This site is severely flawed! Of course Springsteen rates five stars. He is the greatest live performer that I've ever seen. (I thought The Who was great, but I rank them below Bruce live.) He has written great songs in a variety of styles. He is an underrated guitarist. (If you saw him play on the "Darkness" tour you would be slow to underrate him in that category!) And here he is, in his late 50's putting out the album "Magic" which I feel is his best since "Darkness." What about "Born to Run"? For me, it is the greatest rock and roll album of all time.

Springsteen is one of most overrated songwriters and performers out there today. I know that a lot of people hold him in reverence, probably because they see something in his lyrics that they sympathize with or connect with.  He's "Americana" to a big group of people, and I don't question his committment to charity work.. But I find most of his work to be cliche and conventional.  His voice lacks also lacks range; in fact, it sounds like he's shouting out his lyrics rather than performing at times!

One of the greatest song writers of our time, an urban Dylan.

People on this site are truly amazing. To rate the Boss a 274 is horrible. The man has been around for over 30 years,writing,singing and playing music,he is a true artist. Even if you don't like his voice he is an excellent songwriter and a stellar performer. A man who has made so many contributions to music that it is unbelievable.A kind man who has always looked out for the working class man and has given countless financial support for good causes such as the vietnam vets and others.Written songs for the pointer sisters,the mavericks, natalie cole and manfred man to name a few. A poet and a romantic, a person who truly Loves doing what he does. If you can't appreciate his talent even if you don't like his style just listen to a few albums of his from the 70's and 80's and you will know why he is called the Boss. People who rate these artists on here must be very young and do not have a clue about true artists. Some of these artists put music now days to shame.

I have historically thought of Bruce Springsteen the same as I have Prince, namely artists that I had great respect for as songwriters but less so as performers. As the years progressed, I gained more appreciation for Prince as a performer but not as much for Springsteen. With that said, Springsteen along with Elvis Costello, Randy Newman, and the aforementioned Prince are easily considered among the greater songwriters of the more recent generations. As a performer, Springsteen does have some remarkable moments: "Blinded By The Light", "Born To Run", "Thunder Road", "I'm On Fire", "Ain't Got You", "Tunnel Of Love", "Brilliant Disguise", and "Fire", all of which also emphasize his songwriting as well. Nevertheless, singles like "Born In The U.S.A." and "Pink Cadillac" are (quite frankly) noisy tripe, and if these songs had been arranged and performed by a lesser-regarded artist they would have been recognized as tripe. The bottom line is that for the vast majority of music fans, one of the less encompassing compilation releases will scratch any Springsteen itch. My only qualification is that "Tunnel Of Love" (1987) would be a worthy supplement to a 'greatest hits' release as it has a nice, consistent acoustic sound.

Shockingly overrated. . .that 'porn in the usa' crap was so commercialized that the Boss is a little embarrassed by it now. . .

It beats me why this blue collar bozo is treated with such reverence and has shifted so many units when the far superior Steve Earle, who ploughs a similar furrow, isnt as commercially successful.

What was your Layla called again ... out of cages on Hwy 9 ... yeah up by Alpine NJ right? Ever planning on writing another song again? fuggouttahere fuggedaboudit!

One word Bruce.......WHY! Why did you change? You used to put out true classic American rock music. In my opinion you havent made ANYTHING decent since "Born in the USA"

In the past few years you decided to climb on a soapbox......WHY! Shut the hell up about politics get back to writing good music again. Try something thats gets your ass moving instead of depressing us about your view of whats right and wrong about the world. If you want to be in politics...... run for office, put your money where your mouth is and RUN. Then, for better or worse, you'll find out how many folks really agree with your point of view. Until then, try writing stuff similar to the "Born to Run" album again. That was great stuff.

Leave aside the record company hype, which started with the simultaneous Time and Newsweek covers in 1975 and has been fueled by the infatuation that Jann Wenner and Rolling Stone have had for 30 years. And don't pay any attention to the multi million selling middle period when artist and radio were briefly in synch and the units of product rolled off the assembly line in record numbers. Look past all of that stuff and you will find a surprisingly diverse catalogue of music that has been heartfelt and honest and played with love and gusto. Few other artists have foregone the trappings of mega-stardom and repaid the loyalty of fans by continuing to put on a great show every night of every tour after 35 years.

I've warmed up to Bruce over the years. Actually, I've always like him but it was somewhat unhip for an indy-alternative snob like myself to proclaim his greatness. I've gotten over that and I really have appreciated his newer material as well as his older stuff. I personally prefer his solo acoustic material over his work with the E Street Band. Especially Nebraska.

Yuk!!!!!!!!!

Patriotic American idiot. The Forrest Gump of music.

Bruce springsteens music and words have changed my life. his songs have always been their for me when I needed guidance or even to pull me out of the gutter and dust me off. Jungleand and thunder road seem to leave me with chills even though i have heard them time and time again. Badlands kicks the crap out of you and makes you think. he knows exactlty what every 24 year old feels in born to run(how old he was when he wrote it and my age now)....romantic full of passion and restlessness. He is real his words are real. i can honestly say their isnt one song he has released that I dont like. I am not here to try to convince anyone on bruce either you can relate to him or you dont really hear him. thats okay he is an aquired taste and mostly for the thinkin man with soul. Im here to thank bruce springsteen for being my soundtrack and inspiration for the past twenty four years of my life! " sir I aint a boy, no im a man, and I believe in the promisedland" -the boss

His music is for the thinking person with a soul. He makes you think, dream, feel, love, cry, get angry. Evertyhing the true art is about. If you are just looking for a dance beat or mind numbing feel good music, he is not for you. If your looking for someone who can inspire you to greater heights, feel your soul...He is the Boss. By far the best live performer in history. Long live the boss and keep on rocking.

This is one I just don't get. Some of the hits are ok but the rest of it is annoying at best. One of the most over rated performers ever. He is a better song writter than he is a singer. Perfect example is Blinded By the Light. Mann Fred Mann does a much better version than Bruce. The boss should stick to writing and let people with voices sing it.

one of my favorites, if not my favorite. from the Greetings from Asbury Park to The Rising, through Bruce's various incarnations as a downtown poet to working-class bar band leader with a bent for 4-track recording to megastar, confused middle ager, and back again, i've never been disapointed. true there are a few albums i dont visit as often as the others (Born in the USA) but on the whole, I typically listen to a couple of Bruce albums a week. people contend that Bruce can't sing, but can only write, like Dylan. I suppose that's a matter of interpretation but i find that Springsteen's gruff voice compliment the tone of his songs and the characters he's singing about. And what is Bruce Springsteen singing about? everything from go kart queens to to blue collar folks to strained parents/children, to folks without a home; people in busted marriages and in busted situation; to wanting redemption and love; as man coming to terms with the loss of his youth; to someone trying to heal a nation. Springsteen covers the bases, but he does it in a thematic way that has carried the Boss for over 30 years. i have only one complaint about Springsteen and that was his open support of John Kerry. one of the best things about Springsteen was not knowing what side of the fence he fell on, even though his lyrics pointed toward an obvious liberal biasis. Springsteen was one of the few that i believe most fans could separate the music from the message. people understood struggle and desire, despite their affiliations. Supporting Kerry put Bruce and his legacy on the line in a way not beneficial to the music. But i guess desperate times call for desperate measures.....

Bruce is a good man,but the E-Street Band leaves a lot to be desired.They're just too glitzy to do him any justice.His best album,in my opinion,is The one he did without them:the ghost of tom joad : Stipped down and haunting,Bruce finally caught at his socially conscious,soulful,sincere and honest best.I give THAT album 5 stars!

The best musician of the last 30 years. Period.

Yeah, I saw Bruce & The E-Street Band in concert. Philadelphia's old Spectrum, Christ- mas, 1982. It was GREAT! A four hour tour de force. A few years later, he fired the E-Street Band (unceremoniously). When he couldn't buy a hit (working with other musicians), he hired the E-Streeters back. Then, he was elected to the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. Alone. As a single artist. He accepted, too. Would Buddy Holly go in without the Crickets? I don't think so! I never bought a Bruuuuuce album after that. So, B.S. (apt initials!) is organizing concerts (in swing states) to help get John Kerry elected. Along with the Dixie Chicks, of course. What do you know, birds of a feather, DO flock together! What's that, he has a right to do that? OF COURSE, he does, but WHAT he and the Dixie Chicks (where's Linda Ronstadt?) KNOW about politics can fit on the head of a pin. Stick to music, Bruce. Join a Golden Oldies Tour. Be the opening act for Johnny Maestro and Brooklyn Bridge. Start hawking records on late night T.V., just like Slim Whitman.

Mediocare singing voice but one of the best songwriters around. He feels the word he sings and this makes up for his lack of strong vocals. Energetic and great to see in concert. He loses some stars for throwing in his liberal politics at his concerts.

His working class man act is nauseatingly fraudulent.

His singing sounds like a castrated bull moaning in excruciating pain. Even one note lasts way too long. My ears. My ears. Shut him up PLEASE!

Steve Earle does this sort of thing with more credibility and balls. Springsteen's 'blue collar' image is as bogus as J-Lo's 'I'm just a regular girl from the 'hood drivel.

Making a song of someone's death and cashing in on it is inexcuable. Amadou Diallo died and in came the bucks, bills, checks, cash, and coins. Shame on you, Bruce. Amadou Diallo's family got nothing and you got all that dough. Give some of that money to Amadou's family! Also, I don't think he should be describing in front of Amadou Diallo's kids how their father was shot.

Well he is The Boss so we better listen to him or we might lose our jobs, lol. Seriously while I personally am not a fan I do like some of his songs and I do recognize his contribution to music. I'm not an expert on Springsteen but I do recognize that he is a good songwriter, has an excellent band in the E Street band, and most important carved out his own style.

MUST ADMIT, USED TO BE A BIG FAN UNTIL BRUCE STARTED WITH THE SOCIAL COMMENTARIES. HERE'S A GUY WITH A BAZILLION DOLLARS IN THE BANK TRYING TO COME ACROSS AS MY NEXTDOOR BLUE COLLAR WORKING CLASS BUDDY.IF MR SPRINGSTEEN WANTS TO FORGO ALL OF HIS CAPITALISTIC REWARDS THAT HIS COUNTRY HAS BESTOWED UPON HIM HE CAN EITHER MOVE TO A FOREIGN COUNTRY OR, HOW 'BOUT THIS BRUCE,WHY NOT GIVE ALL BUT A MILLION DOLLARS TO CHARITIES TO FEED HUNGRY CHILDREN? NO?, DIDN'T THINK SO, SO SHUT THE F--- UP! JUST A LITTLE JEWEL TO ALL THE BRUUUUCE FANS OUT THERE; EVER NOTICE HOW WHENEVER A BIO ON BRUCE COMES UP THEY ALWAYS KIND OF GLOSS OVER HIS VIETNAM INDUCTION INTO THE MILITARY? IT'S ALWAYS "BRUCE FAILED HIS PHYSICAL." OR "BRUCE WAS CONSIDERED 4-F." THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS THAT WHEN UNCLE SAM CALLED UPON MR MACHO STREET RACER WITH HIS FENDER SLUNG OVER HIS BACK TO SERVE HIS TOUR OF DUTY, BRUCE TOLD THE DRAFT BOARD THAT HE WAS GAY. YUP, THE "BOSS" TOLD THE DRAFT BOARD THAT HE WAS A PILLOW BITING COCKSUCER IN ORDER TO AVERT HIS RESPONSIBILIY TO HIS COUNTRY. LET ME ASK YOU THIS, BRUCE, WHAT OTHER 19 YEAR OLD KID HAD TO GO IN YOUR PLACE? THAT KID IS THE REAL BOSS.

He is just ok. I'll give him points for sincerity, though.

LIKED HIS LATER WORK LIKE THE STUFF HE HE IN THE 90 S "STREETS OF PHILADELPHIA ETC" AND LOVED HIS DANCIN IN THE DARK.

Overrated, terrible singer. He always records vocal tracks in multiples so the slight "echo" effect you hear disguises his poor vocals. Play an album and find out for yourself.

Even though his voice isn't the greatest ever, he is really, really hot ! Great looking man ! And he is very patriotic, which is a huge plus !

The personification of America.

My favorite artist 20 years ago, created some exceptional music in the seventies and early eighties. Starting with Nebraska, with few exceptions, his work lacked the energy and vitality it once had. He was The Boss, now he's just a supervisor on the graveyard shift.

Wow what a talented artist. He truly is THE BOSS. Love him and his music.

Pompous blowhard who appeals to the tonedeaf. Posturing little wuss who heavy-handedly shoves his Jersey street ID down your throat, while this schmuck actually hid out at his parents' split level in deep suburban Freehold while he was growing up. A phony. Doesn't sing: he shouts. His music is gimmicky, predictable and cliche-ridden. His music of the 1970s sounds so dated that it could have been recorded back in the Stone Age. He seems to have about four basic musical constructions which he recycles again and again for the idiotic musical cretins to drool over. People cite Nebraska as some kind of artistic triumph, but when I listened to this self-indulgent crap, all I could think was "This guy's no Dylan, not by a long shot." And his co-opting of this Americana nonsense is so square, hokey and pukesome that it really resonates with the hokey, pukesome squares out there. When this screaming little shrimp played over at the Meadowlands recently, a buddy of mine offered to give me a ticket and I turned him down: I'd rather stay home and watch reruns of "TJ Hooker" than waste my time listening to this talentless, twerpy dwarf.

I find his talent amazing. A genuinely gifted songwriter and few musicians anywhere can approach his body of work. If you pause to think about the great albums he has written it starts to become astounding. Springsteen is evidence that American music still has relevance and depth. I will admit that 41 shots was a real disappointment though. A Police Officer is the ultimate blue collar hero and until you've walked a mile (or even a few steps) in their shoes.. why cast stones ?

#214 on the list...#214!??????!!!! HOW can this be! People genuinely think the Bee Gees, Britney Spears, 3 Doors Down, et. al. are better than Bruce? I mean, yes, everyone has their own opinion, but people, please do yourself a favor and just take one listen to Bruce! If you like pop check out Cover Me or Dancing in the Dark. Classic rock? Born to Run, one of the universe's best! Life is never the same after hearing Jungleland! I am not trying to offend anyone, or anything like that, but Bruce is so so so incredible that you just can't help but love him once you really listen to him (or look at him...the Boss was hotter than any BSB or Ricky Martin on the album Born in the USA!) I'm not trying to offend you teeneybopper fans, but make room in your heart for another hottie after seeing your first picture of Bruce in the 80s! Bruce's music is really poetry, rock n roll shakepeare! But like Shakespeare, he's not all gloom and doom and serious...check out Bruce's version of "santa claus is coming to town' or some of the songs on his album 'the River'! I have been deeply touched by Bruce's music in more ways than I could possibly describe! I just can't tell exactly what comes over me when I listen to him, but it's like no other performer has ever effected me! I'm not saying everyone on the planet has to become a devoted 'springsteen disciple' since I know there will always be naysayers, but everyone, no matter what kind of music you listen to, give Bruce a try! I bet most of your parents have the Born in the USA or Born to Run albums, teeneyboppers! Just give him a listen...you may find that Tunnel of Love just happens to be the perfect album to pick you up when you're having boy/girlfriend troubles...you may find that the lives and struggles of your parents, your neighbors, and yourselves are mirrored and shed under new light through Bruce's music. Every subject is covered in Bruce's music...if you need advice on which album you'll like best based on your musical tastes, feel free to send me a note...You just might find your best friend, dream lover, new favorite singer, or even just another band to casually listen to in Springsteen...I urge you all, in good faith (and of course you can stay true to what you originally liked for music...Britney shouldn't have to be out of a job :)) to just give Bruce a chance, chances are you'll love him! Hot, incredible writer, great stage prescence, oh, and did I mention he has a fairly large teens-and-young-20s fan base on Yahoo? Well, he does, and they aren't geeks! I know some of them personally! The Boss is incredible and that's that! Bruce Springsteen forever! I love you Bruce!!!

Bruuuuce! He's the best! He genuinely believes in what he writes and you can tell when you hear him live... listen to Born to Run, Thunder Road (he sang it with Melissa Etheridge and it was great!), or Land of Hope and Dreams. If you're not touched then you're insane.

Only live act that is worth anything touring in terms of material & songwriting capability Big ups!

Love Bruce Springsteen... the Boss rules. He is a great guitarist, songwriter, harmonica player and singer. My favorite songs of his are "Born in the USA" and the "Rising." I was very happy he won three Grammies... however, in my heart I belive he deserved to win Album of the Year winner. The man from Jersey does it again. ROCK ON BRUCE!

Springsteen does not belong with the greats of rock n roll. He can write a good song. And great at writing a strong, spare lyric, loaded with meaning (Atlantic City). His raspy voice is appealing at times, but that fake twang...(hey Bruce, you're from New Jersey, not Oklahoma). Great musicianship and quite a few really good tunes. But ultimately writing and rewriting The Same Song. The Same Song is what gives him the cult following. The whole small-town-sensitive-wrong-side-of-the-tracks kind of thing. The Urban Antihero. Trying to speak for the little guy, he comes off inauthentic. Delving into politics where he does not belong (take a cue from Elvis, Bruce). He was not born poor, like Elvis, he did not really "live" on those mean streets he loves to write about. Springsteen is the product of the middleclass, and his streetwise schtick is just a pose. He invites the harshest criticism, because he and his followers think he is one of the GREATS OF ROCK N ROLL. What he ultimately is, is a very talented posseur.

How wonderful it is to hear all the postive reviews about Bruce. I am a Jersey shore native, who lived on the boardwalk during the Springsteen era. You Bruce fans just can't imagine the intensity of the early days. But with great happiness, I must acknowledge how important his new music has become in the 2000's. God blessed the world with Bruce Springsteen!

The Boss is the best and his music shows how talented he is. What a great talent from Asbury Park!

Right up there with mom, baseball, and apple pie. His music is thoughtful, romantic, and fun and shows that gritty doesn't necessarily mean dull. He almost single-handedly keeps us rooted in the more romantic days of America when life was about working hard and spending our free time driving pink cadillacs and dancing our hearts out. I hear his concerts are great too, but I've yet to have the pleasure. Having grown up in New Jersey and having had some great times at the shore, "Jersey Girl" will always be my favorite.

BRUUUUUCCCCEEEEE!!!!

Unlike most Springsteen fans, I prefer his earlier, more experimental, verbally ambitious work -- 4th of July Asbury Park, Blinded by the Light -- to the straight-ahead-rocker stuff that came later. His Woody Guthrie period was interesting too.

It's this whole blue collar, working man thing that sucks. He has a pathetic voice that understandably appeals to the same crowd that loves beer commercials promoting moronic behavior. For those of you think he's the best, Oh Baby have you missed a lot.

This guy really needs to move up on the charts. Why? Well, this guy never forgets where he's from. His music has been full of poignance and mind-provoking music. His latest album "The Rising" was his thinking of you card to the citizens of New York and New Jersey after the Sept. 11 tragedies, and even though the media hyped it up as a tribute album. Bruce downplays the approach. He did not, at all, want to exploit this album to be just that. In fact, the CD jacket mention nothing of World Trade Centers, Pentagons, or Pennsylvannia fields, which is OK considering it has been in our faces for 13 months now. Not that we shouldn't forget, God Bless the people who lost their lives, but we should have a period of resolve and moving on with our lives and his latest album helps us with just that. Bruce will always be the Boss!

His is music with a message. He writes so passionately songs of the American working class and growing up in New Jersey. After listening to his songs, i always feel so full of life and energy. That is what Springsteen gives to people. Listen to the Nebraska Album to find out what I am talking about.

His new album is great!