THUNDER ROAD [Album version]

The screen door slams, Mary's dress waves
Like a vision she dances across the porch as the radio plays
Roy Orbison singing for the lonely
Hey that's me and I want you only
Don't turn me home again
I just can't face myself alone again
Don't run back inside, darling you know just what I'm here for
So you're scared and you're thinking that maybe we ain't that young anymore
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

You can hide 'neath your covers and study your pain
Make crosses from your lovers, throw roses in the rain
Waste your summer praying in vain for a saviour to rise from these streets
Well now I'm no hero, that's understood
All the redemption I can offer, girl, is beneath this dirty hood
With a chance to make it good somehow
Hey what else can we do now
Except roll down the window and let the wind blow back your hair
Well the night's bustin' open, these two lanes will take us anywhere
We got one last chance to make it real
To trade in these wings on some wheels
Climb in back, heaven's waiting down on the tracks

Oh oh come take my hand
Riding out tonight to case the promised land
Oh oh oh oh Thunder Road, oh Thunder Road, oh Thunder Road
Lying out there like a killer in the sun
Hey I know it's late, we can make it if we run
Oh oh oh oh Thunder Road, sit tight, take hold, Thunder Road

Well I got this guitar and I learned how to make it talk
And my car's out back if you're ready to take that long walk
From your front porch to my front seat
The door's open but the ride it ain't free
And I know you're lonely for words that I ain't spoken
Tonight we'll be free, all the promises will be broken
There were ghosts in the eyes of all the boys you sent away
They haunt this dusty beach road in the skeleton frames of burned-out Chevrolets
They scream your name at night in the street
Your graduation gown lies in rags at their feet
And in the lonely cool before dawn
You hear their engines roaring on
But when you get to the porch they're gone on the wind, so Mary climb in
It's a town full of losers, I'm pulling out of here to win

Page last updated: 17 Mar 2012

Intro

THUNDER ROAD is a song written by Bruce Springsteen. It is the opening track on his 1975 album Born To Run. This fans favourite has been performed live in many different ways: full-band, stripped down, guitar solo, piano solo, slowed down, etc...

The above lyrics are transcribed from the Born To Run album version of THUNDER ROAD. It was also included in 1995 on the Greatest Hits (1995 edition) compilation album, in 2003 on The Essential Bruce Springsteen compilation album, and in 2009 on the Greatest Hits (both the 2009 U.S. edition and the 2009 European edition) compilation album.

Composition and Origin

THUNDER ROAD underwent considerable evolution as it was written, with an early version titled WINGS FOR WHEELS, and later versions titled THUNDER ROAD. The title phrase "Thunder Road" doesn't occur anywhere in the early version of the song, and is only used a couple of times in the middle section of the newer versions.

During an April 1995 interview with Australian rock journalist Ian 'Molly' Meldrum held in Los Angeles, Springsteen is asked about a song called GLORY ROAD, which Meldrum thinks it was a very early draft of THUNDER ROAD. Meldrum got his information reading Charles R. Cross' 1989 book Backstreets: Springsteen, the Man and His Music. Bruce, of course, was not expecting this kind of very specific question from him. He appears bemused at first by the question, but then seems to have a recollection of the title and says, "now that title sound familiar, [...] you know, you might be right". He adds later that he's "not sure if that ['Thunder Road'] started out as 'Glory Road'."

The unreleased Born To Run outtake WALKING IN THE STREET contains lyrics that would end up in THUNDER ROAD.

Springsteen took the "Thunder Road" title from the Robert Mitchum 1958 movie Thunder Road (see movie info below). He declared that he was somehow inspired from the movie even if, as he says, "I never saw the movie, I only saw the poster in the lobby of the theater" (see the spoken intro for the live 19 Sep 1978 version). However, it is evidenced in his 1995 interview with Molly Meldrum that he did see the movie later on. He talks briefly about it and adds that he "was a big Robert Mitchum fan, [...] I wanted that band to sound like thunder, I wanted [...] to feel that sort of power."

Springsteen wrote in his 1998 book Songs, "'Thunder Road' opens the album, introducing its characters and its central proposition: Do you want to take a chance? On us? On life?"

The lyrics "We got one last chance to make it real / To trade in these wings on some wheels" echo Springsteen's make-it-or-break-it proposition. His first two albums had sold poorly (less than 90,000 copies), and the success of his third album Born To Run was crucial because Columbia Records was no longer enamored with the highly touted Springsteen.

Bruce Springsteen has always stated that Roy Orbison had a huge impact on his music. Orbison's influence is evident in many Springsteen songs -- especially on the Born To Run album. In the first verse of THUNDER ROAD, he even name-checks him: "Roy Orbison singing for the lonely / Hey that's me and I want you only". This line seems to be a reference to Orbison's 1960 hit, ONLY THE LONELY. Springsteen declares in his 1995 interview with Molly Meldrum that he "tried to sing really full voiced and out of my chest because I was fanatically listening to Roy Orbison at the time, and his vocal power, there will never be a voice like that." In the liner notes of his 1995 Greatest Hits album, Springsteen wrote, "Stole the title from the Robert Mitchum picture, the vocal sound from Roy Orbison (I Tried), the innocence of the tome was mine."

Recording

The full-band version of THUNDER ROAD that was supposed initially intended to be released on Born To Run album was more than seven minutes long. Jon Landau suggested shrinking it to about four, and moving Clarence Clemons's saxophone solo from the middle of the song to the end. Springsteen was so pleased with the final result that he hired Landau as co-producer of the album the next day. Nick Hasted writes in the November 2005 issue of Uncut magazine that "Landau fixed an edit of an early 'Thunder Road'. By April, he was co-producer, and signed up for two per cent of whatever the record made." This might indicate that THUNDER ROAD was one of the earliest recordings from the Mar-Jul 1975 sessions, and most probably recorded in the Mar-Apr 1975 period.

Springsteen envisioned Born To Run as a "day in the life" concept album, and at some point, THUNDER ROAD was slated to appear twice, opening the album in an acoustic arrangement and closing it in a full-band take.

The album's version opens with a quiet piano and harmonica introduction, meant, as Springsteen said years later in the Wings For Wheels: The Making Of Born To Run documentary, as a welcoming to both the track and the album, a signifier that something was about to happen. Eschewing a traditional verse-and-chorus structure, the song's arrangement gradually ramps up in instrumentation, tempo, and intensity. Finally, after the closing line there is a saxophone-and-piano duet in the instrumental coda. In his book Born Ton Run: The Bruce Springsteen Story, Dave Marsh writes that "'Thunder Road' is a statement of purpose; in its way, it encapsulates the whole story of the album."

Circulating Studio Versions

There are five studio versions of THUNDER ROAD in circulation, all recorded at The Record Plant:

Alternate version #1, alternate version #3, and alternate version #4 have circulated for a long time on several bootlegs while alternate version #2 appeared for the first time in late 2005 on satellite radio channel Sirius, as part of its special "E Street Radio" 3-months program. It should also be noted that there's a good chance that alternate version #4 is the same recording as the album's version, but simply a different mix. See each of these four versions for more details.

The name of the girl mentioned at the beginning of the song was changed several times. It had been "Angelina" (as in the live 05 Feb 1975 version), "Chrissie" (as in alternate version #1 and alternate version #3), and "Christina" (as in alternate version #2) before Springsteen settled on "Mary". In a Jan 1999 interview for Mojo magazine, Mark Hagen asks Springsteen if Mary of THUNDER ROAD is "the same one who crops up in The River and other places." Springsteen answers: "I couldn't say. Sometimes a name just comes out, I suppose there's all the interconnections that the songs make happen intentionally and unintentionally. A lot of the time you don't know a lot of what you're doing yourself."

Sequel

THE PROMISE (written in 1976 and considered for the Darkness On The Edge Of Town album) explicitly mentions THUNDER ROAD by name but reveals a far more pessimistic outlook on the narrator's life and future. He would later mention that when he wrote it, he was reflecting on "the flip side of 'Thunder Road'". Check out the Q&A transcript from the live 19 Feb 2003 version for more details.

Springsteen played two benefit solo acoustic shows for DoubleTake Magazine, on 19 and 20 Feb 2003 at Somerville Theatre in Somerville, MA. He closed out each night with a Q&A session, taking questions from the audience. On the first night, a fan asks him "what was 'The Promise' about?" Springsteen answers that "after Born To Run, I wrote that [the Promise] for Darkness I think. And I was reflecting on sort of the flip side of 'Thunder Road' I think. I was reflecting on the responsibilities that I thought came with my fortune at that time and how it sort of fitted into my life and... that's generally what I remember it, it being about in some fashion." See the live 19 Feb 2003 version.

Born To Run

When the lengthy The Wild, The Innocent, & The E Street Shuffle Tour closed in March 1975, the recording sessions for the Born To Run album took place at The Record Plant in New York City, NY, between March and July 1975. Note that the Born To Run sessions started in 1974 at 914 Sound Studios in Blauvelt, NY, (Mike Appel's studio of choice) but the new 1975 location was advised by Springsteen's friend and future manager Jon Landau. All tracks on the Born To Run album, except the title track, were recorded during these Mar-Jul 1975 sessions.

Born To Run was commercially released on Columbia Records 01 Sep 1975. Note that a small quantity of blank label, advanced promo copies (called "Script Covers") were issued to VIPs on or aroud 12 Aug 1975, and normal promo copies were sent to radio stations on or around 24 Aug 1975.

The album features 8 new Springsteen compositions and clocks at 39:26. It is produced by Bruce Springsteen, Mike Appel, and Jon Landau.

Greatest Hits 1995 Edition

Greatest Hits is Bruce Springsteen's first compilation album. It is a collection of some of Springsteen's hit singles and popular album tracks, in addition to four extra numbers that were mostly recorded with the E Street Band in 1995. The latter constituted Springsteen's first (albeit very partial) release with the band since the late eighties. Some of the songs on Greatest Hits are shorter versions of the original album releases.

Springsteen recorded an unreleased album in 1994, but his manager Jon Landau wasn't a fan of the project and recommended shelving it and focusing more on a "career overview"; this lead to the Greatest Hits sessions with the E Street Band in 1995. Springsteen called the band in early January 1995, and they assembled for the recording sessions on 09 Jan 1995 at the Hit Factory in New York City, NY. This was their first studio reunion in 11 years (since the Born In The USA sessions) and their first ever with Nils Lofgren.

Greatest Hits was released 27 Feb 1995 on Columbia Records. It was commercially successful, peaking at #1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 (where it stayed on the chart for 32 weeks), the UK Album Chart, the Australian ARIA Albums Chart, and the Swedish Albums Chart. In 2008, the compilations had sold more than four million copies in the U.S.

Though it never was a single, Springsteen felt it was important to include THUNDER ROAD on Greatest Hits because "it seemed central" as he told Neil Strauss in an October 1995 interview for Guitar World magazine: "We didn't try to get into a 'best of' because everybody's got their own ideas. Basically it was songs that came out as singles. The only exception is 'Thunder Road', but it seemed central." According to Dave Marsh, what prevented THUNDER ROAD for being released as a single back in 1975 was that, along with most of Born To Run album tracks, it was not short enough.

The Essential Bruce Springsteen

The Essential Bruce Springsteen is a compilation album released on 11 November 2003 on Columbia Records. It's part of a series of "Essential" sets released by Sony BMG (previously Sony Music Entertainment). Per liner notes comments by Springsteen, the collection was intended as an introduction to his music for new fans who attended shows on The Rising Tour; hence, it includes songs from every Springsteen album since his debut. The album was available as a 2-disc set (which clocks at 153:23) and as a limited edition 3-disc set (which clocks at 200:45). For the latter, the third disc contained a selection of rarities and previously unreleased recordings.

The album debuted on the Billboard 200 album chart on November 29, 2003 at number 14, with sales of 90,000 copies. It spent 13 weeks on the chart. The album was awarded certified gold and platinum records on December 16, 2003 by the RIAA. The Essential Bruce Springsteen also reached #28 in UK albums chart.

Greatest Hits 2009 Edition

Greatest Hits (2009 edition) is a compilation album released by Columbia Records on 13 Jan 2009 in the U.S. where it was sold exclusively through Wal-Mart retailers. The album was also released (but non-exclusively) in Canada. Unlike the 1995 Greatest Hits release and The Essential Bruce Springsteen in 2003, this compilation was billed to "Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band" instead of just "Bruce Springsteen". The album contains 12 previously released studio tracks and clocks at 53:08.

On 01 Jun 2009, Columbia Records released a European edition of the compilation album with an alternative track listing to promote Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band's European leg of the Working On A Dream Tour. The European edition was also released in Israel and Mexico. The album comes in a standard jewel case, but a limited digipack edition was also released in Europe. Greatest Hits (2009 European edition) contains 16 previously released studio tracks and 2 live bonus tracks taken from the Live/1975-85 box set. It clocks at 79:03.

The album charted in several countries, but only made it to # 1 in Sweden. In general, the album did much better in Europe than in North America.

Official Releases -- The Album Version

In addition to its release on the Born To Run album and the Greatest Hits and The Essential Bruce Springsteen compilations albums, Springsteen's album version of THUNDER ROAD was included on several official Bruce Springsteen samplers. Below is a complete list.

In 1978, THUNDER ROAD was included on Last American Hero From Asbury Park, N.J., a Japan-only promotional LP sampler issued to promote Springsteen's fourth album Darkness On The Edge Of Town, though strangely including tracks from his first three albums only. This release bares catalogue number CBS/SONY YAPC 95 and is one of the rarest Springsteen records ever.

In 1980, THUNDER ROAD was included on Bruce Springsteen Sampler, a Canada-only red label promotional LP sampler compiling 10 tracks from Springsteen's first five album. This release bares catalogue number COL CDN-57 and was issued in a white die-cut cardboard sleeve.

In 1982, THUNDER ROAD was included on Storia E Musica Rock: Bruce Springsteen, an Italy-only cassette tape sampler issued exclusively with domestic magazine Storia E Musica Rock and compiling 7 tracks from Springsteen's first four albums. This release bares catalogue number CBS ROCK 05.

In 1992, THUNDER ROAD was included on A Whole Bunch Of Bruce Springsteen, a Japan-only promotional cassette tape sampler compiling 12 tracks from Springsteen's studio albums up to 1992. This release bares catalogue number SONY XCTS 92005.

In 1992, THUNDER ROAD was included on Bruce Springsteen, a Japan-only promotional CD sampler compiling 16 tracks from Springsteen's studio albums up to 1992. This release bares catalogue number SONY XDDP 93084.

In 2005, THUNDER ROAD was included on Rocks Vol. 1 (1973 - 1982), a Japan-only promotional "Digest" CD-R advance sampler tying in with the release of the first six Japanese 2005 "mini-LP"-style Springsteen CD album reissues. This disc comes in a plain slimline jewel case with no artwork and bares no catalogue number.

The album version of THUNDER ROAD was also included on several various artists compilations. The below selection is most probably incomplete.

In 1981, THUNDER ROAD was included on Exciting Highlights From CBS Mastersound, a US-only various artists promotional LP sampler promoting CBS Mastersound's "Half-Speed Mastered Extended Range Recording" and "Digital Recording" audiophile pressings. This LP bares catalogue number AS 902 and comes in a gatefold sleeve with a trifold booklet.

In 1981, THUNDER ROAD was also included on The Sound Of Music On Mastersound, a Holland-only various artists promotional LP sampler introducing the "Mastersound" reissue series in Europe. This LP bares catalogue number CBS SAMP 15 and comes in a black-and-white title/logo sleeve.

In 1992, THUNDER ROAD was included on Stereo Review: 35th Anniversary, a US-only various artists CD sampler issued to celebrate the 35th Anniversary of "Stereo Review" magazine and featuring cuts from Columbia's "Mastersound" reissue catalogue. This release bares catalogue number COL CSK 5033. The disc is 24-carat gold-coated and comes in a 12-inch x 6-inch longbox.

In 1992, THUNDER ROAD was also included on Classic Rock Box: Celebrating WNEW-FM's 25th Anniversary, a U.S. various artists 4-CD boxed set with net proceeds benefiting the Nordoff-Robbins Musical Therapy Foundation. This release bares catalogue number Polydor/Chronicles 314 515 913-2.

Official Releases -- Other Versions

The live 18 Oct 1975 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Live/1975-85 box set in 1986, the live 18 Nov 1975 version was released on Hammersmith Odeon, London '75 CD and DVD in 2005, the live 08 Dec 1978 version was released on the Houston '78 Bootleg: House Cut DVD in 2010, the live 22 Sep 1979 version was originally released on the No Nukes home video in 1980 and was later included on the Video Anthology / 1978-88 home video in 1989, the live 22 Sep 1992 version was released on the In Concert / MTV Plugged home video in 1992 and the corresponding audio album the following year, the live 05 Apr 1995 version was released on the Hungry Heart EP in 1995, a mix of the live 27 Jun 2000 and 01 Jul 2000 performances of the song (live 27 Jun 2000 / 01 Jul 2000 version) was included on the Live In New York City home video in 2001 and the audio first appeared on the Waitin' On A Sunny Day maxi single in 2003, the live 16 Oct 2002 version was released on the Live In Barcelona DVD in 2003, and the live 04 Apr 2005 version was released on the VH1 Storytellers DVD in 2005. See each of the versions for more details.

Acclaim

THUNDER ROAD is a classic rock staple, and is consistently ranked as one of Springsteen's greatest songs, and one of the top rock songs of all time. In 2004, it was ranked #1 in WXPN's list of "The 885 All-Time Greatest Songs". Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time placed it at #86. The song came in at #226 in Q's list of the "1001 Greatest Songs Ever" in 2003, in which they described the song as "best for pleading on the porch." It was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1998. Live, it

Julia Roberts, when asked which song lyric described her most accurately, chose THUNDER ROAD's "You ain't a beauty, but hey, you're alright." In an Esquire interview, when asked some top ten questions, Mary-Louise Parker notes THUNDER ROAD as a song that everyone must know the lyrics to. The song is featured in the book 31 Songs by British author Nick Hornby. In Hornby's novel High Fidelity, the protagonist Rob Fleming ranks THUNDER ROAD as one of his five best side one tracks.

Awards

THUNDER ROAD was nominated for a 1997 Grammy Award for "Best Male Rock Vocal Performance". The 40th Grammy Awards ceremony was held on 25 Feb 1998 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, NY. Bruce Springsteen did not attend, and he lost to Bob Dylan's COLD IRONS BOUND.

Fall 2001 Acoustic Studio Version

During the 11 Sep 2001 terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and the twin towers of the World Trade Center, Monmouth County, NJ, where Springsteen resides with his family, suffered one of the highest death tolls of any population center. Springsteen read some of the New York Times obituaries in which the deceased were identified as his fans; he wound up calling some of the families to express his condolences. There was a headline for one man, Jim Berger, that read "A Fan of the Boss". Springsteen called up his widow, Suzanne, and he even sent a pre-recorded tape of himself in studio performing a solo version of THUNDER ROAD to the family of James Berger. Berger was a senior vice president of the insurance company AON Consulting Group in the World Trade Center who helped people get out before he was killed when it collapsed. He was a big Springsteen fan and this was his favorite song. The special videotaped tribute was played during the victim's memorial service on 05 Oct 2001, which was attended by 1,000 people. Springsteen dedicated his performance to Berger's three sons. "I understand this was one of your Pop's favorite songs," he said. Then, with a harmonica in his mouth and a guitar in his hands, he began to play THUNDER ROAD. He also gave the boys the harmonica with which he recorded the song. THUNDER ROAD from the 30 Aug 2003 The Rising Tour show at the Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ, would also be dedicated to the memory of Jim Berger.

Live History -- 1970's

The first known appearance of the song was on 05 Feb 1975 at The Main Point in Bryn Mawr, PA, during a benefit show held for the club. The show was broadcast on WMMR-FM. See the live 05 Feb 1975 version for more details. The song was then played during the remainder of The Wild, The Innocent, & The E Street Shuffle Tour (Feb-Mar 1975). Most of that period's setlists are either unknown or partial, and only 3 performances of the song are known/confirmed:

The Born To Run Tour kicked off on 20 Jul 1975 at the Palace Theater in Providence, RI, (the live debut of Miami Steve as a member of the E Street Band) and this was the first performance of THUNDER ROAD after Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band finished recording the album and hit the road. The song was performed very frequently during the tour.

During the 1st leg of the Born To Run Tour (73 know dates / 81 known shows, between July and December 1975), THUNDER ROAD is confirmed to have been played on 55 shows, and absent on 9. Note that many setlists from this period are incomplete or unknown, and therefore the remaining 17 performances remain unconfirmed. The song was played full-band since the 20 Jul 1975 opening night of the tour, but it took its solo incarnation from the 13 Aug 1975 early show at the in New York City, NY, till the end of the fist leg. The 18 Oct 1975 (early show) performance at Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood, CA, was officially released on the Live/1975-85 box set in November 1986. See the live 18 Oct 1975 version for more details. Audio and video for the complete 18 Nov 1975 show at Hammersmith Odeon in London, England, was released in 2005 on the Hammersmith Odeon, London '75 CD and DVD. See the live 18 Nov 1975 version for more details.

20 Jul 1975 at Palace Theatre, Providence, RI
23 Jul 1975 at Music Inn, Lenox, MA
26 Jul 1975 at Kutztown State College, Kutztown, PA
30 Jul 1975 at Carter Barron Amphitheatre, Washington, DC
01 Aug 1975 at Mosque Theatre, Richmond, VA
02 Aug 1975 at Chrysler Hall, Norfolk, VA
13 Aug 1975 (early show) at The Bottom Line, New York City, NY
13 Aug 1975 (late show) at The Bottom Line, New York City, NY
14 Aug 1975 (early show) at The Bottom Line, New York City, NY
15 Aug 1975 (early show) at The Bottom Line, New York City, NY
15 Aug 1975 (late show) at The Bottom Line, New York City, NY
16 Aug 1975 (early show) at The Bottom Line, New York City, NY
17 Aug 1975 (early show) at The Bottom Line, New York City, NY
17 Aug 1975 (late show) at The Bottom Line, New York City, NY
06 Sep 1975 at Theatre Of The Performing Arts, New Orleans, LA
12 Sep 1975 at Municipal Auditorium, Austin, TX
13 Sep 1975 at Music Hall, Houston, TX
14 Sep 1975 at Music Hall, Houston, TX
16 Sep 1975 at Dallas Convention Center Theater, Dallas, TX
20 Sep 1975 at Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA
21 Sep 1975 at Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis, MN
23 Sep 1975 at University Of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
25 Sep 1975 at Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL
27 Sep 1975 at Ambassador Theatre, St. Louis, MO
02 Oct 1975 at Uptown Theatre, Milwaukee, WI
11 Oct 1975 (early show) at Monmouth Arts Center, Red Bank, NJ
16 Oct 1975 at The Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, CA
17 Oct 1975 (early show) at The Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, CA
17 Oct 1975 (late show) at The Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, CA
18 Oct 1975 (early show) at The Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, CA
18 Oct 1975 (late show) at The Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, CA
19 Oct 1975 at The Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, CA
01 Nov 1975 at University Of California, Santa Barbara, CA
06 Nov 1975 at Grady Gammage Memorial Auditorium, Tempe, AZ
10 Nov 1975 at Jai-Alai Fronton Of Tampa, Tampa, FL
18 Nov 1975 at Hammersmith Odeon, London, England
21 Nov 1975 at Konserthuset, Stockholm, Sweden
23 Nov 1975 at RAI Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
24 Nov 1975 at Hammersmith Odeon, London, England
02 Dec 1975 at Music Hall, Boston, MA
03 Dec 1975 at Music Hall, Boston, MA
05 Dec 1975 at Georgetown University, Washington, DC
06 Dec 1975 at Georgetown University, Washington, DC
07 Dec 1975 at Georgetown University, Washington, DC
10 Dec 1975 at Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA
11 Dec 1975 at Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ
12 Dec 1975 at C.W. Post College, Greenvale, NY
16 Dec 1975 at State University Of New York, Oswego, NY
17 Dec 1975 at Kleinhans Music Hall, Buffalo, NY
20 Dec 1975 at National Arts Centre, Ottawa, Canada
21 Dec 1975 at Seneca College, Toronto, Canada
27 Dec 1975 at Tower Theater, Upper Darby, PA
28 Dec 1975 at Tower Theater, Upper Darby, PA
30 Dec 1975 at Tower Theater, Upper Darby, PA
31 Dec 1975 at Tower Theater, Upper Darby, PA

During the 2nd leg of the Born To Run Tour (35 known dates, between March and May 1976), THUNDER ROAD is confirmed to have been played on 21 shows. Note that many setlists from this period are incomplete or unknown, and therefore the remaining 14 performances remain unconfirmed. The song must've been a stable number during that 2nd leg, and it was always played in a full-band arrangement. That portion of the tour would soon be nicknamed by the road crew as the "Chicken Scratch Tour" because of the high proportion of secondary market, southern state locations.

Despite the marvelous reception received by both Born To Run and the tour which followed, the relationship between Bruce Springsteen and his now former manager and producer Mike Appel was deteriorating. In July 1976 the storm broke; Mike Appel wrote to Springsteen saying that he would not allow Jon Landau (Springsteen's friend and co-producer of Born To Run) to produce the next album, citing a particular paragraph from their original agreement. Bruce replied on 27 Jul 1976 by firing manager Mike Appel and suing him and his management company Laurel Canyon Ltd. in Federal Court in Manhattan, claiming fraud, breach of trust, and undue influence. Appel countersued on 29 Jul 1976 in New York State Supreme Court, asking the court to prohibit Springsteen and Jon Landau from working together in studio. Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band were slated to enter the studio that year for the recording of a new album, except that on 15 Sep 1976 the judge in the lawsuits case ruled that Springsteen was enjoined from any further recording with Columbia Records until Appel's suit was resolved. This would drag for about a year.

Meanwhile, Springsteen continued gigging, and in the process broke his self-imposed rule of not playing the larger arenas. This was basically because he was not able to put a record out, and it was the only way his fans would be able to hear him at all. THUNDER ROAD was played (full-band) on every night during that "Lawsuit Tour".

During the 1st leg of the tour (29 known dates, between August and November 1976), THUNDER ROAD is confirmed to have been played on 27 shows. Note that some setlists from this period are incomplete or unknown, and therefore the remaining 2 performances remain unconfirmed. The song must've been a stable number during that 1st leg.

During the 2nd leg of the tour (33 known dates, between February and March 1977), THUNDER ROAD is confirmed to have been played on 29 shows. Note that some setlists from this period are incomplete or unknown, and therefore the remaining 4 performances remain unconfirmed. The song must've been a stable number during that 2nd leg.

The last show of the "Lawsuit Tour" was on 25 Mar 1977 in Boston, MA, but the suit dragged until late May 1977. During that time, Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes were on tour. On three gigs that were originally scheduled as regular Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes shows, Southside was ill and couldn't perform. E Street Band member Steve Van Zandt came to the rescue by organizing "The Asbury Park All-Star Revue", a combination of The Asbury Jukes, The E Street Band, Ronnie Spector, and Bruce Springsteen. Van Zandt was the lead vocalist with Bruce on guitar and background vocals on most numbers, with the exception of a few tracks, including THUNDER ROAD which was performed by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. These three gigs took place on on 12 May and 13 May (early an late show) at Monmouth Arts Center in Red Bank, NJ.

On 28 May 1977, the Springsteen-Apple lawsuits reached a final settlement and finally Springsteen was able to get into a studio and record. Recording sessions for the next album began in early June 1977, but Springsteen kept making guest appearances at other artists' gigs, and jamming with Southside Johnny at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ. On 13 Sep 1977, he performed a set of 5 songs (including THUNDER ROAD) with Southside Johnny and the E Street Band at the club. This was during a benefit show for Bob Campanell, member of The Shakes, who were a house band at the club at the time.

In preparation for the Darkness On The Edge Of Town Tour, THUNDER ROAD was practiced on 19 May 1978 at Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park, NJ, during the only known/confirmed private rehearsal prior to the tour's start.

THUNDER ROAD is known to have been performed at least 102 times during the 111-date-long Darkness On The Edge Of Town Tour. A few setlists from that period are incomplete or unknown, and therefore, the song must have been played on some more dates during the Darkness On The Edge Of Town Tour; it may have been a stable number during that tour. Video for the complete 08 Dec 1978 concert in Houston, TX, was released on the Houston '78 Bootleg: House Cut DVD in 2010. See the live 08 Dec 1978 version for more details.

23 May 1978 at Shea's Buffalo Theatre, Buffalo, NY
24 May 1978 at Palace Theatre, Albany, NY
26 May 1978 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
27 May 1978 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
29 May 1978 at Music Hall, Boston, MA
30 May 1978 at Music Hall, Boston, MA
31 May 1978 at Music Hall, Boston, MA
02 Jun 1978 at Halsey Field House, Annapolis, MD
03 Jun 1978 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
05 Jun 1978 at Sports Arena, Toledo, OH
06 Jun 1978 at Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis, IN
08 Jun 1978 at Dane County Memorial Coliseum, Madison, WI
09 Jun 1978 at MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, WI
10 Jun 1978 at Metropolitan Sports Center, Bloomington, MN
14 Jun 1978 at Civic Auditorium Music Hall, Omaha, NE
16 Jun 1978 at Memorial Hall, Kansas City, KS
20 Jun 1978 at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO
24 Jun 1978 at Paramount Theatre, Portland, OR
25 Jun 1978 at Paramount Northwest Theatre, Seattle, WA
26 Jun 1978 at Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Vancouver, Canada
30 Jun 1978 at Berkeley Community Theatre, Berkeley, CA
01 Jul 1978 at Berkeley Community Theatre, Berkeley, CA
05 Jul 1978 at The Forum, Inglewood, CA
07 Jul 1978 at The Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, CA
08 Jul 1978 at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, AZ
09 Jul 1978 at San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, CA
12 Jul 1978 at Dallas Convention Center Theater, Dallas, TX
14 Jul 1978 at San Antonio Municipal Auditorium, San Antonio, TX
15 Jul 1978 at Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, TX
16 Jul 1978 at Municipal Auditorium, New Orleans, LA
18 Jul 1978 at Jackson Municipal Auditorium, Jackson, MS
21 Jul 1978 at Nashville Municipal Auditorium, Nashville, TN
28 Jul 1978 at Jai Alai Fronton, Miami, FL
29 Jul 1978 at Bayfront Center Arena, St. Petersburg, FL
01 Aug 1978 at Gaillard Municipal Auditorium, Charleston, SC
04 Aug 1978 at Charleston Civic Center, Charleston, WV
05 Aug 1978 at Louisville Gardens, Louisville, KY
07 Aug 1978 at Wings Stadium, Kalamazoo, MI
09 Aug 1978 at The Agora, Cleveland, OH
10 Aug 1978 at Rochester Community War Memorial, Rochester, NY
12 Aug 1978 at Augusta Civic Center, Augusta, ME
14 Aug 1978 at Hampton Roads Coliseum, Hampton, VA
15 Aug 1978 at Capital Centre, Largo, MD
18 Aug 1978 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
19 Aug 1978 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
21 Aug 1978 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
22 Aug 1978 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
23 Aug 1978 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
25 Aug 1978 at New Haven Veterans Memorial Coliseum, New Haven, CT
26 Aug 1978 at Providence Civic Center, Providence, RI
28 Aug 1978 at Stanley Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA
29 Aug 1978 at Stanley Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA
01 Sep 1978 at Masonic Temple Theatre, Detroit, MI
03 Sep 1978 at Saginaw Civic Center, Saginaw, MI
05 Sep 1978 at Veterans Memorial Auditorium, Columbus, OH
06 Sep 1978 at Uptown Theatre, Chicago, IL
10 Sep 1978 at Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, OH
12 Sep 1978 at Onondaga War Memorial, Syracuse, NY
13 Sep 1978 at Springfield Civic Center, Springfield, MA
15 Sep 1978 at Palladium, New York City, NY
16 Sep 1978 at Palladium, New York City, NY
17 Sep 1978 at Palladium, New York City, NY
19 Sep 1978 at Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ
20 Sep 1978 at Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ
21 Sep 1978 at Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ
25 Sep 1978 at Boston Garden, Boston, MA
29 Sep 1978 at Boutwell Memorial Auditorium, Birmingham, AL
30 Sep 1978 at Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA
01 Oct 1978 at Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA
01 Nov 1978 at Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
02 Nov 1978 at Capital Centre, Largo, MD
04 Nov 1978 at University Of Vermont, Burlington, VT
07 Nov 1978 at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
08 Nov 1978 at Montreal Forum, Montreal, Canada
10 Nov 1978 at St. Bonaventure University, St. Bonaventure, NY
12 Nov 1978 at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
14 Nov 1978 at Utica Memorial Auditorium, Utica, NY
16 Nov 1978 at Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada
17 Nov 1978 at Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
18 Nov 1978 at Miami University, Oxford, OH
20 Nov 1978 at University Of Illinois, Champaign, IL
21 Nov 1978 at Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
25 Nov 1978 at Kiel Opera House, St. Louis, MO
27 Nov 1978 at MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, WI
28 Nov 1978 at Dane County Memorial Coliseum, Madison, WI
29 Nov 1978 at Saint Paul Civic Center Arena, Saint Paul, MN
01 Dec 1978 at University Of Oklahoma, Norman, OK
03 Dec 1978 at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL
05 Dec 1978 at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LO
07 Dec 1978 at University Of Texas, Austin, TX
08 Dec 1978 at The Summit, Houston, TX
09 Dec 1978 at Dallas Convention Center Arena, Dallas, TX
13 Dec 1978 at Tucson Community Center Arena, Tucson, AZ
15 Dec 1978 at Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, CA
16 Dec 1978 at Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, CA
19 Dec 1978 at Paramount Theatre, Portland, OR
20 Dec 1978 at Seattle Center Arena, Seattle, WA
27 Dec 1978 at Stanley Theatre, Pittsburg, PA
28 Dec 1978 at Stanley Theatre, Pittsburg, PA
30 Dec 1978 at Cobo Arena, Detroit, MI
31 Dec 1978 at Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH
01 Jan 1979 at Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH

THUNDER ROAD was performed off-tour on 03 Jun 1979 at Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, CA, during the wedding party for Marc Brickman (Springsteen's lighting director) and June Rudley (Springsteen's travel agent). Springsteen, along with members of the E Street Band, joined Ricky Lee Jones and Boz Scaggs for a three hour celebration, playing a mixture of classic covers and Springsteen originals.

THUNDER ROAD was performed off-tour on 21 and 22 Sep 1979 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY, during the MUSE Concerts For A Non-Nuclear Future. Video footage for the song from the second night was included on the 1980 theatrical movie release No Nukes, which was later made available on home video. It was also included on Springsteen's Video Anthology / 1978-88 home video in 1989. See the live 22 Sep 1979 version for more details.

Live History -- 1980's

In preparation for The River Tour, THUNDER ROAD is known to have been practiced during at least one of the private rehearsals that took place over the period of four nights in late September 1980 in Lititz, PA, prior to the tour's first leg.

The River Tour opened on 03 Oct 1980 at Chrisler Arena in Ann Arbor, MI, and THUNDER ROAD was played twice that night; the second being the show closer on which Bob Seger joined Springsteen and the E Street Band onstage. The song was performed on each night during that 138-date-long tour, missing only two dates, both in May 1981 in Europe: the 08 May 1981 show in Stockholm, Sweden, and the 13 May 1981 show in Manchester, England.

03 Oct 1980 at Chrisler Arena, Ann Arbor, MI
04 Oct 1980 at Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, OH
06 Oct 1980 at Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH
07 Oct 1980 at Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH
09 Oct 1980 at Cobo Arena, Detroit, MI
10 Oct 1980 at Uptown Theatre, Chicago, IL
11 Oct 1980 at Uptown Theatre, Chicago, IL
13 Oct 1980 at Saint Paul Civic Center Arena, Saint Paul, MN
14 Oct 1980 at MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, WI
17 Oct 1980 at Kiel Opera House, St. Louis, MO
18 Oct 1980 at Kiel Opera House, St. Louis, MO
20 Oct 1980 at McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, CO
24 Oct 1980 at Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, WA
25 Oct 1980 at Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR
27 Oct 1980 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, CA
28 Oct 1980 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, CA
30 Oct 1980 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
31 Oct 1980 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
01 Nov 1980 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
03 Nov 1980 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
05 Nov 1980 at Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
08 Nov 1980 at Reunion Arena, Dallas, TX
09 Nov 1980 at University Of Texas, Austin, TX
11 Nov 1980 at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LO
14 Nov 1980 at The Summit, Houston, TX
15 Nov 1980 at The Summit, Houston, TX
20 Nov 1980 at Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, IL
23 Nov 1980 at Capital Centre, Largo, MD
24 Nov 1980 at Capital Centre, Largo, MD
27 Nov 1980 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
28 Nov 1980 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
30 Nov 1980 at Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
01 Dec 1980 at Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
02 Dec 1980 at Rochester Community War Memorial, Rochester, NY
04 Dec 1980 at Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, NY
06 Dec 1980 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
08 Dec 1980 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
09 Dec 1980 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
11 Dec 1980 at Providence Civic Center, Providence, RI
12 Dec 1980 at Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT
15 Dec 1980 at Boston Garden, Boston, MA
16 Dec 1980 at Boston Garden, Boston, MA
18 Dec 1980 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
19 Dec 1980 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
28 Dec 1980 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
29 Dec 1980 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
31 Dec 1980 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
20 Jan 1981 at Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada
21 Jan 1981 at Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada
23 Jan 1981 at The Forum, Montreal, Canada
24 Jan 1981 at Ottawa Civic Centre, Ottawa, Canada
26 Jan 1981 at University Of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN
28 Jan 1981 at Checkerdome, St. Louis, MO
29 Jan 1981 at Iowa State University, Ames, IA
01 Feb 1981 at Saint Paul Civic Center Arena, Saint Paul, MN
02 Feb 1981 at Dane County Memorial Coliseum, Madison, WI
04 Feb 1981 at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL
05 Feb 1981 at Kemper Arena, Kansas City, MO
07 Feb 1981 at University Of Illinois, Champaign, IL
12 Feb 1981 at Municipal Auditorium, Mobile, AL
13 Feb 1981 at Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS
15 Feb 1981 at Lakeland Civic Center, Lakeland, FL
16 Feb 1981 at Lakeland Civic Center, Lakeland, FL
18 Feb 1981 at Memorial Coliseum, Jacksonville, FL
20 Feb 1981 at Hollywood Sportatorium, Hollywood, FL
22 Feb 1981 at Carolina Coliseum, Columbia, SC
23 Feb 1981 at The Omni, Atlanta, GA
25 Feb 1981 at Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis, TN
26 Feb 1981 at Nashville Municipal Auditorium, Nashville, TN
28 Feb 1981 at Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC
02 Mar 1981 at Hampton Roads Coliseum, Hampton, VA
04 Mar 1981 at Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY
05 Mar 1981 at Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, IN
07 Apr 1981 at Congress Centrum Hamburg, Hamburg, West Germany
09 Apr 1981 at ICC Berlin, West Berlin, West Germany
11 Apr 1981 at Hallenstadion, Zurich, Switzerland
14 Apr 1981 at Festhalle, Frankfurt, West Germany
16 Apr 1981 at Olympiahalle, Munich, West Germany
18 Apr 1981 at Palais Des Sports De Saint-Ouen, Paris, France
19 Apr 1981 at Palais Des Sports De Saint-Ouen, Paris, France
21 Apr 1981 at Palacio Municipal De Deportes, Barcelona, Spain
24 Apr 1981 at Palais Des Sports, Lyon, France
26 Apr 1981 at Forest National, Brussels, Belgium
28 Apr 1981 at Sportpaleis Ahoy, Rotterdam, Holland
29 Apr 1981 at Sportpaleis Ahoy, Rotterdam, Holland
02 May 1981 at Brondby-Hallen, Copenhagen, Denmark
03 May 1981 at Scandinavium, Gothenburg, Sweden
05 May 1981 at Drammenshallen, Drammen, Norway
07 May 1981 at Johanneshovs Isstadion, Stockholm, Sweden
11 May 1981 at Newcastle City Hall, Newcastle, England
14 May 1981 at Apollo Theatre, Manchester, England
16 May 1981 at Edinburgh Playhouse, Edinburgh, England
17 May 1981 at Edinburgh Playhouse, Edinburgh, England
20 May 1981 at Bingley Hall, Stafford, England
26 May 1981 at The Brighton Centre, Brighton, England
27 May 1981 at The Brighton Centre, Brighton, England
29 May 1981 at Wembley Arena, London, England
30 May 1981 at Wembley Arena, London, England
01 Jun 1981 at Wembley Arena, London, England
02 Jun 1981 at Wembley Arena, London, England
04 Jun 1981 at Wembley Arena, London, England
05 Jun 1981 at Wembley Arena, London, England
07 Jun 1981 at Birmingham International Arena, Birmingham, England
08 Jun 1981 at Birmingham International Arena, Birmingham, England
02 Jul 1981 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
03 Jul 1981 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
05 Jul 1981 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
06 Jul 1981 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
08 Jul 1981 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
09 Jul 1981 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
13 Jul 1981 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
15 Jul 1981 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
16 Jul 1981 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
18 Jul 1981 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
19 Jul 1981 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
29 Jul 1981 at Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH
30 Jul 1981 at Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH
04 Aug 1981 at Capital Centre, Largo, MD
05 Aug 1981 at Capital Centre, Largo, MD
07 Aug 1981 at Capital Centre, Largo, MD
11 Aug 1981 at Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI
12 Aug 1981 at Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI
16 Aug 1981 at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO
17 Aug 1981 at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO
20 Aug 1981 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
21 Aug 1981 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
23 Aug 1981 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
24 Aug 1981 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
27 Aug 1981 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
28 Aug 1981 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
02 Sep 1981 at San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, CA
08 Sep 1981 at Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, IL
10 Sep 1981 at Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, IL
11 Sep 1981 at Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, IL
13 Sep 1981 at Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, OH
14 Sep 1981 at Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, OH

Setlists for the Born In The USA Tour rehearsals are unknown, but THUNDER ROAD was played on 08 Jun 1984 at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ, during a warm up gig for the tour. That gig was the first for Nils Lofgren with the E Street Band.

THUNDER ROAD was performed 156 times during the 156-date-long Born In The USA Tour; that is each and every one of the tour's regular dates.

29 Jun 1984 at Saint Paul Civic Center Arena, Saint Paul, MN
01 Jul 1984 at Saint Paul Civic Center Arena, Saint Paul, MN
02 Jul 1984 at Saint Paul Civic Center Arena, Saint Paul, MN
05 Jul 1984 at Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, OH
06 Jul 1984 at Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, OH
08 Jul 1984 at Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH
09 Jul 1984 at Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH
12 Jul 1984 at Alpine Valley Music Theater, East Troy, WI
13 Jul 1984 at Alpine Valley Music Theater, East Troy, WI
15 Jul 1984 at Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, IL
17 Jul 1984 at Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, IL
18 Jul 1984 at Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, IL
21 Jul 1984 at The Forum, Montreal, Canada
23 Jul 1984 at CNE Grandstand, Toronto, Canada
24 Jul 1984 at CNE Grandstand, Toronto, Canada
26 Jul 1984 at CNE Grandstand, Toronto, Canada
27 Jul 1984 at Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY
30 Jul 1984 at Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI
31 Jul 1984 at Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI
05 Aug 1984 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
06 Aug 1984 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
08 Aug 1984 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
09 Aug 1984 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
11 Aug 1984 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
12 Aug 1984 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
16 Aug 1984 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
17 Aug 1984 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
19 Aug 1984 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
20 Aug 1984 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
25 Aug 1984 at Capital Centre, Largo, MD
26 Aug 1984 at Capital Centre, Largo, MD
28 Aug 1984 at Capital Centre, Largo, MD
29 Aug 1984 at Capital Centre, Largo, MD
04 Sep 1984 at Centrum In Worcester, Worcester, MA
05 Sep 1984 at Centrum In Worcester, Worcester, MA
07 Sep 1984 at Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT
08 Sep 1984 at Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT
11 Sep 1984 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
12 Sep 1984 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
14 Sep 1984 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
15 Sep 1984 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
17 Sep 1984 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
18 Sep 1984 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
21 Sep 1984 at Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
22 Sep 1984 at Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
24 Sep 1984 at Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, NY
25 Sep 1984 at Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, NY
15 Oct 1984 at Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, BC
17 Oct 1984 at Tacoma Dome, Tacoma, WA
19 Oct 1984 at Tacoma Dome, Tacoma, WA
21 Oct 1984 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, CA
22 Oct 1984 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, CA
25 Oct 1984 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
26 Oct 1984 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
28 Oct 1984 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
29 Oct 1984 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
31 Oct 1984 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
02 Nov 1984 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
04 Nov 1984 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
08 Nov 1984 at Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
11 Nov 1984 at McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, CO
12 Nov 1984 at McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, CO
15 Nov 1984 at St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, MO
16 Nov 1984 at Iowa State University, Ames, IA
18 Nov 1984 at University Of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE
19 Nov 1984 at Kemper Arena, Kansas City, MO
23 Nov 1984 at University Of Texas, Austin, TX
25 Nov 1984 at Reunion Arena, Dallas, TX
26 Nov 1984 at Reunion Arena, Dallas, TX
29 Nov 1984 at The Summit, Houston, TX
30 Nov 1984 at The Summit, Houston, TX
02 Dec 1984 at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
06 Dec 1984 at Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Arena, Birmingham, AL
07 Dec 1984 at Leon County Civic Center, Tallahassee, FL
09 Dec 1984 at Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN
11 Dec 1984 at Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY
13 Dec 1984 at Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis, TN
14 Dec 1984 at Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis, TN
16 Dec 1984 at The Omni, Atlanta, GA
17 Dec 1984 at The Omni, Atlanta, GA
04 Jan 1985 at Hampton Roads Coliseum, Hampton, VA
05 Jan 1985 at Hampton Roads Coliseum, Hampton, VA
07 Jan 1985 at Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, IN
08 Jan 1985 at Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, IN
10 Jan 1985 at Freedom Hall, Louisville, KY
13 Jan 1985 at Carolina Coliseum, Columbia, SC
15 Jan 1985 at Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, NC
16 Jan 1985 at Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, NC
18 Jan 1985 at Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC
19 Jan 1985 at Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC
23 Jan 1985 at Providence Civic Center, Providence, RI
24 Jan 1985 at Providence Civic Center, Providence, RI
26 Jan 1985 at Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY
27 Jan 1985 at Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY
21 Mar 1985 at Sydney Entertainment Centre, Sydney, Australia
23 Mar 1985 at Sydney Entertainment Centre, Sydney, Australia
24 Mar 1985 at Sydney Entertainment Centre, Sydney, Australia
27 Mar 1985 at Sydney Entertainment Centre, Sydney, Australia
28 Mar 1985 at Sydney Entertainment Centre, Sydney, Australia
31 Mar 1985 at QEII Sports Centre, Brisbane, Australia
03 Apr 1985 at Melbourne Showgrounds, Melbourne, Australia
04 Apr 1985 at Melbourne Showgrounds, Melbourne, Australia
10 Apr 1985 at Yoyogi National Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan
11 Apr 1985 at Yoyogi National Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan
13 Apr 1985 at Yoyogi National Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan
15 Apr 1985 at Yoyogi National Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan
16 Apr 1985 at Yoyogi National Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan
18 Apr 1985 at Kyoto Furitsu Taiikukan, Kyoto, Japan
22 Apr 1985 at Osaka-Jō Hall, Osaka, Japan
23 Apr 1985 at Osaka-Jō Hall, Osaka, Japan
01 Jun 1985 at Slane Castle, Slane, Ireland
04 Jun 1985 at St James' Park, Newcastle, England
05 Jun 1985 at St James' Park, Newcastle, England
08 Jun 1985 at Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden
09 Jun 1985 at Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden
12 Jun 1985 at Stadion Feyenoord, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
13 Jun 1985 at Stadion Feyenoord, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
15 Jun 1985 at Waldstadion, Frankfurt, West Germany
18 Jun 1985 at Olympiastadion, Munich, West Germany
21 Jun 1985 at San Siro, Milan, Italy
23 Jun 1985 at Stade Richter, Montpellier, France
25 Jun 1985 at Stade Geoffroy Guichard, Saint-Étienne, France
29 Jun 1985 at Parc De La Courneuve, Paris, France
30 Jun 1985 at Parc De La Courneuve, Paris, France
03 Jul 1985 at Wembley Stadium, London, England
04 Jul 1985 at Wembley Stadium, London, England
06 Jul 1985 at Wembley Stadium, London, England
07 Jul 1985 at Roundhay Park, Leeds, England
05 Aug 1985 at RFK Stadium, Washington, DC
07 Aug 1985 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, OH
09 Aug 1985 at Soldier Field, Chicago, IL
11 Aug 1985 at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA
14 Aug 1985 at Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, PA
15 Aug 1985 at Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, PA
18 Aug 1985 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
19 Aug 1985 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
21 Aug 1985 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
22 Aug 1985 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
26 Aug 1985 at CNE Stadium, Toronto, Canada
27 Aug 1985 at CNE Stadium, Toronto, Canada
31 Aug 1985 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
01 Sep 1985 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
04 Sep 1985 at Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, MI
06 Sep 1985 at Hoosier Dome, Indianapolis, IN
09 Sep 1985 at Orange Bowl Stadium, Miami, FL
10 Sep 1985 at Orange Bowl Stadium, Miami, FL
13 Sep 1985 at Cotton Bowl, Dallas, TX
14 Sep 1985 at Cotton Bowl, Dallas, TX
18 Sep 1985 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, CA
19 Sep 1985 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, CA
23 Sep 1985 at Mile High Stadium, Denver, CO
24 Sep 1985 at Mile High Stadium, Denver, CO
27 Sep 1985 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA
29 Sep 1985 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA
30 Sep 1985 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA
02 Oct 1985 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA

THUNDER ROAD was performed twice during the 67-date-long Tunnel Of Love Express Tour, in Oslo and Barcelona, the latter being the tour finale. Note that the song was reported to be have been sound-checked earlier in the tour, on 09 May 1988 in Bloomington, MN, but was not played during the show.

THUNDER ROAD was performed 13 times during the Amnesty International Human Rights Now! Tour. The setlist of the 14 Oct 1988 show in Mendoza, Argentina, is unknown, and therefore the song may have been played on one additional date. However, this is unlikely since the song did not appear on any of the other setlists in the October part of the tour.

Live History -- 1990's

Bruce Springsteen performed THUNDER ROAD on both Christic Institute benefit shows in November 1990 in Los Angeles, CA. The song was played solo on grand piano. See the live 16 Nov 1990 version for more details.

THUNDER ROAD was performed 96 times during the 102-date-long World Tour 1992-1993. On this tour, the song was played in its acoustic arrangement.

17 Jun 1992 at Globe Arena, Stockholm, Sweden
20 Jun 1992 at Forum Di Assago, Milan, Italy
21 Jun 1992 at Forum Di Assago, Milan, Italy
25 Jun 1992 at Festhalle, Frankfurt, Germany
26 Jun 1992 at Festhalle, Frankfurt, Germany
29 Jun 1992 at Palais Omnisports De Paris-Bercy, Paris, France
03 Jul 1992 at Plaza Monumental, Barcelona, Spain
04 Jul 1992 at Plaza Monumental, Barcelona, Spain
06 Jul 1992 at Wembley Arena, London, England
09 Jul 1992 at Wembley Arena, London, England
10 Jul 1992 at Wembley Arena, London, England
12 Jul 1992 at Wembley Arena, London, England
13 Jul 1992 at Wembley Arena, London, England
23 Jul 1992 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
25 Jul 1992 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
26 Jul 1992 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
28 Jul 1992 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
30 Jul 1992 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
31 Jul 1992 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
02 Aug 1992 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
04 Aug 1992 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
06 Aug 1992 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
07 Aug 1992 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
10 Aug 1992 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
13 Aug 1992 at Centrum In Worcester, Worcester, MA
14 Aug 1992 at Centrum In Worcester, Worcester, MA
17 Aug 1992 at The Palace Of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, MI
18 Aug 1992 at The Palace Of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, MI
21 Aug 1992 at Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH
22 Aug 1992 at Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH
25 Aug 1992 at Capital Centre, Largo, MD
26 Aug 1992 at Capital Centre, Largo, MD
28 Aug 1992 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
29 Aug 1992 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
02 Sep 1992 at World Music Theatre, Tinley Park, IL
03 Sep 1992 at World Music Theatre, Tinley Park, IL
24 Sep 1992 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
25 Sep 1992 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
28 Sep 1992 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
29 Sep 1992 at San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, CA
02 Oct 1992 at America West Arena, Phoenix, AZ
03 Oct 1992 at America West Arena, Phoenix, AZ
06 Oct 1992 at Arco Arena, Sacramento, CA
13 Oct 1992 at Tacoma Dome, Tacoma, WA
15 Oct 1992 at PNE Stadium, Vancouver, Canada
17 Oct 1992 at Olympic Saddledome, Calgary, Canada
18 Oct 1992 at Northlands Coliseum, Edmonton, Canada
21 Oct 1992 at Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA
22 Oct 1992 at Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA
26 Oct 1992 at Mcnichols Sports Arena, Denver, CO
30 Oct 1992 at Hilton Coliseum, Iowa State University, Ames, IA
31 Oct 1992 at Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
03 Nov 1992 at Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI
05 Nov 1992 at SkyDome, Toronto, Canada
06 Nov 1992 at SkyDome, Toronto, Canada
09 Nov 1992 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
10 Nov 1992 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
13 Nov 1992 at Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY
15 Nov 1992 at Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT
17 Nov 1992 at Dean E. Smith Student Activities Center, Chapel Hill, NC
18 Nov 1992 at Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, NC
23 Nov 1992 at Orlando Arena, Orlando, FL
24 Nov 1992 at Miami Arena, Miami, FL
30 Nov 1992 at The Omni, Atlanta, GA
02 Dec 1992 at Reunion Arena, Dallas, TX
03 Dec 1992 at St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, MO
05 Dec 1992 at Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, IN
07 Dec 1992 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
08 Dec 1992 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
13 Dec 1992 at Boston Garden, Boston, MA
14 Dec 1992 at Boston Garden, Boston, MA
16 Dec 1992 at Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
17 Dec 1992 at Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY
31 Mar 1993 at SECC Arena, Glasgow, Scotland
03 Apr 1993 at Westfalenhalle, Dortmund, Germany
04 Apr 1993 at Westfalenhalle, Dortmund, Germany
07 Apr 1993 at Hallenstadion, Zurich, Switzerland
08 Apr 1993 at Hallenstadion, Zurich, Switzerland
11 Apr 1993 at Stadio Marc'antonio Bentegodi, Verona, Italy
13 Apr 1993 at Halle Tony Garnier, Lyon, France
15 Apr 1993 at Sheffield Arena, Sheffield, England
16 Apr 1993 at Sheffield Arena, Sheffield, England
19 Apr 1993 at Sportpaleis Ahoy, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
20 Apr 1993 at Sportpaleis Ahoy, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
23 Apr 1993 at Flanders Expo, Gent, Belgium
24 Apr 1993 at Flanders Expo, Gent, Belgium
01 May 1993 at Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal
05 May 1993 at Estadio Vicente Calderón, Madrid, Spain
16 May 1993 at Alter-Flughafen, Munich, Germany
17 May 1993 at Maimarkthalle, Mannheim, Germany
20 May 1993 at RDS Arena, Dublin, Ireland
22 May 1993 at The National Bowl, Milton Keynes, England
25 May 1993 at Stadio Flaminio, Rome, Italy
28 May 1993 at Stockholms Stadion, Stockholm, Sweden
30 May 1993 at Gentofte Stadion, Copenhagen, Denmark
01 Jun 1993 at Valle Hovin Stadion, Oslo, Norway

THUNDER ROAD was performed off-tour on 22 Sep 1992 at Warner Hollywood Studios in Los Angeles, CA, during the taping of MTV Unplugged. That performance was released on the In Concert / MTV Plugged home video in 1992 and the corresponding audio album the following year. See the live 22 Sep 1992 version for more details.

Following World Tour 1992-1993, THUNDER ROADwas performed during the "Concert To Fight Hunger" benefit show on 24 Jun 1993 in East Rutherford, NJ (see the live 24 Jun 1993 version). The song was played in its acoustic arrangement.

THUNDER ROAD was sound-checked prior to the 08 Nov 1996 show in Freehold, NJ, (as far as it's known) but it was not performed on any of The Ghost Of Tom Joad Solo Acoustic Tour's regular shows.

On 15 Feb 1995, Springsteen joined Melissa Etheridge on THUNDER ROAD during the taping of her episode of MTV Unplugged at Brooklyn Academy Of Music in New York City. See the live 15 Feb 1995 version for more details. The song was also played off-tour on 21 Feb 1995 at Tramps nightclub in New York City, during a reunion gig with the E Street Band.

Following the release of Greatest Hits, THUNDER ROAD was played again with the E Street Band on 05 Apr 1995 at Sony Studios in New York City. This show was video-taped in front of a small audience, and some of the footage was later broadcast internationally to promote the release of the Greatest Hits album. This live 05 Apr 1995 version of the song was officially released on the 1995 Hungry Heart EP. See the live 05 Apr 1995 version for more details.

On 09 Jul 1995, Springsteen joined German rocker Wolfgang Niedecken and his Leopardefell Band at Cafe Eckstein in Berlin, Germany, to record the HUNGRY HEART video that was released that year as a single in Europe and also on Springsteen's The Complete Video Anthology / 1978-2000. In addition to seven attempts at HUNGRY HEART, the four-hour shoot included several covers and a Springsteen solo version of THUNDER ROAD.

During The Ghost Of Tom Joad Solo Acoustic Tour, after playing a show on 22 May 1997 at Teatro Augusteo in Naples, Italy, Springsteen appeared on the outside balcony on the second floor of the theater and led the crowd in singing O SOLE MIO. Next he came out with a guitar, and guitar tech Kevin Buell held the words next to him as Bruce played THUNDER ROAD, with the crowd singing along with him.

On the eve of the final leg of The Ghost Of Tom Joad Solo Acoustic Tour, Springsteen received the Polar Music Prize from Swedish King Karl Gustav XVI. The ceremony took place on 05 May 1997 at the Stockholm Concert Hall. A solo acoustic THUNDER ROAD was performed later that night during a celebratory banquet held at Grand Hotel in Stockholm. See the live 05 May 1997 version for more details. The next performance of THUNDER ROAD was on 31 Jan 1998 at Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, NJ, during the "Come Together: Jon Bon Jovi & Friends" benefit concert. See the live 31 Jan 1998 version for more details.

In preparation for The Reunion Tour, THUNDER ROAD was performed during both of the tour's two public warm-up rehearsal shows that took place in March 1999 in Asbury Park. The song is also known to have been practiced during at least one of the private rehearsals that took place in March 2009 in Asbury Park prior to the tour's first leg, and during the private rehearsal that took place in April 1999 in Barcelona the day before the tour kicked off in Spain.

THUNDER ROAD was performed 132 times during the 132-date-long The Reunion Tour; that is each and every one of the tour's regular dates. The song was played in a full-band arrangement. A mix of the 27 Jun 2000 and 01 Jul 2000 performances of THUNDER ROAD was officially released in 2001 on the Live In New York City home video, and was also included in 2003 on the Waitin' On A Sunny Day EP in Australia and Europe. See the live 27 Jun 2000 / 01 Jul 2000 version for more details.

09 Apr 1999 at Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona, Spain
11 Apr 1999 at Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona, Spain
13 Apr 1999 at Olympiahalle, Munich, Germany
15 Apr 1999 at Kölnarena, Cologne, Germany
17 Apr 1999 at Palasport, Bologna, Italy
19 Apr 1999 at Fila Forum, Milan, Italy
20 Apr 1999 at Fila Forum, Milan, Italy
23 Apr 1999 at Donau-Arena, Regensburg, Germany
24 Apr 1999 at Wiener Stadthalle, Vienna, Austria
26 Apr 1999 at Hallenstadion, Zurich, Switzerland
28 Apr 1999 at Halle Tony Garnier, Lyon, France
01 May 1999 at Manchester Evening News Arena, Manchester, England
02 May 1999 at Manchester Evening News Arena, Manchester, England
16 May 1999 at The NEC Arena, Birmingham, England
18 May 1999 at Earls Court, London, England
19 May 1999 at Earls Court, London, England
21 May 1999 at Earls Court, London, England
23 May 1999 at Earls Court, London, England
25 May 1999 at RDS Arena, Dublin, Ireland
27 May 1999 at Flanders Expo, Gent, Belgium
29 May 1999 at Wuhlheide, Berlin, Germany
30 May 1999 at Wuhlheide, Berlin, Germany
02 Jun 1999 at Palais Omnisports De Paris-Bercy, Paris, France
03 Jun 1999 at Palais Omnisports De Paris-Bercy, Paris, France
05 Jun 1999 at Estadio De La Romareda, Zaragoza, Spain
07 Jun 1999 at Estadio De La Comunidad, Madrid, Spain
11 Jun 1999 at Stadio Luigi Ferraris, Genoa, Italy
13 Jun 1999 at Bruno-Platche Stadion, Leipzig, Germany
15 Jun 1999 at Stadion Am Bieberer Berg, Offenbach, Germany
17 Jun 1999 at Weserstadion, Bremen, Germany
19 Jun 1999 at Gelredome, Arnhem, The Netherlands
20 Jun 1999 at Gelredome, Arnhem, The Netherlands
23 Jun 1999 at Stockholms Stadion, Stockholm, Sweden
24 Jun 1999 at Stockholms Stadion, Stockholm, Sweden
26 Jun 1999 at Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark
27 Jun 1999 at Valle Hovin Stadion, Oslo, Norway
15 Jul 1999 at Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
18 Jul 1999 at Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
20 Jul 1999 at Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
24 Jul 1999 at Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
26 Jul 1999 at Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
27 Jul 1999 at Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
29 Jul 1999 at Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
01 Aug 1999 at Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
02 Aug 1999 at Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
04 Aug 1999 at Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
06 Aug 1999 at Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
07 Aug 1999 at Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
09 Aug 1999 at Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
11 Aug 1999 at Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
12 Aug 1999 at Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
21 Aug 1999 at Fleet Center, Boston, MA
22 Aug 1999 at Fleet Center, Boston, MA
24 Aug 1999 at Fleet Center, Boston, MA
26 Aug 1999 at Fleet Center, Boston, MA
27 Aug 1999 at Fleet Center, Boston, MA
31 Aug 1999 at MCI Center, Washington, DC
01 Sep 1999 at MCI Center, WashinGTON, DC
03 Sep 1999 at MCI Center, Washington, DC
08 Sep 1999 at The Palace Of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, MI
09 Sep 1999 at The Palace Of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, MI
13 Sep 1999 at First Union Center, Philadelphia, PA
15 Sep 1999 at First Union Center, Philadelphia, PA
20 Sep 1999 at First Union Center, Philadelphia, PA
21 Sep 1999 at First Union Center, Philadelphia, PA
24 Sep 1999 at First Union Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
25 Sep 1999 at First Union Center, Philadelphia, PA
27 Sep 1999 at United Center, Chicago, IL
28 Sep 1999 at United Center, Chicago, IL
30 Sep 1999 at United Center, Chicago, IL
15 Oct 1999 at America West Arena, Phoenix, AZ
17 Oct 1999 at Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
18 Oct 1999 at Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
21 Oct 1999 at Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
23 Oct 1999 at Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
25 Oct 1999 at Oakland Arena, Oakland, CA
26 Oct 1999 at Oakland Arena, Oakland, CA
28 Oct 1999 at Oakland Arena, Oakland, CA
06 Nov 1999 at Fargodome, Fargo, ND
09 Nov 1999 at Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI
10 Nov 1999 at Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
14 Nov 1999 at Gund Arena, Cleveland, OH
15 Nov 1999 at Gund Arena, Cleveland, OH
17 Nov 1999 at Value City Arena, Columbus, OH
19 Nov 1999 at Marine Midland Arena, Buffalo, NY
21 Nov 1999 at Pepsi Arena, Albany, NY
28 Nov 1999 at Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
29 Nov 1999 at Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
28 Feb 2000 at Penn State University, University Park, PA
04 Mar 2000 at Orlando Arena, Orlando, FL
06 Mar 2000 at Ice Palace, Tampa, FL
09 Mar 2000 at National Car Rental Center, Sunrise, FL
10 Mar 2000 at National Car Rental Center, Sunrise, FL
13 Mar 2000 at Reunion Arena, Dallas, TX
14 Mar 2000 at Alltel Arena, Little Rock, AR
18 Mar 2000 at Pyramid Arena, Memphis, TN
19 Mar 2000 at New Orleans Arena, New Orleans, LA
30 Mar 2000 at Pepsi Center, Denver, CO
31 Mar 2000 at Pepsi Center, Denver, CO
03 Apr 2000 at Rose Garden, Portland, OR
04 Apr 2000 at Tacoma Dome, Tacoma, WA
08 Apr 2000 at Kiel Center, St. Louis, MO
09 Apr 2000 at Kemper Arena, Kansas City, MO
12 Apr 2000 at Nashville Arena, Nashville, TN
15 Apr 2000 at Freedom Hall, Louisville, KY
17 Apr 2000 at Frank Erwin Center, University Of Texas, Austin, TX
18 Apr 2000 at Compaq Center, Houston, TX
21 Apr 2000 at Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, NC
22 Apr 2000 at Raleigh Arena, Raleigh, NC
25 Apr 2000 at Mellon Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
26 Apr 2000 at Mellon Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
30 Apr 2000 at Firstar Center, Cincinnati, OH
03 May 2000 at Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Canada
04 May 2000 at Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Canada
07 May 2000 at Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT
08 May 2000 at Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT
21 May 2000 at Arrowhead Pond Of Anaheim, Anaheim, CA
22 May 2000 at Arrowhead Pond Of Anaheim, Anaheim, CA
27 May 2000 at Mgm Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, NV
20 May 2000 at Delta Center, Salt Lake City, UT
03 Jun 2000 at Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA
04 Jun 2000 at Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA
12 Jun 2000 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
15 Jun 2000 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
17 Jun 2000 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
20 Jun 2000 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
22 Jun 2000 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
23 Jun 2000 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
26 Jun 2000 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
27 Jun 2000 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
29 Jun 2000 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
01 Jul 2000 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY

Live History -- 2000's

THUNDER ROAD was performed during the "The Alliance Of Neighbors Concerts", on 18 and 19 Oct 2001 at Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, NJ, and also acoustically during a public sound-check held on the afternoon of 18 Oct 2001 at Count Basie Theatre. These shows were fundraisers for the families from Monmouth County, NJ, that were affected by the 9/11 tragedy. The 19 Oct 2001 show was broadcast on cable television. See the live 19 Oct 2001 version for more details.

Bruce Springsteen played a pair of private benefit shows for Rumson Country Day School (RCDS) of Rumson, NJ, on 13 and 14 Apr 2002 at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ. Patti Scialfa joined him on an acoustic THUNDER ROAD that closed both shows. Guests, besides friends and family, were parents and school supporters who contributed $1000 per couple to the school for admission, and RCDS teachers who were reportedly invited for free. Springsteen announced his contribution a couple of months earlier at a private fundraising event for the school.

THUNDER ROAD was performed on 26 Jul 2002 at Sonny's Southern Cuisine restaurant in Asbury Park, NJ, when Springsteen played an intimate acoustic set for contest winners that were at the warm up gig for The Rising Tour that took place on the afternoon of the same day at the Convention Hall in Asbury Park. Patti Scialfa joined in on harmonies on THUNDER ROAD.

In preparation for The Rising Tour, THUNDER ROAD was performed during one of the tour's five public warm-up rehearsal shows that took place in July and August 2002 in Asbury Park and East Rutherford.

THUNDER ROAD was performed 58 times during the 120-date-long The Rising Tour. The complete 16 Oct 2002 concert at Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona, Spain, was released on the Live In Barcelona DVD in 2003. See the live 16 Oct 2002 version for more details.

07 Aug 2002 at Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
10 Aug 2002 at MCI center, Washington, DC
12 Aug 2002 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
14 Aug 2002 at Gund Arena, Cleveland, OH
15 Aug 2002 at The Palace Of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, MI
18 Aug 2002 at Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV
20 Aug 2002 at Rose Garden, Portland, OR
21 Aug 2002 at Tacoma Dome, Tacoma, WA
24 Aug 2002 at The Forum, Inglewood, CA
25 Aug 2002 at America West Arena, Phoenix, AZ
27 Aug 2002 at Compaq Center At San Jose, San Jose, CA
30 Aug 2002 at Savvis Center, St Louis, MO
16 Oct 2002 at Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona, Spain
18 Oct 2002 at Palamalaguti, Bologna, Italy
20 Oct 2002 at Velodrom, Berlin, Germany
22 Oct 2002 at Sportpaleis Ahoy, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
24 Oct 2002 at Globe Arena, Stockholm, Sweden
27 Oct 2002 at Wembley Arena, London, England
14 Nov 2002 at Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY
02 Dec 2002 at Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA
04 Dec 2002 at Mellon Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
05 Dec 2002 at Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Canada
16 Dec 2002 at Value City Arena, Columbus, OH
17 Dec 2002 at Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
28 Feb 2003 at The Arena At Gwinnett Center, Duluth, GA
02 Mar 2003 at Frank Erwin Center, Austin, TX
04 Mar 2003 at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Jacksonville, FL
10 Mar 2003 at Dunkin' Donuts Center, Providence, RI
20 Mar 2003 at Telstra Dome, Melbourne, Australia
22 Mar 2003 at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, Australia
25 Mar 2003 at Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Australia
26 Mar 2003 at Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Australia
28 Mar 2003 at Western Springs Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand
09 Apr 2003 at Arco Arena, Sacramento, CA
11 Apr 2003 at Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, Canada
14 Apr 2003 at Skyreach Centre, Edmonton, Canada
18 Apr 2003 at Corel Centre, Ottawa, Canada
19 Apr 2003 at Bell Centre, Montreal, Canada
06 May 2003 at Stadion Feyenoord, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
15 May 2003 at Estadio Municipal El Molinón, Gijón, Spain
22 May 2003 at Arena Auf Schalke, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
26 May 2003 at Crystal Palace National Sports Stadium, London, England
27 May 2003 at Crystal Palace National Sports Stadium, London, England
29 May 2003 at Lancashire County Cricket Ground, Manchester, England
31 May 2003 at RDS Arena, Dublin, Ireland
14 Jun 2003 at Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark
16 Jun 2003 at Olympiastadion, Helsinki, Finland
21 Jun 2003 at Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden
22 Jun 2003 at Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden
25 Jun 2003 at Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria
28 Jun 2003 at San Siro, Milan, Italy
15 Jul 2003 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
17 Jul 2003 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
09 Aug 2003 at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA
11 Aug 2003 at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA
30 Aug 2003 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
07 Sep 2003 at Fenway Park, Boston, MA
16 Sep 2003 at Rentschler Field, Hartford, CT

During the course of The Rising Tour, THUNDER ROAD was also played off-tour on several occasions. Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band played an open-air concert on 29 Aug 2002 at The Planetarium in New York City, NY, during the MTV VMA Music Awards. Only the first track, THE RISING, was broadcast by MTV, but Springsteen and the band went on to perform a mini concert (10 songs in total) through the driving rain.

Springsteen attended the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge dedication ceremony that was held on 04 Oct 2002 on the bridge in Boston, MA. He gave a speech and performed a solo acoustic THUNDER ROAD. See the live 04 Oct 2002 version for more details.

THUNDER ROAD was also performed solo acoustic off-tour during both of the two DoubleTake Magazine benefit shows that took place in February 2003. See the live 19 Feb 2003 version for more details.

THUNDER ROAD was performed on 29 Apr 2003 at Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, NJ, during "The Hope Concert" benefit. It was played in a full-band version, with Bruce Springsteen backed by the Max Weinberg 7, plus Bobby Bandiera on guitar, and joined by Jon Bon Jovi on guitar and vocals. See the live 29 Apr 2003 version for more details. The song was also practiced the previous day at Count Basie Theatre during the concert's rehearsals.

Springsteen played an acoustic THUNDER ROAD on 01 Nov 2004 in Cleveland, OH, at the last of four election rallies for Senator John Kerry. See the live 01 Nov 2004 version for more details.

THUNDER ROAD was performed off-tour on 04 Apr 2005 at Two River Theater in Red Bank, NJ, during the taping of Springsteen's episode of VH1's Storytellers television series. An edited version of the concert was released on the VH1 Storytellers DVD in September 2005. See the live 04 Apr 2005 version for more details.

THUNDER ROAD was performed once during the Devils & Dust Solo Acoustic Tour. Before the tour began, Springsteen vowed that he is "not going to be playing an acoustic version of 'Thunder Road'." Despite that, he did perform the song on 12 Oct 2005 in Minneapolis, MN. See the live 12 Oct 2005 version for more details. Note that the song was also sound-checked prior to the 03 Aug 2005 show in Grand Rapids, MI, but was not performed on the regular show.

THUNDER ROAD was performed 28 times during the 100-date-long Magic Tour. On 08 April 2008 in Anaheim, CA, the song opened the show for the first time with the E Street Band since early on the Born in The USA Tour. The 14 Jun 2008 performance of the song in Cardiff, England, was dedicated to the late Tim Russert. The 30 Aug 2008 performance was during Harley-Davidson's 105th Anniversary Celebration – the song was played while the stage screens displayed a series of images of Springsteen riding his motorcycle over the years.

During the course of the Magic Tour, THUNDER ROAD was played off-tour on a few occasions. On 07 Nov 2007, Springsteen showed up at the New York Comedy Festival Event at Town Hall in New York City, NY, playing THUNDER ROAD and two other songs on acoustic guitar and harmonica. The event was billed "Stand Up for Heroes: A Benefit for the Bob Woodruff Family Fund", and Springsteen was the first performer to take the stage. After his performance, he rolled onstage on his '91 Harley Davidson motorbike, which was auctioned off for $85,000 in benefit of the cause. The following year, on 05 Nov 2008, Springsteen showed up again at the New York Comedy Festival Event at Town Hall in New York City, playing a set of three song that again included THUNDER ROAD. The songs were played on acoustic guitar and harmonica, and Patti Scialfa on vocals for THUNDER ROAD. After his set, they once again auctioned off one of his motorcycles, a 1994 Harley Davidson Dyna Wide Glide, which Springsteen rode onto the stage with the engine running. After he threw in his leather jacket, it went for $70,000. The guitar Bruce played during his set was auctioned as well, bringing in an additional $50,000 for the cause.

THUNDER ROAD was performed on 09 Nov 2007 in New York City, NY, during the fifth annual Joe Torre Safe at Home Foundation benefit. The song was played solo on acoustic guitar. See the live 09 Nov 2007 version for more details

THUNDER ROAD was played off-tour on 07 May 2008, during a benefit show for the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, NJ. The complete Born To Run album was played that night.

Springsteen played THUNDER ROAD on 13 May 2008 at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ, backed by Bobby Bandiera and his band, during a private fundraiser for Ranny School of Tinton Falls, NJ, where Springsteen's son attended.

A televised memorial service for Tim Russert was held on 18 Jun 2008 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, and Springsteen, who was on tour in Europe, made an appearance via satellite performing an acoustic rendition of THUNDER ROAD. See the live 18 Jun 2008 version for more details.

Springsteen performed solo acoustic on four election rallies for Senator Barack Obama in Fall 2008, and THUNDER ROAD was played on each of these four rallies: 04 Oct 2008 in Philadelphia, 05 Oct 2008 in Columbus, 06 Oct 2008 in Ypsilanti, and 02 Nov 2008 in Cleveland. Additionally, Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel co-headlined the "Change Rocks" benefit concert in support of Barack Obama on 16 Oct 2008 at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. THUNDER ROAD was among the songs they played.

In preparation for the Working On A Dream Tour, THUNDER ROAD was performed during the first of the tour's two public warm-up rehearsal shows that took place in March 2009 in Asbury Park. The song is also known to have been practiced during at least one of the private rehearsals that took place in March 2009 in Asbury Park prior to the tour's first leg.

THUNDER ROAD was performed 50 times during the 83-date-long Working On A Dream Tour.

01 Apr 2009 at HP Pavilion At San Jose, San Jose, CA
10 Apr 2009 at Pepsi Center, Denver, CO
16 Apr 2009 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
22 Apr 2009 at TD Banknorth Garden, Boston, MA
29 Apr 2009 at Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA (with Jay Weinberg on drums)
02 May 2009 at Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC (with Jay Weinberg on drums)
05 May 2009 at John Paul Jones Arena, Charlottesville, VA (with Jay Weinberg on drums)
14 May 2009 at Times Union Center, Albany, NY (with Jay Weinberg on drums)
15 May 2009 at Hersheypark Stadium, Hershey, PA (with Jay Weinberg on drums)
19 May 2009 at Mellon Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
21 May 2009 at Izod Center, East Rutherford, NJ (with Jay Weinberg on drums)
23 May 2009 at Izod Center, East Rutherford, NJ
30 May 2009 at Megaland, Landgraaf, The Netherlands (with Jay Weinberg on drums and Brandon Flowers on duet vocals)
02 Jun 2009 at Ratinan Stadion, Tampere, Finland (with Jay Weinberg on drums)
05 Jun 2009 at Stockholms Stadion, Stockholm, Sweden (with Jay Weinberg on drums)
07 Jun 2009 at Stockholms Stadion, Stockholm, Sweden (with Jay Weinberg on drums)
10 Jun 2009 at Koengen, Bergen, Norway (with Jay Weinberg on drums)
13 Jun 2009 at Great Stage Park, Manchester, TN
27 Jun 2009 at Worthy Farm, Pilton, England
30 Jun 2009 at Stade De Suisse, Bern, Switzerland
08 Jul 2009 at MCH Arena Herning, Herning, Denmark
11 Jul 2009 at RDS Arena, Dublin, Ireland
14 Jul 2009 at Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland
19 Jul 2009 at Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy
26 Jul 2009 at Estadio San Mamés, Bilbao, Spain
01 Aug 2009 at Estadio José Zorrilla, Valladolid, Spain
19 Aug 2009 at Comcast Theatre, Hartford, CT
23 Aug 2009 at Comcast Center, Mansfield, MA (with Jay Weinberg on drums)
25 Aug 2009 at Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY (with Jay Weinberg on drums)
12 Sep 2009 at Ford Amphitheatre, Tampa, FL
13 Sep 2009 at BankAtlantic Center, Sunrise, FL
16 Sep 2009 at BI-LO Center, Greenville, SC (with Jay Weinberg on drums)
20 Sep 2009 at United Center, Chicago, IL (complete Born To Run album performed)
21 Sep 2009 at Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines, IA
30 Sep 2009 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ (complete Born To Run album performed)
02 Oct 2009 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
03 Oct 2009 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
08 Oct 2009 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ (complete Born To Run album performed)
13 Oct 2009 at Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA (complete Born To Run album performed)
19 Oct 2009 at Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA (complete Born To Run album performed)
20 Oct 2009 at Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
25 Oct 2009 at Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO (complete Born To Run album performed)
02 Nov 2009 at Verizon Center, Washington, DC (complete Born To Run album performed)
03 Nov 2009 at Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, NC (complete Born To Run album performed)
10 Nov 2009 at Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH (complete Born To Run album performed)
13 Nov 2009 at The Palace Of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, MI (complete Born To Run album performed)
15 Nov 2009 at Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI (complete Born To Run album performed)
18 Nov 2009 at Sommet Center, Nashville, TN (complete Born To Run album performed)
20 Nov 2009 at 1st Mariner Arena, Baltimore, MD (complete Born To Run album performed)
22 Nov 2009 at HSBC Arena, Buffalo, NY

Springsteen played private benefit shows for Boston College of Chestnut Hill, MA, on 17 Oct 2009, 11 Sep 2010, and 22 Oct 2011 and for Ranney School of Tinton Falls, NJ, on 29 Jan 2011. All fundraisers took place at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ, and Springsteen was backed by Bobby Bandiera's band. On all four events, he wrapped up the night with a solo acoustic version of THUNDER ROAD.

On 17 Nov 2009, Springsteen performed a four-song solo acoustic set (that included THUNDER ROAD) at the "Concert For Autism Speaks" at Carnegie Hall in New York City, NY. On 22 May 2010, Springsteen played a solo acoustic set of seven songs during a gala benefit for Gateway Schools that was held at Nokia Theatre in New York City. He wrapped his set with a solo piano version of THUNDER ROAD that he sung with wife Patti Scialfa.

THUNDER ROAD was performed solo acoustic on 04 and 05 Nov 2010 and 03 and 04 Nov 2011 at Soldiers And Sailors Memorial Hall in Pittsburgh, PA. The song was the closer of each of these four shows.

Springsteen also performed THUNDER ROAD during the eleventh (2011) and twelfth (2012) annual Light Of Day benefits. The song closed the shows and was played in a sing-along acoustic arrangement.

THUNDER ROAD was performed on 09 Mar 2012 at Apollo Theater in New York City, NY, during the Sirius Satellite Radio 10-year anniversary celebration.

THUNDER ROAD was performed on 15 Mar 2012 at Moody Theater in Austin, TX, during an intimate concert following Springsteen's keynote speech at the South By Southwest music festival.

In preparation for the Wrecking Ball Tour, THUNDER ROAD is known to have been practiced during the private rehearsal that took place in April 2012 in Seville, Spain prior to the tour's European leg.

Covers

Many artists recorded Springsteen's THUNDER ROAD. Below is a list of all Bruce Springsteen tribute albums conataining THUNDER ROAD and a selection of some additional artists who recorded the song:

References in Popular Culture

With the title taken from the Bruce Springsteen song, Thunder Road magazine was founded in 1976 by Lou Cohan and Ken Viola. It was the first Springsteen fanzine, and it published only 6 issues, the last one being actually a double issue (#6/7 - Fall 1982).

Peter Bogdanovich's 1985 movie Mask originally featured extensive use of Springsteen's music in the soundtrack, including THUNDER ROAD. The music was used to set a timeline for the story, and Springsteen is a favourite of Roy "Rocky" Dennis, about whom the story is based. By the time the movie was released to theaters, the Bruce element had to be stripped down (against the director's will) and replaced by Bob Seger songs. A new director's cut was released on DVD from Universal Studios in September 2004, and is seven minutes longer with the original Bruce Springsteen song score restored. "Now it exists in the form it should have been 20 years ago," Bogdanovich told ESPN. "I think you'll find it a much better picture." Bogdanovich also discusses the Springsteen element in a commentary track on the DVD.

Bruce Springsteen and THUNDER ROAD are mentioned in THE RING, a song by the New York alt-country band The Hangdogs, available on their 1998 album East Of Yesterday.

THUNDER ROAD and many other Springsteen references appear in SPEED, as song by Canadian group Bran Van 3000, available on their 2001 album Discosis.

Available Versions

Credits / References

Thanks Charissa for the contribution. Thanks Carlo Bondi for the Storia E Musica Rock: Bruce Springsteen cassette tape scan.

Most of the recording info on this page is taken from Brucebase. Some of the info and scans for the Bruce Springsteen official releases are taken from the Lost In The Flood website. Most info and scans for the Bruce Springsteen tribute albums are taken from the Nebraska website.

Request

I'm not sure that I mentioned all the existing official releases that include Springsteen's THUNDER ROAD, and I don't have the complete info and scans for all of them. You can help by sending additions, corrections, better scans, or comments at , or by using the below form. If you'd like to add a cover to the list, please send artist name, album title, cover art, format, country and original year of release, label and catalogue number. You will be credited. Thanks in advance.

THUNDER ROAD

Album version