Released on January 14, 2014. A collection of re-recorded outtakes, covers, and new songs featuring Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello. While not a traditional studio album, it includes powerful versions of "The Ghost of Tom Joad" (with Morello) and "American Skin (41 Shots)."

Released on September 30, 1982. An intentional left turn. Recorded alone on a 4-track Tascam in a New Jersey bedroom, Nebraska is a stark, haunting acoustic collection about murderers, outcasts, and the American subconscious. Though it contained no hits, it remains one of the most influential solo albums in history (Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash were fans).

Released on March 6, 2012. Fueled by anger over the 2008 financial crisis and the death of saxophonist Clarence Clemons. This album incorporates folk, gospel, and Irish protest music. The title track and "Death to My Hometown" are furious, anthemic calls for economic justice.

Released on November 5, 1973. Just ten months after his debut, Springsteen released this sophomore effort. It features longer, jazz-influenced arrangements and Latin percussion. The 9-minute epic "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" became an instant concert staple, showcasing the full power of the E Street Band for the first time.

Released on August 25, 1975. Desperately recorded amidst legal battles with manager Mike Appel, this album was a make-or-break moment. It worked. Born to Run is a wall-of-sound masterpiece about youthful escape. The title track, "Thunder Road," and "Jungleland" turned Springsteen into a Time and Newsweek cover star overnight.

Released on June 2, 1978. Following the legal disputes, this album is darker and more adult. It trades teenage escape for adult responsibility, focusing on economic hardship, family, and perseverance. Tracks like "Badlands," "The Promised Land," and "Racing in the Street" defined the "heartland rock" genre. The 1980s: Global Superstardom 1980: The River Released on October 17, 1980. Springsteen’s first double album and his first #1 on the Billboard charts. The River mastered the shift between party rockers ("Cadillac Ranch," "Ramrod") and devastating ballads ("The River," "Fade Away"). It was his commercial breakthrough, reaching a massive new audience.

For over five decades, Bruce Springsteen has served as the premier chronicler of the American working class. From the raw poetry of the New Jersey shore to the global anthems of stadium rock, his discography is a living document of hope, struggle, and redemption. Below is a complete guide to Springsteen’s studio albums, arranged by the year they changed rock music. The 1970s: The Arrival of a Poet * 1973: Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. * Released on January 5, 1973. This debut album is dense with witty, beat-poetry lyrics and street-corner characters. While it didn't initially chart high, it introduced the world to "Blinded by the Light" (later a #1 hit for Manfred Mann) and "Spirit in the Night."

Released on April 25, 2006. A joyful, folk-punk detour. Springsteen reinterpreted 13 traditional folk songs popularized by activist Pete Seeger using a massive, 18-piece brass-and-fiddle band. It is his only album of entirely non-original material.