One at a Time: "Tunnel of Love" (1987) by Bruce Springsteen

What is One at a Time? Check out the introduction here.
 
 #475 "Tunnel of Love" (1987) by Bruce Springsteen

Moving up the list from the bottom, we next come to "Tunnel of Love" by Bruce Springsteen, from 1987.

"Tunnel of Love" is almost like a fork in the road, and Bruce started going in one direction, which is the direction that Rod Stewart took. That road ends up in soft-rock radio-land, where you wear a tuxedo and record Christmas albums and make old ladies happy. Thankfully, "Tunnel" only partially takes that road. Yes, the title track is very synthy, and there's no true rock and roll song on the album, but it still succeeds in many ways.

"Brilliant Disguise" is one of the best post-Nebraska Bruce Springsteen songs, and it's surrounded by underrated gems like "Tougher Than the Rest," "One Step Up," and "When You're Alone."

The album is less an addition to the Springsteen catalog than it is its own thing, separate from the rest, that should be enjoyed as a single entity and all together, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's a very good album, but it can get very frustrating with me re-ranking Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums because of course most of them are going to be very good albums. It's pleasant listening, and it can be intense listening if you buckle down and sit with it and not do anything but sit with it. If nothing else, then "Tunnel of Love" is at least great background noise.

1. "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan" (1963) by Bob Dylan
2. "Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ" (1973) by Bruce Springsteen 
3. "Tapestry" (1971) by Carole King
4. "Tea for the Tillerman" (1970) by Cat Stevens 
5. "Car Wheels On a Gravel Road" (1998) by Lucinda Williams 
6. "I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight" (1974) by Richard and Linda Thompson
7. "Number One Record" (1972) by Big Star
8. "Bookends" (1968) by Simon and Garfunkel
9. "The Bends" (1995) by Radiohead
10. "Armed Forces" (1979) by Elvis Costello and The Attractions
11. "Stop Making Sense" (1984) by The Talking Heads
12. "Honky Chateau" (1972) by Elton John 
13. "Tunnel of Love" (1987) by Bruce Springsteen
14. "Green River" (1969) by Creedance Clearwater Revival
15. "Burnin'" (1973) by The Wailers 
16. "The Rolling Stones Now!" (1965) by The Rolling Stones
17. "Born Under A Bad Sign" (1967) by Albert King
18. "Heaven Up Here" (1981) by Echo and the Bunnymen
19. "The Slim Shady LP" (1999) by Eminem