17 million units in the United States, and has sold over 30 million copies worldwide, making it Springsteen's most commercially successful release and one of the best-selling albums of all time. It was respectively ranked number 85 and 86 in Rolling Stone's 2003 and 2012 lists of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time", being re-positioned to number 142 in the list's 2020 iteration.
Writing and recording
Born in the U.S.A. is composed of twelve tracks, seven recorded at Power Station studios from April 26 through May 14, 1982: "Born in the U.S.A." (April 27); "Downbound Train" (April 27–28); "Working on the Highway" (April 30); "I'm on Fire" (May 11); "Glory Days" (May 5); "Darlington County" (May 13); and "I'm Goin' Down" (May 12–13).
"Cover Me" was the first song recorded, on January 25, 1982, at The Hit Factory.[3] The four remaining tracks are "No Surrender" (October 25–27, 1983); "Bobby Jean" (October 10, 1983); "My Hometown", (June 29, 1983). "Dancing in the Dark" was the last to be recorded, on February 14, 1984.[3] It was written overnight, after co-producer Jon Landau convinced Springsteen that the album needed a single. According to Dave Marsh in Glory Days, Springsteen was not impressed with Landau's approach. "Look," he snarled, "I've written 70 songs. You want another one, you write it." After blowing off some steam, Springsteen came in the next day with the entire song written.[4]
The Born in the U.S.A. sessions covered more than two years (January 1982 through March 1984), and produced approximately 80 songs. It is impossible to separate them from the songs that comprised the album Nebraska; all but one of the January 1982 Nebraska demos were recorded with the E Street Band during April–May. The decision to create Nebraska from the demos came after these sessions. At one point, Springsteen considered combining both sources as a double-album release. "I had these two extremely different recording experiences going," he told Mark Hagen in an interview for Mojo published in January 1999. "I was going to put them out at the same time as a double record. I didn't know what to do."[5] This was the most prolific period of Springsteen's career. Having bought a home in Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles,[6] he worked in a garage studio constructed by Mike Batlan, his assistant, in the final months of 1982. He conceived of several proposed albums, but cancelled one after another and returned to recording new material.
Springsteen continued recording in Los Angeles after Nebraska was released, and reunited with the E Street Band at the Hit Factory in New York in May 1983. Plans were made to release an album titled Murder Incorporated, and then scrapped "because it lacked cohesion", according to Springsteen. Finally, Landau convinced Springsteen that Born in the U.S.A. was complete, after the recording of "Dancing in the Dark". The 12-track release left a large number of unused recordings "in the vaults", with Springsteen fans hoping for a "super box" anniversary collection at some point.[7][8][9]
Music and lyrics
Born in the U.S.A. embraced a livelier mainstream sound than on previous Springsteen records, while continuing to explore progressive themes and values.[10] It "remains the most tightly honed of Springsteen's albums, the songs taut and economical, glistening with pop hooks and burnished with a dynamic Eighties sound".[11] According to Roger Scott, it was a "defiantly rock 'n' roll" album,[12] while Rolling Stone's Debby Miller noted that while Springsteen incorporated "electronic textures" he "kept as its heart all of the American rock & roll from the early Sixties".[13] While Springsteen's previous album had a stark quality, he maintained that the first half of Born in the U.S.A. was similar, being "written very much like Nebraska – the characters and the stories, the style of writing – except it's just in the rock-band setting."[14] Springsteen had considered leaving "No Surrender" off the album, explaining that "you don't hold out and triumph all the time in life... You compromise, you suffer defeat; you slip into life's gray areas."[15] Co-producer and guitarist Steven Van Zandt pushed for its inclusion, arguing that "the portrait of friendship and the song's expression of the inspirational power of rock music was an important part of the picture."[15] "Bobby Jean" is thought to be a tribute to Van Zandt, who left the band as the album was being finalized. It's described as "classic Springsteen: the lyrics may put a lump in your throat, but the music says, Walk tall or don't walk at all."[16] Van Zandt also delivers the album's "most joyful moment" in "Darlington County", when he "honks his way through the vocal harmonies" and "Springsteen starts to laugh".[17]
The title track inspired the Annie Leibovitz photo of Springsteen's backside against the backdrop of an American flag, which was used as the album cover. Springsteen commented that "the flag is a powerful image, and when you set that stuff loose, you don't know what's gonna be done with it". Some people thought that the cover depicted Springsteen urinating on the flag, which he denied, insisting that "the picture of my ass looked better than the picture of my face, that's what went on the cover".[14] According to political writer Peter Dreier, the music's "pop-oriented" sound and the marketing of Springsteen as "a heavily muscled rocker with an album cover featuring a giant US flag, may have overshadowed the album's radical politics."[10] Music journalist Matty Karas regarded it as "a quintessential pop album that was also a perfect distillation of the anger and bitterness seething beneath the surface of Reagan-era America."[18]
Commercial performance
Born in the U.S.A. was the first compact disc manufactured in the United States for commercial release, and was manufactured by CBS and Sony at its newly-opened plant in Terre Haute, Indiana in September 1984; Columbia Records' CDs were previously manufactured in Japan.[19] It was the best-selling album of 1985 and of Springsteen's career. It was promoted by the international Born in the U.S.A. Tour, as well and seven hit singles: "Dancing in the Dark", "Cover Me", "Born in the U.S.A.", "I'm on Fire", "Glory Days", "I'm Goin' Down", and "My Hometown".[20]
The album debuted at number nine on the Billboard 200 during the week of June 23, 1984, and after two weeks, it reached the top of the chart on July 7, staying at number one for seven weeks; it remained on the chart for 143 weeks.[21][22] It was also a commercial success in Europe and Oceania; in the United Kingdom the album entered at number two on June 16, and after thirty four weeks, on February 16, 1985, it reached number one and topped the chart for five non consecutive weeks;[23] it was present on the chart for one hundred thirty five weeks.[23] It also topped the album charts in Australia, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.[24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31]
Born in the U.S.A. is one of the best-selling albums of all time, with worldwide sales of over 30 million copies.[10][32] It was certified three times platinum by the BPI on July 25, 1985, denoting shipments of 900,000 units in the UK.[33] After the advent of the North American Nielsen SoundScan tracking system in 1991, the album sold an additional 1,463,000 copies,[34] and on April 19, 1995, it was certified seventeen times platinum by the RIAA for shipments of 17,000,000 copies in the US.[35]
Critical reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [36] |
Chicago Tribune | [37] |
Christgau's Record Guide | A+[38] |
Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [39] |
Los Angeles Times | [40] |
MusicHound Rock | 4/5[41] |
Pitchfork | 10/10[42] |
Rolling Stone | [43] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [44] |
Saturday Review | [45] |
Born in the U.S.A. was lauded by many critics, while also generating some controversy.[12] Retrospectively, Pitchfork called it "the bold, brilliant, and misunderstood apex of Bruce Springsteen's imperial era."[17] In July 1984, writing in Rolling Stone, Dave Marsh deemed it to be the artist's most accessible listen since Born to Run, managing to incorporate "techno-pop elements without succumbing to the genre's banalities".[43] The magazine's Debby Miller said it was as well thought-out as Nebraska, but with more sophistication and spirit. "While the album finds its center in [its] cheering rock songs", it's the final two songs on either side that give it an "extraordinary depth". "Springsteen has always been able to tell a story better than he can write a hook," she says, "and these lyrics are way beyond anything anybody else is writing".[16] She sees Springsteen creating "such a vivid sense of these characters" by "[giving] them voices a playwright would be proud of".
Robert Hilburn from the Los Angeles Times noted the album's "richer" musical settings allowed Springsteen to reach a wider audience.[46] John Swenson of Saturday Review praised the disciplined writing style and Springsteen for "championing traditional rock values at a time when few newer bands show interest in such a direction".[45] Writing retrospectively in The Telegraph, Neil McCormick declared it to be "an album of glittering paradoxes" which "manages to be both angry and celebratory, often in the same song".[11]
In The Village Voice, Robert Christgau welcomed the absence of dejected themes of nostalgia and losers, along with the tougher lyrics, a sense of humor, and an upbeat worldview.[47] It delivered "what teenagers loved about rock and roll", namely "that it just plain sounded good".[48] Born in the U.S.A. was voted the best album of the year in the 1984 Pazz & Jop critics poll.[47] Christgau, the poll's creator, also ranked it number one on his list, and in 1990 named it the ninth-best album of the 1980s.[49][50] According to Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s (1990), while Born in the U.S.A. may have seemed more conservative than Springsteen's previous work, it showed him evolving on what was his "most rhythmically propulsive, vocally incisive, lyrically balanced, and commercially undeniable album".[38] Greg Kot, writing retrospectively in the Chicago Tribune, called it "an 11-million-selling record with a conscience".[37] AllMusic's William Ruhlmann interpreted the album as an apotheosis for Springsteen's reoccurring characters, and "marked the first time that Springsteen's characters really seemed to relish the fight and to have something to fight for".[36] In a retrospective review for Q magazine Richard Williams gave it two stars out of five, criticizing Springsteen's exaggeration of his usual characters and themes in a deliberate attempt at commercial success. He accused the singer of trying to "exploit the American flag" and "to bury the anti-war message of Born In The USA beneath an impenetrable layer of clenched-fist bombast". This was, in his view, "downright irresponsible."[51]
In 1987, Born in the U.S.A. was voted the fifth greatest rock album of all time in Paul Gambaccini's Critic's Choice poll of 81 critics, writers, and radio broadcasters.[52] In 2003, Rolling Stone ranked Born in the U.S.A. number 85 on their list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time,[53] 86 in a 2012 revised list,[54] and 142 in a 2020 revised list.[55] In 2013, it was named the 428th greatest album in a similar list published by NME.[56] The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[57]
Impact and legacy
Although Springsteen had been a well-known star before its release, Larry Rodgers wrote in the Arizona Republic that "it was not until he hit the gym to get buffed up and showed off his rear end in Annie Leibovitz's famous cover photo for Born in the U.S.A. that he became an American pop icon",[15] touching off a wave of "Bossmania", as author Chris Smith called it.[58] In his book A Race of Singers – Whitman's Working-Class Hero From Guthrie to Springsteen, Bryan K. Garman suggested that this new image helped Springsteen popularize his persona on a new scale, while tying him to certain political and socio-cultural issues, at a time when Ronald Reagan was promoting prosperity and US global influence "within a decidedly masculine framework."[59] The album helped popularize American heartland rock, boosting the profiles of artists such as John Mellencamp, Tom Petty, and Bob Seger.[13] When Mellencamp released Scarecrow (1985), critics described it as heartland rock and compared him to Springsteen.[60]
As Born in the U.S.A. became a massive commercial success, Springsteen expressed mixed feelings about his growing fame, saying that being rich "doesn't make living easier, but it does make certain aspects of your life easier". "There were moments where it was very confusing", he added, "I never felt like I ever played a note for the money. I think if I did, people would know, and they'd throw you out of the joint".[14]
Springsteen also expressed mixed feelings about the album itself, believing that Nebraska contains some of his strongest writing. While the title track on Born in the U.S.A. "more or less stood by itself", he declared, he called the album a "grab-bag", and "a group of songs about which I've always had some ambivalence." He acknowledged the powerful effect it had on his career, delivering his largest audience. "It forced me to question the way I presented my music and made me think harder about what I was doing," he said.[15] The title track was widely misunderstood. According to Greg Kot and Parker Molloy, the chorus of the song felt like a patriotic anthem, but this was contradicted by the lyrics' depiction of the difficulties and marginalization returning working-class Vietnam veterans had to face. Written during the early 1980s recession in the United States, "the crestfallen verses mock the empty slogan in the chorus". It "was wilfully misinterpreted by many on the American Right" who used it during rallies, campaign events, and victory speeches.[11][61][62]
Springsteen's manager, Jon Landau, said that there were no plans for the band to celebrate the album's thirtieth anniversary with a deluxe reissue box set in the manner of previous Springsteen albums. "At least not yet," he added.[63] A full album live performance DVD titled Born in the U.S.A. Live: London 2013 was released exclusively through Amazon on January 14, 2014, along with High Hopes.[64]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Bruce Springsteen
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Born in the U.S.A." | 4:38 |
2. | "Cover Me" | 3:29 |
3. | "Darlington County" | 4:48 |
4. | "Working on the Highway" | 3:13 |
5. | "Downbound Train" | 3:35 |
6. | "I'm on Fire" | 2:40 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "No Surrender" | 4:01 |
2. | "Bobby Jean" | 3:48 |
3. | "I'm Goin' Down" | 3:30 |
4. | "Glory Days" | 4:15 |
5. | "Dancing in the Dark" | 4:04 |
6. | "My Hometown" | 4:34 |
Total length: | 46:57 |
Personnel
- Bruce Springsteen – lead vocals, lead guitar, acoustic guitar
The E Street Band
- Roy Bittan – piano, synthesizer, background vocals
- Clarence Clemons – saxophone, percussion, background vocals
- Danny Federici – Hammond organ, glockenspiel, piano on "Born in the U.S.A."
- Garry Tallent – bass guitar, background vocals
- Steven Van Zandt – rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, mandolin, harmony vocals
- Max Weinberg – drums, background vocals
Additional musicians
- Richie "La Bamba" Rosenberg – background vocals on "Cover Me" and "No Surrender"
- Ruth Davis – background vocals on "My Hometown"
Technical
- Toby Scott – engineer
- Bob Clearmountain – mixing
- John Davenport, Jeff Hendrickson, Bruce Lampcov, Billy Strauss, Zöe Yanakas – assistant engineers
- Bob Ludwig – mastering
- Bill Scheniman – engineer on "Cover Me"
- Andrea Klein – art direction, design, cover design
- Annie Leibovitz – photography
- David Gahr – additional photography
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications and sales
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA)[103] | 14× Platinum | 980,000‡ |
Belgium (BEA)[104] | Platinum | 75,000[104] |
Brazil | — | 100,000[105] |
Canada (Music Canada)[106] | Diamond | 1,000,000^ |
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[107] | 3× Platinum | 60,000‡ |
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[108] | 2× Platinum | 108,913[108] |
France (SNEP)[109] | Platinum | 300,000* |
Germany (BVMI)[110] | 2× Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
Italy (FIMI)[111] sales since 2009 |
Platinum | 50,000* |
Italy | — | 1,000,000[112] |
Japan (Oricon Charts) | — | 212,700[70] |
Mexico (AMPROFON)[113] | Platinum | 250,000‡ |
New Zealand (RMNZ)[114] | 17× Platinum | 255,000‡ |
Portugal (AFP)[115] | Gold | 20,000^ |
South Africa | — | 100,000[116] |
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[117] | Gold | 50,000^ |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[118] | 3× Platinum | 150,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[119] | 3× Platinum | 1,120,000[77] |
United States (RIAA)[35] | 17× Platinum | 17,000,000‡ |
Summaries | ||
Worldwide | — | 30,000,000[32] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
See also
References
- ↑ Marsh, Dave (2004). Bruce Springsteen Two Hearts: The Definitive Biography. New York, NY: Routledge. p. 311. ISBN 0-203-49470-9. Archived from the original on June 5, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
- ↑ "Springsteen singles".
- 1 2 Heylin, Clinton (2012). Song by Song. London: Penguin. Archived from the original on June 19, 2020. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
- ↑ Marsh, Dave. Glory Days. Pantheon. Archived from the original on August 19, 2019. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
- ↑ Hagen, Mark (January 1999). "Bruce Springsteen interview". Mojo. No. January 1999.
- ↑ Trust, Fareholm Sequoia Grantor (June 28, 1982). Grant Deed. 7965 Fareholm Dr, Los Angeles, California 90046: Los Angeles County Recorder. p. 19820647199. Archived from the original on November 27, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location (link) - ↑ Marsh, Dave (2004). Bruce Springsteen – Two Hearts the Story. New York: Routledge. Archived from the original on June 5, 2020. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
- ↑ "Born In The U.S.A. – Studio Sessions". Brucebase. Archived from the original on August 24, 2019. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
- ↑ Heylin, Clinton (2008). E Street Shuffle The Glory Days of Bruce. London: Penguin. Archived from the original on June 19, 2020. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
- 1 2 3 Dreier, Peter (2012). The 100 Greatest Americans of the 20th Century: A Social Justice Hall of Fame. Nation Books. p. 436. ISBN 978-1-56858-681-6.
- 1 2 3 McCormick, Neil (October 24, 2020). "Bruce Springsteen: all his albums ranked, from worst to best". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on August 23, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
- 1 2 Scott, Rogert; Humphries, Patrick (2013). "Roger Scott and Patrick Humphries, Hot Press—November 2, 1984". In Phillips, Christopher; Masur, Louis P. (eds.). Talk About a Dream: The Essential Interviews of Bruce Springsteen. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. p. 131. ISBN 978-1-62040-072-2. Archived from the original on April 18, 2016. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
Born in the U.S.A. was such a defiantly rock 'n' roll album, the reviews were surprisingly favourable.
- 1 2 Perone, James E. (2012). The Album: A Guide to Pop Music's Most Provacative, Influential, and Important Creations. ABC-CLIO. p. 239. ISBN 978-0-313-37906-2. Archived from the original on April 18, 2016. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
- 1 2 3 Loder, Kurt (December 6, 1984). "The Rolling Stone Interview: Bruce Springsteen". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 30, 2009.
- 1 2 3 4 Rodgers, Larry (June 4, 2009). "Bruce Springsteen, Born in the USA, 25 Years Old Today". The Arizona Republic.
- 1 2 Miller, Debby (July 19, 1984). "Born in the U.S.A". Rolling Stone. New York. Archived from the original on January 15, 2014. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
- 1 2 Sodomsky, Sam (August 8, 2021). "Born in the U.S.A.: Bruce Springsteen". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on August 8, 2021. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
- ↑ Karas, Matty (1998). "Bruce Springsteen". In DiMartino, Dave (ed.). Music in the 20th Century. Routledge. p. 605. ISBN 0-7656-8012-2.
- ↑ Horowitz, Is. "First Domestic CD Plant Opens" Billboard October 6, 1984: 6
- ↑ Burger, Jeff (2013). Springsteen on Springsteen: Interviews, Speeches, and Encounters. Chicago Review Press. p. 131. ISBN 978-1-61374-437-6. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
- ↑ "Top 200 Albums". Billboard. June 23, 1984. Archived from the original on February 19, 2018. Retrieved October 22, 2017.
- ↑ "Top 200 Albums". Billboard. July 7, 1984. Archived from the original on February 19, 2018. Retrieved October 22, 2017.
- 1 2 "Bruce Springsteen | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Archived from the original on October 15, 2017. Retrieved October 22, 2017.
- 1 2 3 4 Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- 1 2 "Austriancharts.at – Bruce Springsteen – Born In The U.S.A." (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
- 1 2 "Offiziellecharts.de – Bruce Springsteen – Born In The U.S.A." (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
- 1 2 "Dutchcharts.nl – Bruce Springsteen – Born In The U.S.A." (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
- 1 2 "Charts.nz – Bruce Springsteen – Born In The U.S.A.". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
- 1 2 "Norwegiancharts.com – Bruce Springsteen – Born In The U.S.A.". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
- 1 2 "Swedishcharts.com – Bruce Springsteen – Born In The U.S.A.". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
- 1 2 "Swisscharts.com – Bruce Springsteen – Born In The U.S.A.". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
- 1 2 "Bruce Springsteen still shows who's boss". Irish Examiner. Archived from the original on May 17, 2019. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
- ↑ "British album certifications – Bruce Springsteen – Born In The USA". British Phonographic Industry. July 25, 1985. Archived from the original on November 13, 2020. Retrieved October 22, 2017.
- ↑ Trust, Gary (March 27, 2009). "Ask Billboard: Basia, Bon Jovi and The Boss". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 6, 2013. Retrieved October 22, 2017.
- 1 2 "American album certifications – Bruce Springsteen – Born in the U.S.A." Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
- 1 2 Ruhlmann, William. "Born in the U.S.A. – Bruce Springsteen". AllMusic. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
- 1 2 Kot, Greg (August 23, 1992). "The Recorded History of Springsteen". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
- 1 2 Christgau, Robert (1990). Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s. Pantheon Books. p. 382. ISBN 0-679-73015-X.
- ↑ Larkin, Colin (2011). "Bruce Springsteen". Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
- ↑ Atkinson, Terry (December 16, 1984). "Guiding the Unitiated Through the Top 40". Los Angeles Times. p. T68.
- ↑ Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel, eds. (1999). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Farmington Hills, MI: Visible Ink Press. p. 1076. ISBN 1-57859-061-2.
- ↑ Sodomsky, Sam (August 8, 2021). "Bruce Springsteen: Born in the U.S.A." Pitchfork. Archived from the original on August 8, 2021. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
- 1 2 Marsh, Dave (July 1984). "Record Rack". Rolling Stone. New York. p. 23.
- ↑ Sheffield, Rob; et al. (2004). Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon and Schuster. pp. 771–2. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- 1 2 Swenson, John (November–December 1984). "Championing Traditional Rock Values". Saturday Review. 10 (1–2): 70.
- ↑ Hilburn, Robert (July 1, 1984). "Pop Music Top Midyear LPs: Prince, Springsteen". Los Angeles Times. Calendar section, p. T62. Retrieved July 8, 2013.(subscription required)
- 1 2 Christgau, Robert (February 18, 1985). "Pazz & Jop 1984: The Rise of the Corporate Single". The Village Voice. New York. Archived from the original on July 10, 2013. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
- ↑ Christgau, Robert (June 26, 1984). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Archived from the original on August 15, 2013. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
- ↑ Christgau, Robert (February 18, 1985). "Pazz & Jop 1984: Dean's List". The Village Voice. New York. Archived from the original on August 15, 2013. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
- ↑ Christgau, Robert (1990). "Decade Personal Best: '80s". The Village Voice. No. January 2. New York. Archived from the original on August 15, 2013. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
- ↑ Williams, Richard (December 1989). "All or Nothing: The Springsteen back catalogue". Q. p. 150.
- ↑ Taylor, Jonathan (March 25, 1987). "Pop Critics Pick Rock's Top 100". Los Angeles Daily News. Archived from the original on December 12, 2015. Retrieved August 4, 2015.
- ↑ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. New York. December 11, 2003. p. 116.
- ↑ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time". Rolling Stone. 2012. Archived from the original on July 3, 2019. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
- ↑ "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. September 22, 2020. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
- ↑ Kaye, Ben (October 25, 2013). "The Top 500 Albums of All Time, according to NME". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on November 30, 2015. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
- ↑ Dimery, Robert; Lydon, Michael (February 7, 2006). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe. ISBN 0-7893-1371-5.
- ↑ Wiersema, Robert J. (2011). Walk Like a Man: Coming of Age with the Music of Bruce Springsteen. Greystone. pp. 21–. ISBN 978-1-55365-846-7. Retrieved July 18, 2013.
- ↑ Garman, Bryan K. (August 9, 1985). A race of singers: Whitman's working ... UNC Press Books. ISBN 978-0-8078-4866-1. Archived from the original on May 19, 2021. Retrieved November 30, 2009.
- ↑ Redmond, Mike (January 23, 1992). "Mellencamp is real force in American music". Indianapolis Star. Free Time section, p. F.4. Retrieved July 8, 2013.(subscription required)
- ↑ Kot, Greg (October 21, 2014). "Born in the USA : Misunderstood songs". bbc.com. Archived from the original on December 1, 2018. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
- ↑ Molloy, Parker (November 6, 2014). "Are Politicians Too Dumb to Understand the Lyrics to 'Born in the USA'?". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on November 6, 2018. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
- ↑ Greene, Andy (December 17, 2013). "Bruce Springsteen on New Album 'High Hopes': Exclusive Interview | Music News". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
- ↑ "Springsteen Offers Live Born In The U.S.A. DVD With High Hopes Pre-Order". American Songwriter. December 13, 2013. Archived from the original on February 20, 2014. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Bruce Springsteen – Born In The U.S.A." (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
- ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 6815a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
- ↑ "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 1, no. 23. September 3, 1984. p. 4. Retrieved May 17, 2022 – via World Radio History.
- ↑ "InfoDisc : Tous les Albums classés par Artiste > Choisir Un Artiste Dans la Liste" (in French). infodisc.fr. Archived from the original on May 6, 2013. Retrieved April 4, 2012.Note: user must select 'Bruce SPRINGSTEEN' from drop-down
- ↑ "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Archived from the original on December 1, 2016. Retrieved May 31, 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Album". Then, in the "Titolo" field, search "Born in the U.S.A.".
- 1 2 3 Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
- 1 2 Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
- ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
- ↑ "Bruce Springsteen Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
- ↑ "Top 100 Albums of 1984". RPM. January 5, 1985. Archived from the original on April 16, 2015. Retrieved April 6, 2012.
- ↑ "Dutch charts jaaroverzichten 1984" (ASP) (in Dutch). Archived from the original on January 7, 2016. Retrieved April 2, 2014.
- ↑ "Top Selling Albums of 1984 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Recorded Music New Zealand. Archived from the original on July 6, 2019. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
- 1 2 "Complete UK Year-End Album Charts". Archived from the original on May 19, 2012. Retrieved April 4, 2012.
- ↑ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End – 1984". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 14, 2021. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
- ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Jahreshitparade 1985" (in German). Hung Medien. Archived from the original on October 12, 2011. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
- ↑ "RPM's Top 100 Albums of 1985". RPM. December 28, 1985. Archived from the original on July 23, 2012. Retrieved April 6, 2012.
- ↑ "De mest solgte album i Danmark". Dagbladet Børsen (in Danish). March 3, 2016. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
- ↑ "Dutch charts jaaroverzichten 1985" (ASP) (in Dutch). Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved April 2, 2014.
- ↑ "Les Albums (CD) de 1985 par InfoDisc" (in French). infodisc.fr. Archived from the original (PHP) on October 27, 2012. Retrieved April 4, 2012.
- ↑ "Top Selling Albums of 1985 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Recorded Music New Zealand. Archived from the original on July 4, 2019. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
- ↑ "Hitparade.ch – Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1985" (in German). Hung Medien. Archived from the original on November 5, 2013. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
- ↑ "Top Albums of 1984". everyhit.com. The Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on March 31, 2008. Retrieved April 4, 2012.
- ↑ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End – 1985". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 30, 2018. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
- ↑ "RPM Top 100 Albums of 1986". RPM. Archived from the original on February 7, 2016. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
- ↑ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End – 1986". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 7, 2019. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
- ↑ "Årslista Album, 2015" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on June 3, 2020. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ↑ "Årslista Album, 2016" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on December 14, 2019. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ↑ "Årslista Album, 2017" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on May 19, 2021. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ↑ "Årslista Album, 2018" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on January 14, 2020. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ↑ "Årslista Album, 2019" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on March 22, 2020. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ↑ "Årslista Album, 2020". Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
- ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 2021". Ultratop. Archived from the original on January 4, 2022. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ↑ "Årslista Album, 2021". Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on January 15, 2022. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
- ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 2022" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Archived from the original on January 13, 2023. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
- ↑ "Årslista Album, 2022" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
- ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 2023" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
- ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 2023". dutchcharts.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved January 3, 2024.
- ↑ "Årslista Album, 2023". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
- ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2021 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
- 1 2 "European Gold & Platinum Awards 1986" (PDF). Music & Media. December 27, 1986. p. 33. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 19, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
- ↑ Mello, Luiz Antonio (June 25, 1986). "O "rock" acerto". Jornal do Brasil (in Portuguese). p. 33. Retrieved December 7, 2023 – via National Library of Brazil.
- ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Bruce Springsteen – Born in the USA". Music Canada. Retrieved April 4, 2012.
- ↑ "Danish album certifications – Bruce Springsteen – Born in the USA". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
- 1 2 "Bruce Springsteen" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved April 4, 2012.
- ↑ "French album certifications – Bruce Springsteen – Born in the USA" (in French). InfoDisc. Select BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN and click OK.
- ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Bruce Springsteen; 'Born in the USA')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved April 4, 2012.
- ↑ "Italian album certifications – Bruce Springsteen – Born in the U.S.A." (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved August 29, 2017. Select "2017" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "Born in the U.S.A." in the "Filtra" field. Select "Album e Compilation" under "Sezione".
- ↑ Giampieri, Valentina (July 28, 2019). ""Born In The Usa", quando il Boss divenne pop". GQ (in Italian). Archived from the original on October 20, 2020. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
- ↑ "Certificaciones" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Retrieved September 30, 2020. Type Bruce Springsteen in the box under the ARTISTA column heading and Born in the U.S.A. in the box under the TÍTULO column heading.
- ↑ "New Zealand album certifications – Bruce Springsteen – Born in the U.S.A." Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
- ↑ "Portuguese album certifications – Bruce Springsteen – Born in the U.S.A." (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
- ↑ "Richie LP Hits Big In South Africa". Billboard. September 13, 1986. Archived from the original on May 19, 2021. Retrieved June 1, 2020 – via Google Books.
- ↑ Solo Exitos 1959–2002 Ano A Ano: Certificados 1979–1990. Iberautor Promociones Culturales. 2005. ISBN 8480486392. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
- ↑ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Born in the U.S.A.')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved August 29, 2017.
- ↑ "British album certifications – Bruce Springsteen – Born in the USA". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved April 6, 2012.
External links
- Born in the U.S.A. (Adobe Flash) at Radio3Net (streamed copy where licensed)
- Born in the U.S.A. at Discogs (list of releases)