Darkness on the Edge of Town is the fourth album by Bruce Springsteen, released in the late spring of 1978.
The album marked the end of a three-year gap between albums brought on by contractual obligations and legal battling with former manager Mike Appel.
Although the album did not produce high charting singles it nevertheless remained on the charts for 97 weeks.
Although slightly less enthusiastic than for Springsteen’s previous album Born to Run, reviews for Darkness on the Edge of Town were unanimously positive.
Critics notably praised the maturity of the album’s themes and lyrics.
It remains one of Springsteen’s most highly regarded records by both fans and critics and several of its songs have become staples of the singer’s live performances.
In September 2010 a documentary film chronicling the making of Darkness was first shown at the Toronto International Film Festival. Quoting Springsteen as saying “More than rich, more than famous, more than happy – I wanted to be great”, reviewer Stephen Whitty of the Newark Star-Ledger commented: “For many fans, that long journey pulled onto the Turnpike here.” Rolling Stone Magazine ranked it at 150 on their list of the greatest albums of all time.
Track Listing
Side one
1. “Badlands” – 4:01
2. “Adam Raised a Cain” – 4:32
3. “Something in the Night” – 5:11
4. “Candy’s Room” – 2:51
5. “Racing in the Street” – 6:53
Side two
1. “The Promised Land” – 4:33
2. “Factory” – 2:17
3. “Streets of Fire” – 4:09
4. “Prove It All Night” – 3:56
5. “Darkness on the Edge of Town” – 4:30
