number eight

8. Bruce Springsteen, Born to Run. Well duh, right? We all knew this would be in the Top 10, didn't we? Not because I'm the #1 Boss fan in the world, but just because it'd be very difficult to leave Born to Run off the top of the list. First of all, Springsteen is America's troubadour, right? And with all the great albums he's put out in his career, I think this one clearly shines the most.

I'm not a Bruce Springsteen expert, and I think you'd need to be one to write something original about Born to Run. Or any of his albums, for that matter. There aren't many musicians who have fans as devoted as his, and from what I've heard he's just as devoted to them. (Apparently, 3-hour shows are standard for him.) I've gained more and more respect for Springsteen over the years, and his endorsement of John Kerry over Bush back in 2004 helped take the sting out of a bitter loss in that election. But I can still think back to college, and listening to this album (which had come out only about 10 years before I'd started college), and feeling connected to a golden age of rock that I hadn't actually lived through. And though I grew up a ways away from New Jersey in upstate NY, it still seemed like half of the songs on Born to Run were written about my hometown. I'm not quite sure how Springsteen did that, but apparently millions of people have felt the same way. Not so much the place as the feeling.