PLAYLISTICLE: Bruce Springsteen – The Live Series - Part One [2018-2020]

I became a fan of Bruce Springsteen's music the usual way:  heard "Hungry Heart" on WLRW one day in 1980 and purchased The River from Columbia House in 1981. I listened to Nebraska once and still don't care for it.  Then Born In The U.S.A. won me back, followed by the victory tour of Live/1975-85, and man, that was all she wrote. Saw The Boss live in 1992 on his first tour sans the E Street Band, and then he lost me as his evolution as an artist took a different path than my evolution as a listener. I still buy and will probably continue to buy his albums as they are released, hoping to rekindle our relationship. Chose not to lay out the dollarbucks for Tracks II: The Lost Albums in 2025, but really enjoyed streaming the Somewhere North Of Nashville album from that set.

Bruce Springsteen began releasing archival live performances in 2014, and in 2018, the first playlists cherrypicking from those performances to fit a theme began appearing on streaming services as The Live Series Collection. The first playlist in The Live Series was Songs Of The Road.

Released in November 2018, Songs Of The Road features fifteen performances from 1977-2013 and runs just under ninety minutes. Some folks have issues with these patchwork live albums with varying crowd noise and performances from different tours. All songs feature The E Street Band except those marked with an asterisk (*).

• 01 "Thunder Road" (Live at Palace Theatre, Albany, NY - 2/7/1977)
• 02 "Highway 29" (Live at King's Hall, Belfast, UK - 3/19/1996)*
• 03 "Incident on 57th Street" (Live at the Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ - 9/20/1978)
• 04 "Open All Night" (Live at New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, New Orleans, LA - 4/30/2006)*
• 05 "Stolen Car" (Live at ASU Activity Center, Tempe, AZ - 11/5/1980)
• 06 "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" (Live at Auditorium Theatre, Rochester, NY - 2/8/1977)
• 07 "Out In the Street" (Live at the Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA - 10/20/2009)
• 08 "Drive All Night" (Live at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY - 11/8/2009)
• 09 "Born to Run" (Live at Brendan Byrne Arena, E. Rutherford, NJ - 8/5/1984)
• 10 "Used Cars" (Live at St. Rose of Lima School, Freehold, NJ - 11/8/1996)*
• 11 "Action In The Streets" (Live at the Palace Theatre, Albany, NY - 2/7/1977)
• 12 "Racing in the Street" (Live at the Agora, Cleveland, OH - 8/9/1978)
• 13 "Working On The Highway" (Live at Ippodromo delle Capannelle, Rome, Italy - 7/11/2013)
• 14 "The E Street Shuffle" (Live at TD Banknorth Garden, Boston, MA - 11/19/2007)
• 15 "Cadillac Ranch" (Live at Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY - 12/31/1980)

The second playlist in The Live Series was Songs of Friendship, released in January 2019 with another fifteen tracks running just over ninety minutes. The performances range from 1975 up through 2017.

• 01 "Two Hearts" (Live at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY - 7/1/2000 - 2018 Mix)
• 02 "No Surrender" (Live at the Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA - 10/20/2009)
• 03 "If I Should Fall Behind" (Live at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT - 5/17/2014)
• 04 "Growin' Up" (Live at Brendan Byrne Arena, E. Rutherford, NJ - 8/20/1984)
• 05 "Bobby Jean" (Live at Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA - 9/14/2016)
• 06 "Spirit in the Night" (Live at Tower Theater, Upper Darby, PA - 12/31/1975)
• 07 "Better Days" (Live at Brendan Byrne Arena, E. Rutherford, NJ - 6/24/1993)
• 08 "Darlington County" (Live at Olympiastadion, Helsinki, Finland - 7/31/2012)
• 09 "Dancing In the Dark" (Live at Brendan Byrne Arena, E. Rutherford, NJ - 8/5/1984)
• 10 "Blood Brothers" (Live at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY - 7/1/2000)
• 11 "The Ties That Bind" (Live at the Summit, Houston, TX - 12/8/1978)
• 12 "Glory Days" (Live at Brendan Byrne Arena, E. Rutherford, NJ - 8/5/1984)
• 13 "Backstreets" (Live at the Palace Theatre, Albany, NY - 2/7/1977)
• 14 "Further On (Up the Road)" (Live at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY - 7/1/2000)
• 15 "Janey Don't You Lose Heart" (Live at Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Australia - 2/14/2017)

Songs of Hope was the third playlist under The Live Series banner. Released in March 2019, the playlist has fifteen tracks from 1975-2016 and runs just under ninety minutes.

• 01 "Land of Hope and Dreams" (Live at Apollo Theater, New York, NY - 3/9/2012)
• 02 "Badlands" (Live at the Agora, Cleveland, OH - 8/9/1978) 
• 03 "The Rising" (Live at MetLife Stadium, E. Rutherford, NJ - 8/30/2016)
• 04 "Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street?" (Live at HSBC Arena, Buffalo, NY - 11/22/2009)
• 05 "Night" (Live at Tower Theater, Upper Darby, PA - 12/31/1975) 
• 06 "The Promised Land" (Live at King's Hall, Belfast, UK - 3/19/1996)
• 07 "My Lucky Day" (Live at Ullevi Stadium, Goteberg, Sweden - 6/25/2016)
• 08 "Tougher Than the Rest" (Live at Stockholms Stadion, Stockholm, SE - 7/3/1988)
• 09 "This is Your Sword" (Live at Times Union Center, Albany, NY - 5/13/2014)
• 10 "My City of Ruins" (Live at Olympiastadion, Helsinki, Finland - 7/31/2012)
• 11 "From Small Things" (Big Things One Day Come) (Live at Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, NC - 4/19/2014)
• 12 "The Promise" (Live at Palace Theatre, Albany, NY - 2/7/1977)
• 13 "Living Proof" (Live at MetLife Stadium, E. Rutherford, NJ - 8/30/2016)
• 14 "Lucky Town" (Live at Ippodromo delle Capannelle, Rome, Italy - 7/11/2013)
• 15 "This Hard Land" (Live at Estadio de Anoeta, San Sebastian, Spain - 5/17/2016)

The Live Series continued with the release of Songs of Love in June 2019. Unlike the three previous playlists, this one features fifteen songs in chronological order, including shows from 1975 up through 2016. Songs of Love clocks in around 104 minutes, making it the longest playlist yet.

• 01 "She's the One" (Live at the Roxy, West Hollywood, CA - 10/18/1975)
• 02 "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)" (Live at the Palace Theatre, Albany, NY - 2/7/1977)
• 03 "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" (Live at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY - 9/21/1979)
• 04 "Fade Away" (Live at Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY - 12/31/1980)
• 05 "I Wanna Marry You" (Live at Wembley Arena, London, UK - 6/5/1981)
• 06 "I'm On Fire" (Live at LA Arena, Los Angeles, CA - 4/28/1988)
• 07 "Tougher Than the Rest" (Live at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY - 5/23/1988)
• 08 "Brilliant Disguise" (Live at the Shrine, Los Angeles, CA (Set 1) - 11/16/1990)
• 09 "Human Touch" (Live at Brendan Byrne Arena, E. Rutherford, NJ - 6/24/1993)
• 10 "If I Should Fall Behind" (Live at United Center, Chicago, IL - 9/30/1999)
• 11 "For You" (Live at Schottenstein Center, Columbus, OH - 7/31/2005)
• 12 "Tunnel of Love" (Live at the Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, MI - 8/3/2005)
• 13 "Back In Your Arms" (Live at Croke Park Stadium, Dublin, IRE - 5/27/2016)
• 14 "Secret Garden" (Live at MetLife Stadium, E. Rutherford, NJ - 8/30/2016)
• 15 "Save My Love" (Live at Veterans Amphitheater, Virginia Beach - 9/5/2016)

While the previous playlists featured songs from international shows, Songs From Around the World exclusively features fifteen songs from shows performed in the United Kingdom, Finland, Australia, South Africa, Sweden, New Zealand, and Italy. The playlist was released in October 2019, with the dates of the shows ranging from 1981 to 2016.

• 01 "Rockin' All Over the World" (Live at Olympiastadion, Helsinki, Finland - 7/31/2012)
• 02 "Radio Nowhere" (Live at Hope Estate Winery, Hunter Valley, Australia - 2/23/2014)
• 03 "New York City Serenade" (Live at Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Australia - 2/26/2014)
• 04 "Johnny Bye-Bye" (Live at Wembley Stadium, London, UK - 6/5/1981)
• 05 "High Hopes" (Live at Bellville Velodrome, Cape Town, SA - 1/26/2014)
• 06 "Spare Parts" (Live at Stockholm Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden - 7/3/1988)
• 07 "Lonesome Day" (Live at Olympiastadion, Helsinki, Finland- 6/16/2003)
• 08 "Crush on You" (Live At Ricoh Arena, Coventry, UK - 6/3/2016)
• 09 "Something in the Night" (Live at Stadio San Siro, Milan, Italy - 7/5/2016)
• 10 "Murder Incorporated" (Live at King's Hall, Belfast, UK - 3/19/1996)
• 11 "Incident on 57th Street" (Live at Ippodromo delle Capannelle, Rome, Italy - 7/11/2013)
• 12 "Loose Ends" (Live at Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland, NZ - 3/1/2014)
• 13 "Johnny 99" (Live at Wembley Stadium, London, UK - 6/5/2016)
• 14 "Thundercrack" (Live at First Direct Arena, Leeds, UK - 7/24/2013)
• 15 "Born in the U.S.A." (Live at Stadio San Siro, Milan, Italy - 7/3/2016)

Released in February 2020, Songs Under Cover gathers fifteen performances in chronological order by date of performance. The shows date back to 1975, while the final shows on the disc are from 2017. The entire playlist may be the shortest-running one in The Live Series, clocking at seventy-five minutes.

• 01 "When You Walk In The Room" (Live at The Roxy, West Hollywood, CA - 10/18/1975)
• 02 "Twist and Shout" (Live at Tower Theater, Upper Darby, PA - 12/31/1975)
• 03 "Summertime Blues" (Live at The Agora, Cleveland, OH - 08/09/1978)
• 04 "Detroit Medley" (Live at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY - 09/21/1979)
• 05 "Can't Help Falling In Love" (Live at Wembley Arena, London, UK - 06/05/1981)
• 06 "Travelin' Band" (Live at the Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA - 09/27/1985)
• 07 "Boom Boom" (Live at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY - 05/23/1988)
• 08 "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" (Live at HSBC Arena, Buffalo, NY - 11/22/2009)
• 09 "I Don't Want to Go Home" (Live at Olympiastadion, Helsinki, Finland - 07/31/2012)
• 10 "Stayin' Alive" (Live at Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, AU - 02/26/2014)
• 11 "Highway To Hell" (Live at Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, AU - 02/26/2014)
• 12 "Purple Rain" (Live at Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY - 04/23/2016)
• 13 "Lucille" (Live at Stadio San Siro, Milan, IT - 07/03/2016)
• 14 "Brown Eyed Girl" (Live at Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide, AU - 01/30/2017)
• 15 "I Fought The Law" (Live at Hope Estate Winery, Hunter Valley, AU - 02/18/2017)

The Live Series continues with Songs of Summer in May 2020. The fifteen tracks are once again presented in chronological order from 1975-2016. The playlist runs one hundred minutes and is bookended by the same pair of tracks that bookend Side Two of Born to Run. As with the last few playlists, some songs are repeats, but they are different performances.

• 01 "Born to Run" (Live at The Roxy, West Hollywood, CA - 10/18/1975)
• 02 "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" (Live at Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ - 09/19/1978)
• 03 "The Fever" (Live at Winterland Arena, San Francisco, CA - 12/15/1978)
• 04 "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)" (Live at Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY - 12/31/1980)
• 05 "Thunder Road" (Live at Wembley Arena, London, UK - 06/05/1981)
• 06 "Spirit In The Night" (Live at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ - 08/20/1984)
• 07 "Out in the Street" (Live at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA - 09/27/1985)
• 08 "Blinded by the Light" (Live at Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park, NJ - 11/24/1996)
• 09 "Waitin' on a Sunny Day" (Live at Olympiastadion, Helsinki, Finland - 06/16/2003)
• 10 "Racing in the Street" (Live at Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, MI - 08/03/2005)
• 11 "Girls In Their Summer Clothes" (Live at TD Banknorth Garden, Boston, MA - 11/19/2007)
• 12 "Seaside Bar Song" (Live at Farm Bureau Live, Virginia Beach, VA - 04/12/2014)
• 13 "It's Hard To Be A Saint In The City" (Live at Croke Park Stadium, Dublin, IE - 05/29/2016)
• 14 "Frankie" (Live at CASA Arena, Horsens, Denmark - 07/20/2016)
• 15 "Jungleland" (Live at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ - 08/30/2016)

July 2020 saw the release of Stripped Down, the eighth playlist in The Live Series Collection. As the title implies, all fifteen songs are acoustic versions of songs that are not usually performed acoustically. The earliest performances on this loosely chronological collection are from 1986, while the final five tracks are from 2006. At just sixty-three minutes long, Stripped Down is now the shortest-running playlist in The Live Series.

• 01 "Dancing In the Dark" (Live at Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA - 10/13/1986)
• 02 "Seeds" (Live at Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA - 10/13/1986)
• 03 "Born to Run" (Live at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY - 05/23/1988)
• 04 "Soul Driver" (Live at The Shrine, Los Angeles, CA - 11/16/1990)
• 05 "Bobby Jean" (Live at King's Hall, Belfast UK - 03/19/1996)
• 06 "Adam Raised a Cain" (Live at St. Rose of Lima School, Freehold, NJ - 11/08/1996)
• 07 "Youngstown" (Live at King's Hall, Belfast UK - 03/19/1996)
• 08 "Independence Day" (Live at Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park, NJ - 11/24/1996)
• 09 "Two Hearts" (Live at St. Rose of Lima School, Freehold, NJ - 11/08/1996)
• 10 "When You're Alone" (Live at Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park, NJ - 11/24/1996)
• 11 "The River" (Live at Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, MI - 08/03/2005)
• 12 "Cynthia" (Live at Schottenstein Center, Columbus, OH - 07/31/2005)
• 13 "This Hard Land" (Live at Hovet, Stockholm, Sweden - 06/25/2005)
• 14 "All That Heaven Will Allow" (Live at Sovereign Bank Arena , Trenton, NJ - 11/22/2005)
• 15 "Empty Sky" (Live at Sovereign Bank Arena , Trenton, NJ - 11/22/2005) 

Songs Under Cover Vol. 2 was released in October 2020. The fifteen songs clock in at sixty-four minutes and are presented in not-too-strict chronological order from 1975-2016.

• 01 "Mountain of Love" (Live at the Tower Theater, Upper Darby, PA - 12/31/1975)
• 02 "Goin' Back" (Live at the Roxy, West Hollywood, CA - 10/18/1975)
• 03 "Rave On" (Live at The Roxy, West Hollywood, CA - 07/07/1978)
• 04 "Stay" (with Jackson Browne) (Live at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY - 09/21/1979)
• 05 "Who'll Stop the Rain" (Live at Wembley Arena, London, UK - 06/05/1981)
• 06 "Drift Away" (Live at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ - 08/20/1984)
• 07 "Love Me Tender" (Live at Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI - 03/28/1988)
• 08 "Lonely Teardrops" (Live at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY - 05/23/1988)
• 09 "Highway 61 Revisited" (with Jackson Browne & Bonnie Raitt)(Live at the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA - 11/16/1990)
• 10 "It's Been A Long Time" (Live at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ - 06/24/1993)
• 11 "Then She Kissed Me" (Live at the Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO - 08/23/2008)
• 12 "Royals" (Live at Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland, NZ - 03/01/2014)
• 13 "Clampdown" (Live at Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh, PA - 04/22/2014)
• 14 "Rebel Rebel" (Live at Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh, PA - 01/16/2016)
• 15 "Take It Easy" (Live at the United Center, Chicago, IL - 01/19/2016)

Nine playlists down with nine more to go. We'll feature them in Bruce Springsteen – The Live Series - Part Two. Coming soon.