Bruce Springsteen has gone from being a scruffy-bearded rocker from Freehold, New Jersey, to a rock ‘n’ roll’s working-class hero. He’s one of the world’s most recognizable musicians, known to fans worldwide as “The Boss.” (Think Springsteen is the most famous musician from New Jersey? Find out here: the most famous musician or band from every state.)
To determine Springsteen’s top charting albums, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data on chart performance on the Billboard 200 album charts. Albums were ranked based on an inverse score, where a week at No. 1 is worth 200 points, a week at No. 2 worth 199 points, and so on, up to a week at No. 200 worth one point. Only studio albums were considered. Billboard data is current through the week of Aug. 20, 2022.
Springsteen has endeared fans with his socially conscious music and his legendary extended performances. He’s sold more than 150 million records over a career spanning over 50 years, and he won 20 Grammy Awards in that time.
Springsteen’s early songs drew on his experiences of growing up in dying industrial towns, adrift at Jersey Shore bars and clubs, as well as young romances and encounters with hustlers and those living on the margins. Music critic Jon Landau saw Springsteen perform at Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1974 and proclaimed in a review, “I saw rock and roll’s future and its name is Bruce Springsteen.” The following year, Springsteen landed on the cover of Time and Newsweek in the same week as the next big rock star.
His later music was influenced by Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie, and Pete Seeger, and he became the heir to their populist messaging. Springsteen’s album “The Ghost of Tom Joad” references social concerns about poverty and child prostitution.
Nine of his 20 studio albums topped the charts on the Billboard 200, and 17 LPs have cracked the top 10. The top five Springsteen albums resided in the Billboard 200 for at least 45 weeks. (Despite having tremendous success, Springsteen is not among the artists with the most top 10 hits.)
Click here to see Bruce Springsteen’s best albums
Source: Kevin Winter / Getty Images
20. Western Stars (2019)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: #2 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Billboard 200: 4
[in-text-ad]
Source: Jemal Countess / Getty Images
19. Letter To You (2020)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: #2 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Billboard 200: 9
Source: Mark Metcalfe / Getty Images
18. High Hopes (2014)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: #1 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Billboard 200: 14
Source: William Thomas Cain / Getty Images
17. Devils & Dust (2005)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: #1 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Billboard 200: 13
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Frank Micelotta / Getty Images
16. The Ghost Of Tom Joad (1995)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: #11 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Billboard 200: 14
Source: Monty Fresco / Getty Images
15. The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle (1975)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: #59 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Billboard 200: 34
[in-text-ad]
Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images
14. Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. (1975)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: #60 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Billboard 200: 43
24/7 Wall St.
Source: Jamie Squire / Getty Images Entertainment via Getty Images
13. Working On A Dream (2009)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: #1 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Billboard 200: 18
Source: Sean Garnsworthy / Getty Images
12. We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions (2006)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: #3 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Billboard 200: 22
[in-text-ad-2]
11. Wrecking Ball (2012)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: #1 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Billboard 200: 26
Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images
10. Lucky Town (1992)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: #3 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Billboard 200: 23
[in-text-ad]
Source: Jamie Squire / Getty Images
9. Magic (2007)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: #1 (for 2 weeks)
> Total weeks on Billboard 200: 26
24/7 Wall St.
Source: Hulton Archive / Getty Images
8. Nebraska (1982)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: #3 (for 4 weeks)
> Total weeks on Billboard 200: 29
Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images
7. Human Touch (1992)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: #2 (for 2 weeks)
> Total weeks on Billboard 200: 27
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Jacob Silberberg / Getty Images
6. The Rising (2002)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: #1 (for 2 weeks)
> Total weeks on Billboard 200: 37
Source: Hulton Archive / Getty Images
5. The River (1980)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: #1 (for 4 weeks)
> Total weeks on Billboard 200: 107
[in-text-ad]
Source: Michael Ochs Archives / Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images
4. Tunnel Of Love (1987)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: #1 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Billboard 200: 45
24/7 Wall St.
Source: serrvill / Flickr
3. Darkness On The Edge Of Town (1978)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: #5 (for 3 weeks)
> Total weeks on Billboard 200: 97
Source: Fin Costello / Redferns via Getty Images
2. Born To Run (1975)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: #3 (for 2 weeks)
> Total weeks on Billboard 200: 110
[in-text-ad-2]
Source: Fin Costello / Redferns via Getty Images
1. Born In The U.S.A. (1984)
> Peak position on Billboard 200: #1 (for 7 weeks)
> Total weeks on Billboard 200: 143
Take This Retirement Quiz To Get Matched With An Advisor Now (Sponsored)
Are you ready for retirement? Planning for retirement can be overwhelming, that’s why it could be a good idea to speak to a fiduciary financial advisor about your goals today.
Start by taking this retirement quiz right here from SmartAsset that will match you with up to 3 financial advisors that serve your area and beyond in 5 minutes. Smart Asset is now matching over 50,000 people a month.
Click here now to get started.
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.
Editors' Picks
