The 25 best deep cuts in Bruce Springsteen’s catalogue

From start to finish, the songs on 1984’s Born in the U.S.A. have been consistently celebrated for decades. However, the slower-paced “Downbound Train” has a tendency to regularly get lost in the shuffle. It was never released as a single and has been an infrequent concert song that has never really allowed newer generations of Springsteen fans to appreciate what a hidden gem it’s been all these years.

Springsteen’s 2014 studio release High Hopes featured the controversial “American Skin (41 Shots)” and “The Ghost of Tom Joad.” Lost amid more popular tunes like those is “Down in the Hole,” which was part of a series of songs from the record originally put together the decade prior. In the vein of “I’m on Fire” from Born in the U.S.A., there is a haunting element to “Down in the Hole.” It sounds dark, but there’s some hope in the lyrics. Springsteen’s daughter, Jessica, provides backing vocals on the song.

Springsteen’s 1973 debut album Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. is somewhat of an acquired taste even for his most dedicated fans. However, one of the more intriguing cuts from the record is this plodding acoustic number about a drag queen. It’s an early Springsteen song that exemplified his fancy for Bob Dylan. It was never a successful track for The Boss, but looking back on his iconic career, this is a fun trip in time to see where his musical mind and heart were residing at the time.

Written in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks on America, 2002’s The Rising is an emotionally raw album. While it produced some of Springsteen’s most popular songs (the title cut, “My City of Ruins,” “Lonesome Day”), there are unheralded tracks like “Paradise” that truly make the record among the best in the legend’s catalog. Simple, yet haunting, there’s a certain “The Sound of Silence” aura to the song, which has long been considered one of the album’s best musical moments as noted by critics.

2007’s Magic was Springsteen’s follow up to The Rising, but took five years to come out. And it didn’t disappoint, with Grammy Award-winning singles in “Radio Nowhere” and “Girls in Their Summer Clothes.” However, one of the great overlooked tracks from Magic is “I’ll Work for Your Love.” It’s a perfect blend of old-school Springsteen pop rock (from The River) and the more polished, almost retrospective vibe of The Rising. Another example of how strong Springsteen’s latter-day work has been.

From 2020’s Letter to You, the uptempo, churning “Burnin’ Train” was not among the four songs released from an album that was never really able to generate a lot of immediate attention due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, when Springsteen and the E Street Band returned to the stage, “Burnin’ Train” became part of those live sets. It wasn’t played during every show, but the song proved to be one of the more underappreciated moments on the night — much like the tune itself.

The River (1980), along with outtakes or lost tracks from the legendary double LP, will be well-represented on this list. “Jackson Cage” resides early on the record, and is a tune about self-seclusion and one looking for a sense of purpose. And, perhaps, being too afraid to do so. This is just one of several themes found on The River, which is truly an album about everyday life. Side One is so great, featuring classics like “The Ties That Bind,” “Two Hearts,” and “Independence Day,” it’s easy for “Jackson Cage” to be overlooked.

Digging deeper into outtakes from The River, 1979’s “Where the Bands Are” found a home on the Tracks and 18 Tracks releases from the late 1990s. The latter album featured poppier tunes from that time in Springsteen’s career. The jubilant and casually bombastic “Where the Bands Are” certainly had a place in that collection, and actually became a staple of those E Street Band reunion shows from 1999 and into 2000.

Those fortunate enough to catch a live Springsteen show over the last year or so should be familiar with this deepest of cuts from his second LP The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle. “Kitty’s Back” is one of four songs on the record that clocks in at more than seven minutes. In concert form, complete with ample backing from a brass section, “Kitty’s Back cracks the 10-minute mark. Overall, it’s a quality full-out blues rocker with a jazzy twist that has earned more attention in the last 12-16 months than the previous 50 years.

Frustration, both economically and socially, are just a couple of themes that can be found on The River. “You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)” touches on both. An undeniable Springsteen rocker, the song has never seemed to get its due, much like “Cadillac Ranch,” another tune from the record that seemed destined to be a hit. However, there’s a case to be made that “You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)” is not really much of a deep cut. Rather another underappreciated example of The River‘s brilliance.

“Rendezvous” was part of the Darkness on the Edge of Town sessions, and often played live by Springsteen during the mid-to-late 1970s. However, it never made the famed 1978 record because he felt it didn’t fit with the overall theme of the album. “Rendezvous,” which was covered by the Greg Kihn Band and Gary U.S. Bonds, eventually made its way on to the Tracks releases, in live form, and The Promise (2010). It’s a poppy number that’s best experienced in a concert setting.

The final stretch of The River can be rather depressing. The criminally underrated “Price You Pay” is among those closing moments. An honest track about life’s hardships, the song also harkens back to Springsteen’s Darkness on the Edge of Town record, more specifically referencing the elements of “The Promised Land” — just pay attention to the comparable intro to this song. Sadly, this is one of a handful of songs from The River that consistently gets lost amid the record’s overall greatness.

Springsteen wrote a number of rollicking songs for The River, and many have the same kind of up-tempo vibe. Even if the subject matter is more serious than the party-like sound might indicate. That’s the case with ‘I Wanna Be with You,” a song that did not make the album’s final cut, but received some deserved recognition when put out via the Tracks releases, as well as The Ties That Bind: The River Collection box set from 2015. It also features another standout sax performance from the legendary Clarence Clemons.

Speaking of outtakes from The River. “Take ’em as They Come” offers some of the musical sensibility as the stuff from Darkness on the Edge of Town, but also represents Springsteen’s move toward more pop-oriented songs that were found on The River. The tune was released on Tracks, then as part of the 2015’s The Ties That Bind: The River Collection box set. “Take ’em as They Come” an easily likable song that should satisfied any level of Springsteen fan.

There are plenty of Springsteen fans who feel the stripped down, acoustic album of brilliant demos Nebraska (1982) is his finest work. It certainly continues to be praised. A rather bleak record, Nebraska isn’t an easy listen, but this might have been Springsteen at the height of his heartfelt, focused and gritty presence as a songwriter. If critics and fans weren’t taking him seriously they were after Nebraska. “Mansion on the Hill” was not a hit, but can hang with anything on the album. Springsteen’s harmonica intro remains the highlight of the song.

A Bruce Springsteen love song that never made the Born in the U.S.A. record. And, looking back on that album, it made sense. While it remains one of The Boss’ best slow jams, and certainly showcases how melodic his voice can be, it didn’t quite fit in with the concept and eventual mainstream pop sound of U.S.A. Still, if the casual Boss fan is looking for a hidden gem, look no further than “Janey, Don’t You Lose Heart.” Found on the Tracks releases, the song also showcases the iconic talent of saxophonist Clarence Clemons.

Another outtake from Born in the U.S.A. During Springsteen’s reunion tour with the E Street Band during the late 1990s and into 2000, “My Love Will Not Let You Down” often opened those shows. It’s a totally infectious tune that exudes the pop flare Springsteen had mastered with The River, then most definitely on Born in the U.S.A. Though it was never included on a studio album, the song, which showcased the hopeless romantic The Boss has always been, found a home on the Tracks releases and remains a special gem to hear live. Drummer Max Weinberg, organist Danny Federici and pianist Roy Bittan all deliver strong performances.

Springsteen’s popularity during the mid-to-late 1970s was, in part, based on an ability to lyrically capture the idea of male freedom in his songs. “Born to Run,” “Thunder Road,” “Badlands,” for instance, all have that element of escaping reality, usually while driving off somewhere with a car that is a symbol of such free man. The ballad “Racing in the Street,” from Darkness, follows that formula, but has long been overshadowed by these other songs, which feature a more larger-than-life sound.

When it comes to epic Springsteen tracks, “New York City Serenade” is certainly in the running. Though, it never achieved the lasting fame of other grandiose Bruce cuts like “Jungleland” or “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight),” there is something worthy of this ambitious effort. From The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle, the near 10-minute “New York City Serenade” showed off precociousness of the young Springsteen’s songwriting ability. Despite its lukewarm reception from music buyers, the tune is a preview of The Boss’ potential.

In 2012, Springsteen released the Grammy Award-nominated Wrecking Ball. It featured popular tracks like “Death to My Hometown,” “Land of Hope and Dreams” and “We Take Care of Our Own.” “Jack of All Trades” has not even come close to enjoying the same level of acclaim as those songs, but it’s perhaps the most poignant and relatable moment on the record. A track about an everyman doing what he can to stay afloat amid a rough economy, Springsteen rarely disappoints when showing off his humanity.

As noted, Nebraska offers some depressing subject matter: murder, corruption, death and hopelessness. However, the brilliant album concludes with this rather hopeful, optimistic moment in the form of “Reason to Believe.” A folksy number, “Reason to Believe” is Springsteen in his most human form, trying to believe there is light amid the darkness and better days ahead. An undeniably underrated song for a man who always believed in himself.

The tale of “Thundercrack” is a special moment amid Springsteen’s legendary career. According to E Street Shuffle, Springsteen wrote “Thundercrack” as a song to end his sets. It reportedly was first played in 1973, and one of its most notable performances came that year at Los Angeles’ Ahmanson Theatre. It’s a fun concert tune, complete with memorable support and backing vocals from both Danny Federici and Clarence Clemons, and perhaps The Boss’ greatest guitar moment. Sadly, the tune never remained as what he called a “showstopper,” and eventually gave way to the ever-popular “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)”

There’s certainly an argument to be made that “Candy’s Room” is not a deep cut. Mainly because it’s had a place — on and off — during Springsteen’s live sets for decades. What fans of The Boss can likely agree upon is that the tune just might be the most underrated moment from Darkness on the Edge of Town. The breakneck “Candy’s Room,” a song about hope, is legendary E Street drummer Max Weinberg at his best — even if his individual performance during the sessions were criticized at times.

The Boss has his share of “party” songs. Loud, raucous, a musical free-for-all — that was the case during the early portion of The River. Songs like “Sherry Darling” and “Out in the Street” have that feel-good vibe, but “Crush On You” never really gets the credit it deserves as one of Springsteen’s best deeper cuts. It’s no-nonsense, just a good time for the ears while pining for the woman of one’s dreams, and one track we wish he would devote some live time to, aside from when he played the record in its entirety several years back.

Though never released as a single and consistently overshadowed in terms of mainstream popularity by other songs from The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle, “Incident on 57th Street” has long been considered one of Springsteen’s breakout efforts from a songwriting standpoint — even if fans didn’t particularly warm to the near eight-minute, observational story song that showed the kid might have something special. According to Springsteen lore, the song is also considered sort of a prequel to the aforementioned “Jungleland” from Born to Run.