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Counting Down Bruce Springsteen: His 100 Finest Songs
For 40 years, Bruce Springsteen has held center stage as the quintessential American rock and roll artist, expressing the hopes and dreams of the American everyman and every woman through his vast array of insightful and inspirational songs. In Counting Down Bruce His 100 Finest Songs, rock writer Jim Beviglia dares to rank his finest songs in descending order from the 100th to his no. 1 greatest song.
In this unique book, Beviglia reflects not only on why each song has earned its place on list but lays out the story behind each of the 100, supplying fresh insights on the musical and lyrical content of Springsteen's remarkable body of work. Counting Down Bruce Springsteen brings together critical historical and biographical information to explain the making and importance of each song to its listeners, painting a fascinating portrait of Springsteen as a major American songwriter and consummate recording artist.
Counting Down Bruce Springsteen is the perfect playlist builder, whether it is for the diehard fan or the newbie just getting acquainted with the work of the Boss!
In this unique book, Beviglia reflects not only on why each song has earned its place on list but lays out the story behind each of the 100, supplying fresh insights on the musical and lyrical content of Springsteen's remarkable body of work. Counting Down Bruce Springsteen brings together critical historical and biographical information to explain the making and importance of each song to its listeners, painting a fascinating portrait of Springsteen as a major American songwriter and consummate recording artist.
Counting Down Bruce Springsteen is the perfect playlist builder, whether it is for the diehard fan or the newbie just getting acquainted with the work of the Boss!
- GenresNonfiction
220 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 2, 2026
This was a very fun read. I often found myself having to stop going down the list because it was getting too late and I needed to go to bed.
I listened to each song as I went, and I was pleasantly surprised to listen to some Bruce songs that *I* would never have included in a top 100 list but ended with me thinking, “OK, fair. That’s a good song.”
I will say the list included way more post-2002 songs than I expected, and most of them I didn’t agree with their inclusion since it meant leaving an older and better song off the list.
100 songs is like 1/4 of his work. (I appreciated that Beviglia only covered original/studio releases, otherwise it would have been more like 1/15th). It almost felt like the author’s goal was to “spread the love” in terms of including a lot of work written in the last 20+ years. Are there great songs on those albums? Of course! Are they great when compared to Bruce’s albums from the first 30 years? In most cases, I don’t think so.
They often feel too shiny, too slick, too overproduced for me. But maybe ask me again in 20 years and I’ll have changed my tune. But because it’s fun and it’s all subjective anyway, here are 9 swap-outs I would make to this list:
- Swap #99 “Easy Money” (Wrecking Ball, 2012) for “Fire” (The Promise, 2010)
- Swap #98 “Lucky Town” (Lucky Town, 1992) for “I Wanna Be With You” (Tracks, 1998)
- Swap #64 “Happy” (Tracks, 1998) for “She’s the One” (Born to Run, 1975)
- Swap #63 “We Are Alive” (Wrecking Ball, 2012) for “Youngstown” (The Ghost of Tom Joad, 1995)
- Swap #44 “Girls in Their Summer Clothes” (Magic, 2007) for “Reason to Believe” (Nebraska, 1982)
- Swap #38 “I Wish I Were Blind” (Human Touch, 1992) for “Fade Away” (The River, 1980)
- Swap #23 “Your Own Worst Enemy” (Magic, 2007) for “Human Touch” (Human Touch, 1992)
- Swap #7 “Lost in the Flood” (Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ, 1973) for “My Love Will Not Let You Down” (Tracks, 1998)
- Swap #3 “Incident on 57th Street” (The Wild, the Innocent & The E Street Shuffle, 1973) for “Out in the Street” (The River, 1980)
If you tried to tell 2024 (or younger) me that I would be moving Ghost of Tom Joad and Nebraska songs onto a top 100 list (other than “Atlantic City”), I would have not believed you! It’s been a year of growth.
The biggest issue I had was some of the mistakes and typos, the most egregious being the essay on “Hungry Heart”: “In the opening verse, the wife just up and leaves without any word of why or any warning to her imminent departure.” Excuse me? The WIFE up and leaves? How did no one catch this (unless they willfully chose not to listen to the first line of the song!!)?
I listened to each song as I went, and I was pleasantly surprised to listen to some Bruce songs that *I* would never have included in a top 100 list but ended with me thinking, “OK, fair. That’s a good song.”
I will say the list included way more post-2002 songs than I expected, and most of them I didn’t agree with their inclusion since it meant leaving an older and better song off the list.
100 songs is like 1/4 of his work. (I appreciated that Beviglia only covered original/studio releases, otherwise it would have been more like 1/15th). It almost felt like the author’s goal was to “spread the love” in terms of including a lot of work written in the last 20+ years. Are there great songs on those albums? Of course! Are they great when compared to Bruce’s albums from the first 30 years? In most cases, I don’t think so.
They often feel too shiny, too slick, too overproduced for me. But maybe ask me again in 20 years and I’ll have changed my tune. But because it’s fun and it’s all subjective anyway, here are 9 swap-outs I would make to this list:
- Swap #99 “Easy Money” (Wrecking Ball, 2012) for “Fire” (The Promise, 2010)
- Swap #98 “Lucky Town” (Lucky Town, 1992) for “I Wanna Be With You” (Tracks, 1998)
- Swap #64 “Happy” (Tracks, 1998) for “She’s the One” (Born to Run, 1975)
- Swap #63 “We Are Alive” (Wrecking Ball, 2012) for “Youngstown” (The Ghost of Tom Joad, 1995)
- Swap #44 “Girls in Their Summer Clothes” (Magic, 2007) for “Reason to Believe” (Nebraska, 1982)
- Swap #38 “I Wish I Were Blind” (Human Touch, 1992) for “Fade Away” (The River, 1980)
- Swap #23 “Your Own Worst Enemy” (Magic, 2007) for “Human Touch” (Human Touch, 1992)
- Swap #7 “Lost in the Flood” (Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ, 1973) for “My Love Will Not Let You Down” (Tracks, 1998)
- Swap #3 “Incident on 57th Street” (The Wild, the Innocent & The E Street Shuffle, 1973) for “Out in the Street” (The River, 1980)
If you tried to tell 2024 (or younger) me that I would be moving Ghost of Tom Joad and Nebraska songs onto a top 100 list (other than “Atlantic City”), I would have not believed you! It’s been a year of growth.
The biggest issue I had was some of the mistakes and typos, the most egregious being the essay on “Hungry Heart”: “In the opening verse, the wife just up and leaves without any word of why or any warning to her imminent departure.” Excuse me? The WIFE up and leaves? How did no one catch this (unless they willfully chose not to listen to the first line of the song!!)?
December 7, 2020
Es complicado coincidir con otros fans en cuanto a canciones favoritas porque todo es siempre subjetivo. Quizá la canción que a ti más te llena y que parece que habla de ti, a otro le sea ajena.
Pero que me hayas puesto Thunder Road en el número de 17 es pa tirarte una piedra a la cabeza, señor Jim. No sé si me ha dolido más eso o que New York City Serenade y Drive All Night hayan quedado fuera de las 100 primeras.
De esto que te pica la curiosidad por ver qué opina otra gente sobre tu música favorita y terminas más picá que una pared en obras.
Jamás te lo perdonaré, Jim Beviglia.
Pero que me hayas puesto Thunder Road en el número de 17 es pa tirarte una piedra a la cabeza, señor Jim. No sé si me ha dolido más eso o que New York City Serenade y Drive All Night hayan quedado fuera de las 100 primeras.
De esto que te pica la curiosidad por ver qué opina otra gente sobre tu música favorita y terminas más picá que una pared en obras.
Jamás te lo perdonaré, Jim Beviglia.
December 31, 2017
Just finished this great book. It’s been a long, slow and steady read but this is exactly how this wonderful book should be read. Truly the book is a labour of love with each of the 100 songs examined in an interesting but thought provoking way. I cannot recommend this book highly enough especially if you are a fan of the Boss. You might not agree with the song choice or their order but surely you will agree with me that this is a fascinating reflection on the songs of Bruce Springsteen.
August 13, 2018
Don't consider this a countdown, but rather an in depth look at the Boss's finest songs.
Jim Beviglia looks at the songs with a microscope to examine, instrumentation, song structure, lyrics and where they stand in creating the superstar that is Bruce Springsteen.
Jim Beviglia looks at the songs with a microscope to examine, instrumentation, song structure, lyrics and where they stand in creating the superstar that is Bruce Springsteen.
September 12, 2014
If I could give this book more than 5 stars I would. If I could, I'd give it 5 plus infinity. It's a must-read for any Springsteen fan, or anyone who loves a Springsteen fan but doesn't quite understand the devotion the fan has for The Boss.
If you've ever wondered by "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out" is so beloved by Springsteen's fans, or if you want to hear the story behind "Jungleland," this is the book for you. You may even gain new appreciation for and deeper understanding of some of your favorite songs. For example, I've always loved "Rosalita," but having an expert like Beviglia write about the sheer bravado Springsteen displayed in writing and recording it made me love it even more.
You can hear my conversation with Jim Beviglia at Anne's Book Club.
If you've ever wondered by "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out" is so beloved by Springsteen's fans, or if you want to hear the story behind "Jungleland," this is the book for you. You may even gain new appreciation for and deeper understanding of some of your favorite songs. For example, I've always loved "Rosalita," but having an expert like Beviglia write about the sheer bravado Springsteen displayed in writing and recording it made me love it even more.
You can hear my conversation with Jim Beviglia at Anne's Book Club.
July 5, 2014
The book alone merits 3 stars but following the book while listening to each of Springsteen's songs as being counted down is a 5-star experience. I do quibble with the ranking of songs (the biggest being Thunder Road and Badland - they each belong in top 5 and not in mid-teens) but overall an excellent survey of Boss's finest songs, a thorough analysis, and decent rankings.
March 28, 2017
Great info about each song, including analyzing lyrics and musical choices. Born to Run is #1!!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews