Thunder Road
Bruce Springsteen
1975

Speaking of gorgeous pieces of music, here’s another. That piano intro coupled with the harmonica….holy cow.  And then the sax and piano outro…wow again. 

In between those two bookends is just some amazing storytelling from the Boss. I’m not a huge Springsteen guy — I certainly like him and would have loved to see him in concert during his heyday (or even now, for that matter), but there are some HUGE Springsteen fans out there. I can’t compete with that. 

But I do have a series of favorite Bruce tunes, and this one is at the top of the list. That intro really grabs you in, and interestingly, it’s not only one of the greatest rock songs ever but it’s gotta be near the top of the list of greatest songs without a chorus. But really, it’s the storytelling in this song that seals the deal. Not really a lyric guy, but hard not to be pulled in when he croons, “Show a little faith, there’s magic in the night / You ain’t a beauty, but hey, you’re alright / Oh, and that’s alright with me.”

Other Songs Considered:
Born to Run, Glory Days