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Today, the last shall be first, as we highlight the 7th and final Top 10 single from Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA" album.
That's right...a record SEVEN singles from the album made the Top 10, the last of which is today's Great Song of 1985: "My Hometown."
The song begins as a nostalgic look at a father showing his son why he should be proud of their hometown, but before long, it becomes a statement on the racial strife and economic problems just below the surface. In part, the song was based on Bruce's hometown of Freehold Borough, New Jersey.
In the end, the son decides to move away from the problems, but not before he shows his own son the legacy of the town and why there are still things to be proud of.
Billboard Magazine called it "insightful." Cashbox called it "somber," and Springsteen fans--many of whom had already bought the "Born in the USA" album--helped make it a Triple Chart Hit: #1 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Chart (The only #1 Bruce has ever scored on that chart), and #6 on both the Hot 100 and Hot Album Tracks Chart.
"My Hometown" by Bruce Springsteen: a serious song, and a Great One--from 1985.
Tomorrow: Herb Alpert and the Minneapolis Funk.
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