Bruce Springsteen is as active a performer today as he was back in the 1970s, and he makes an effort to pack as many hit songs and deep cuts into his sets as possible. However, Bruce Springsteen never really plays a few tracks from his discography, at least in recent years. I can’t imagine why. I know with such a huge discography, some songs don’t make the cut. But a few underrated songs in his pocket really deserve performances nowadays. Let’s look at a few examples, shall we?
“The Angel”
Per setlist.fm, “The Angel” seems to be Bruce Springsteen’s least-performed song from his 1973 album Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. “The Angel” is a great track, but Springsteen has only performed it a handful of times, the last time being in 2009. At one point, he went about 23 years without performing “The Angel” at all.
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“Meeting Across The River”
Born To Run is the album that put Bruce Springsteen on the map in 1975, but he never plays “Meeting Across The River” from that record. The Boss whipped this one out a few times in 2024, but hasn’t performed it since and historically hasn’t played it often on tour. In total, he has only played 73 times since 1975.
“Fade Away”
The River is another solid Springsteen album, and songs like the 1980 hit “Hungry Heart” make it to his setlists often. However, one song on that album, titled “Fade Away”, rarely ever gets stage time. Springsteen has only performed this tune 66 times in the last 40-something-odd years, the last time being in 2016. This one’s a little confusing, as “Fade Away” was a Top 20 hit back in the day. What gives?
“State Trooper”
Nebraska is an absolutely legendary album full of legendary songs that still hit today. Springsteen loves playing “Johnny 99” at his shows, among other songs from that record. However, “State Trooper” rarely makes an appearance. The last time the Boss played it was in 2012. This tune’s on the folky lo-fi side and likely just doesn’t translate well live.
“Valentine’s Day”
Bruce Springsteen never plays “Valentine’s Day” from his 1987 album Tunnel Of Love. In fact, this little ballad about a romantic relationship has only made it to Springsteen’s setlist six times in total, all of which were during his 2005 tour. It hasn’t seen the light of day since.
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