As voted for by Absolute Radio listeners.

1. Born To Run
2. The River
3. Born In The USA
4. Thunder Road
5. Dancing In The Dark
6. I’m On Fire
7. Jungleland
8. Philadelphia
9. Glory Days
10. Hungry Heart

Just missed out:
Human Touch
Girls In Their Summer Clothes
Sherry Darling
The Rising

Absolute Radio Song Comments

Ian Brooks in Kirkcaldy on Born To Run;
A grease-ball rocker which I first heard covered by Frankie Goes To Hollywood. An unusual route into the Boss’ music but it worked for me.

James Dodwell on Born To Run;
Happy times. The first Springsteen track I heard and still my favourite. I’ve seen him live 10 times and this track beats them all – although Darkness on the Edge of Town is still my favourite album.

Peter Reeves in Twickenham on Born To Run;
Quite simply this was my musical “holy shit moment” – it completely stopped me in my tracks and changed my outlook on music forever. I’m now 51 and have seen Bruce live more than 120 times all over the world. Born To Run is the best rock song ever – its a film in a song. Cant wait for the programme. All the best, Pete.

Michael O’Donnell on Born To Run;
Put in as simple terms as possible, it’s the best song ever made

Jo Dorney in South-East London on Born To Run;
My mum, who is no longer alive, absolutely loved this track and it brings back good memories of her singing ‘tramps like us, baby we were born to run’!! The look on her face was priceless.

Karen Spero in Brighton on Born To Run;
I was at the end of my school years, the power and the feel of Born to run, summed up our era in the mid 70′s! We thought we could take on the world!

Georgy Guiot in North London on Born To Run;
I got to see him for the first time last year at them emirates stadium (being an Arsenal fan it was amazing) and it was one of the greatest performances I’ve ever seen, he owned the stage and the crowd. Thanks Boss!

Danny Finn on Born To Run;
It is a fantastic tune that always gets my heart racing. I love have a clear road infromt on me when I’m driving and this comes on.

Rob Wright in Chester on The River;
I love every single one of the Boss’ songs. I love the way that he tells the story of the track and he takes you into the story and pulls you along. Who wouldn’t want to be in a Bruce Springsteen song? The one and only Legend.

Kate Ellis on The River;
The River, for me, is one of Bruce Springsteen’s most powerful and most moving songs. It’s a brutally sincere look at a relationship which turns stale and breaks down under the pressure of economic hardship and disappointed ideals – a kind of glimpse into the unsung tragedy of everyday working-class American life. Springsteen’s brilliant analogy between the couple’s relationship and the river, which seems to embody all of the hopes they once shared, never ceases to bring me close to tears. Not least in the lead-up to the song’s final devastating chorus: “Is a dream a lie if it don’t come true, or is it something worse that sends me down to the river, though I know the river is dry, that sends me down to the river tonight.” Beautiful.

Josh Forman in Ilford on The River;
Everytime I got in the car as a kid, my dad would have a Springsteen CD on and this was always my favourite. It took me till i was about 12 to realise it was actually really sad!!!

Alex Salmean on The River;
First heard it at Edinburgh Playhouse in 1981: one of life’s truly heartstopping moments
Paula Day in Colchester on Born In The USA;
Driving along in the summer with sunroof open, windows down, & not a care in the world! decades away from children & mortgages !

Luke Atkinson in Hemel Hempstead on Born In The USA;
This song just sums up Bruce, it is just a powerful song.

Christopher Mallinson in Huddersfield on Thunder Road;
This track is pure old school Springsteen, and it is defnitely in my top ten.

Jim Ulyett on Thunder Road;
The wonderfull line ” It’s a town full of losers and i’m pulling out of here to win” just gets me every time. I have stayed in my town to try to turn it into a town full of winners but…

Andrew Williams in West London on Thunder Road;
Springsteen has an incredible cinematic quality about all of his songs. This one just takes me to a place I can see so vividly. It does not matter where I am, when this song comes on, I go to that place every time.

Mark Powell in Coventry on Thunder Road;
Quite simply the best song ever written. Passion, love, despair and hope – its got it all. …and the best line of any song ever: “Show a little faith there’s magic in the night, you aint a beauty but hey, you’re alright.” Sheer bloody poetry

Hannah Carter on Thunder Road;
Its not just one of his greatest ever tracks but one of the greatest songs ever written! Its a beautiful song about taking risks, stepping into the unknown and living for the future. I saw him peform this live at Cardiff in 2008 and it was an amazing moment – one i will never forget.

Stewart Cole on Thunder Road;
This track is my old man’s favourite and when ever it was on he always cranked up the volume to the max.

Gareth Hooper on Thunder Road;
Its my favourite song by anybody off an amazing album. The way it builds from start to finish.. no real structure… no lyrics repeated – it makes me shiver everytime i hear it. The Boss at his epic best.

Neil Halford in Dudley on Thunder Road;
To be 19 and carefree again

Martin Bell on Thunder Road;
Thunder Road. Best. Song. Ever.

Emily Hassall in Uxbridge on Dancing In The Dark;
It is my favourite for many reasons – it reminds me of a happy innocent childhood, of smoky rooms in parties, and of my good old uncle Pete. But mainly it makes me laugh because apparently it inspired my legendary dance moves – which have not developed nor improved since I first saw the video 20 years ago…

Neil Rees on Dancing In The Dark;
When I was young it was the song to make your move on a girl.

Joanna Silvester in Twickenham on Dancing In The Dark;
Love the lyrics – “Wanna change my hair, my clothes, my face”‘ – don’t we all? Also saw Amy McDonald perform a version of this at Oxford Carling Academy which was just so good.

Di Gill on I’m On Fire;
Silly really but my ex-boyfriend from a few years ago used to sing it to my little girl – he wasn’t her Dad but looked after her like one – sorry its soppy.

Anne Roake on I’m On Fire;
Reminds me of when i first got together with my now husband – and not being a bruce fan – having to suffer the tape in his car …until this track came on… its a beautiful song.

Mark Shanahan on Jungleland;
The ultimate slice of 20th century New Jersey melodrama

Julie DiAngelis on Jungleland;
It’s just a memory – heard it performed live in 1985 Los Angeles Coliseum, Clarence’s saxophone projecting over the summer night like a haunting shooting star. They said it took 16 hrs to record that solo.
The song is an amazing story too – of dreams lost.

Geoff Allum in Cardiff on Jungleland;
Hammersmith Odeon November 18th 1975, the first time I saw him, the whole set was like nothing I had ever experienced before!! The piano and sax on Jungleland is just absolutely incredible – every time I hear it, it’s instant transportation back to the Hammersmith Odeon, just magic.

Nick Erb in Dartford on Jungleland;
This has got to be the ultimate Springsteen track – it’s got everything. The E Street Band at their best with the greatest Saxaphone solo from the big man that this planet has ever heard. Sorry for the passion but I hope you can see where I am going.

Ryan Colquhoun on Philadelphia;
For me it’s the haunting strings that make this an Absolute classic

Matthew Cotter in Glasgow on Glory Days;
Typical 80′s American pop rock song that gets you singing without you even knowing it. Even the video is all-America, baseball, cafe.

Patrick Seery in Chester on Hungry Heart
It reminds me of my first holiday to Florida in 1980, listening to Zeta 4 Radio whilst driving a Pontiac Firebird along the highway. I even bought the album (The River) to bring home with me.

Steve Redpath in Worcester on Human Touch;
This is a track that burns straight down to my soul. Right from the start the lyrics and tune grab hold of you and transport you to his world. Dark and melancholic at times it never the less has an uplifting message to it. Listen to it and know just what it means to connect to another person.

Joanne Hill in Portsmouth on Girls In Their Summer Clothes;
I saw Bruce in concert last summer and this track was the best, and it brings back good memories

Liz McGettigan in Harrow on Girls In Their Summer Clothes;
I have been a fan since 1975 and his music over the years has been sensational. I don’t know how he keeps blowing me away with his songs year on year. This is the best of the last album and I look forward to hearing how he could possibly better it.

Simon Davies on The Rising;
This track sums up the hopelessness of the post 9/11 world.

Ruth Anne French in Eltham on Sherry Darling;
It reminds me of the time I finally got to see The Boss live. I grew up in a Bruce-crazy household but was deemed too young by my parents to accompany them to gigs in 80′s and 90′s, and I felt like I’d really missed out. I was so happy when he played Crystal Palace in 03 with the E Street Band, and I finally got to see him live. I was at the front of the stage and Sherry Darling was the song I wanted to hear most – I was over the moon when they played it.

Nigel Roberts in St Albans on Tunnel of Love
When I was 30 I was going out with a girl younger than me and we went to see him in Concert at the old Wembley Stadium – it was BRILLIANT.

Marlene Craig in Aberdeen on Brilliant Disguise;
It was the track that introduced me to “The Boss”. I was made to sit and watch the video from start to finish by my pal Davie Nelson and a couple of times I was distracted and looked away. Both times he rewound it and said that I must watch the whole video without being distracted. Thanks Davie, I’ve never looked away since.

Steve Wilson in Chelmsford on Working On The Highway;
It reminds me of summer, it’s a great sing-a-long track and is always the forgotten surprise when I dig out the amazing Born In The USA album. Just gets your toes tapping and a yearning to get the room down and keep driving…

Sam Taylor in Swansea on Atlantic City;
Nebraska is such a stark contrast to Bruce’s E Street Band output. As opposed to making the usual (albeit brilliant) life-affirming pop/rock, we see Bruce playing lo-fi, stripped down folk songs, which gives the whole album this wondrous intimacy. Atlantic City is a wonderful example of this desolately dusty sound. With just a guitar, a harmonica and a mandolin, Springsteen presents us with a dying city, uncertain of its future which is also reflected in the lovers escaping to the titular city. Awwwwwesome.

Will Broadribb on Mary’s Place;
A really uplifting track, that brimmed with life and vibrancy when he performed it at the Emirates Stadium

Kate Ellis on Point Blank;
It’s a song which has it all: searing social criticism and a strong political message, the memory of a passionate relationship and the bitter regret of losing it, the pain of seeing a lost love again, and the pain of seeing her changed…anger, disillusionment, hardship, grief. Almost every time I listen to it I am brought close to tears. This is Bruce at his most angry and most powerful, and yet it’s a song which I think is very often under-rated or even completely forgotten. Please don’t let it be forgotten on Wednesday night.

Dave Wall on Tenth Avenue Freeze Out;
From the Born To Run album, of which every track is a classic; this track in particular paints such a vivid and complete picture of mid-seventies streetwise life in a New York or more likely New Jersey area. As you listen to the song the sheer craftmanship of the instruments set the scene as the description in words unfolds. Quite brilliant, especially when you consider this was written by a then 22 year old Bruce.

Paul Harris in Sutton on Bobby Jean;
Reminds me of sitting on a sunny beach, drinking beer, listening to that track, in southern France in September 1991 after 5 mates and me had driven down there in a beat up old Land Rover.

Alistair Gibson on Independence Day ;
Its a song about all of us, about our relationship with our parents and as we grow older, about our relationships with our children. On July 4th 1985 at Wembley Stadium at the height of his fame, he just walked on stage and played this to open – an unforgettable moment for 70,000 people – before launching into Born in the USA.