Favorite and/or Best Springsteen album?

Since I'm really happy in my job, I tend to sometimes find myself blaring Springsteen on my 30-minute ride home with the sunroof and windows open. (I would also do this when I hated my last 2 years in newspapers, but it was a different feeling.)

I got to thinking this evening as I popped in 'Darkness on the Edge of Town" that this is my favorite top-to-bottom Springsteen album by a very slim margin over "Born to Run."

I know there are some very fervent and knowledgeable Springsteen fans here, so I ask what's your favorite Boss album, and why? And if it's different, what do you think is his best album, and why?

 

What does the "and/or" mean?

Darkness on the Edge of Town is my favorite, but Born to Run is really, really close. I go back and forth. They're both among my six favorite albums ever.

Versatile's Bruce Springsteen album power rankings:

1. Darkness on the Edge of Town
2. Born to Run
3. The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle
4. Nebraska
5. Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.
6. The River
7. Wrecking Ball
8. We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions
9. Born in the USA
10. Tunnel of Love (I'm aware everyone likes this album more than me)
11. The Rising
12. Magic
13. Lucky Town
14. The Ghost of Tom Joad
15. Devils & Dust
16. Working on a Dream
17. Human Touch

 

I got Darkness from the Columbia House Record and Tape a club as one of my free 11 8 Track tapes for joining

As a Springsteen fan since 1974 I like The River, Born to run, Darkness, E St Suffle, Asbury Park, BITUSA, Wrecking Ball, The Rising

 

1. Darkness
2. Born To Run
3. The River
4. The Rising
5. Nebraska
6. Tunnel of Love
7. BITUSA
8. TWIESS
9. Lucky Town
10. Wrecking Ball
11. TGOTJ
12. Greetings
13. D&D
14. WOAD
15. Human Touch
16. Magic

 

The River.

God, I love that album.

 

Today's E Street Joe rankings. Top 3 are locked in. Rest are subject to mood/life events/other stuff going on at the moment

1. The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle
2. Born to Run
3 Darkness on the Edge of Town
4. Lucky Town (yes, I realize I like this one more than 99% of Bruce fans)
5. The River
6. Born in the USA
7. Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ
8. Wrecking Ball
9. Nebraska
10. Tunnel of Love (yes, I realize that the vast majority of Bruce fans rank this one higher)
11. We Shall Overcome: Seeger Sessions
12. Working on a Dream
13. Ghost of Tom Joad
14 Magic
15. The Rising
16. Devils & Dust
17. Human Touch

 

Darkness followed by Born to Run, followed by whatever I'm in the mood for. I like the MTV Plugged CD. I listen to parts of Lucky Town and Human Touch more than most of his real fans would admit to. I bought Nebraska when it was released and I'll bet I've listened to it 10 times since. If ever the day comes when I believe I'm enjoying life too much, I'll listen to it an 11th time.

 

You're making Nebraska sound like Transformer or Closer or Disintegration. It's not.

 

Darkness on the Edge of Town by a country mile, though I enjoy virtually everything pre-Born in the USA.

 

It's cheating, but this concert was amazing....

 

Indeed, tremendous album. I really like the Seeger Session live in Dublin album too for the radical reworking of some of my faves like "Open All Night".

 

The only Springsteen album I have is Nebraska and I love it. I remember putting down a book I was reading about halfway through the title track because I was just captivated. I realize it's a downer, but I just love the starkness of the recordings.