There are some very controversial picks here.
Oh, what a glorious day.
No, it has nothing to do with Ireland starting their Rugby World Cup campaign with an impressive win, the 25th anniversary of the Shawshank Redemption, or news that Season 6 of Peaky Blinders will start filming early next year.
Today is a glorious day because it marks the 70th birthday of Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen aka The Boss.
Given the strength of his Irish roots and how they shaped his early development in Freehold, New Jersey, we’re petitioning Springsteen’s birthday to be made a national holiday.
After all, his magnificent career does add weight to our claims.
With 19 studio albums, 70 singles, 23 live albums, 7 box sets, 8 compilation albums, and 59 music videos he’s a true rock ‘n roll legend.
Aside from this, he has sold 64.5 million albums in the US alone, making him the 15th highest-selling artist of all-time, and as anyone that has seen him live can attest to, he’s one of the finest live performers to ever grace the stage.
To compound matters, he’s now a director with his feature debut, the documentary Western Stars, set to be released very soon.
With such an extensive back catalogue of tracks that The Boss has performed alongside the legendary E Street Band, choosing the top 10 is a gargantuan task that’s bound to be divisive.
Well, the good people at RTÉ Gold have asked the Irish people to choose their favourite tracks and there are some massive omissions from this top 10.
Granted, we’ll trust the democratic vote and not go too heavy on the criticism, but the exclusion of songs like ‘Darkness On The Edge of Town,’ ‘The Rising,’ ‘Atlantic City,’ and ‘Born in the USA’ is very controversial.
Christ, not even ‘Jungleland’ managed to make the top 10.
Truth be told, Clarence’s saxophone solo in that track alone is deserving of a spot on the list.
Anyway, here’s the top 10 in full.
Happy birthday, Boss.
10 – ‘Incident on 57th Street’
9 – ‘Dancing in the Dark’
8 – ‘If I Should Fall Behind’
7 – ‘Badlands’
6 – ‘Jersey Girl’
5 – ‘I’m on Fire’
4 – ‘Born to Run’
3 – ‘Tougher than the Rest’
2 – ‘Thunder Road’
1 – ‘The River’
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