Editing Darkness on the Edge of Town

{{other uses|Darkness on the Edge of Town (disambiguation)}}
{{Featured article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox album|
| name       = Darkness on the Edge of Town
| type       = studio
| artist     = [[Bruce Springsteen]]
| cover      = BruceSpringsteenDarknessontheEdgeofTown.jpg
| alt        = A young man with a white shirt and dark jacket standing against a flower wallpaper-covered wall.
| released   = {{start date|1978|6|2}}
| recorded   = June 1977 – March 1978
| studio     = [[Atlantic Studios|Atlantic]] and [[Record Plant]] (New York City)
| genre      = 
*[[Rock music|Rock]]
*[[hard rock]]
*[[heartland rock]]
| length     = {{duration|m=42|s=29}}
| label      = [[Columbia Records|Columbia]]
| producer   = 
*Bruce Springsteen
*[[Jon Landau]]
| prev_title = [[Born to Run]]
| prev_year  = 1975
| next_title = [[The River (Bruce Springsteen album)|The River]]
| next_year  = 1980
| misc       = {{Extra chronology
 | artist     = [[Bruce Springsteen]] and the [[E Street Band]]
 | type       = studio
 | prev_title = [[Born to Run]]
 | prev_year  = 1975
 | title      = Darkness on the Edge of Town
 | year       = 1978
 | next_title = [[The River (Bruce Springsteen album)|The River]]
 | next_year  = 1980
}}
{{Singles
 | name        = Darkness on the Edge of Town
 | type        = studio
 | single1     = [[Prove It All Night]]
 | single1date = May 23, 1978
 | single2     = [[Badlands (song)|Badlands]]
 | single2date = July 21, 1978
 | single3     = [[The Promised Land (Bruce Springsteen song)|The Promised Land]]
 | single3date = October 13, 1978 (UK)
}}
}}

'''''Darkness on the Edge of Town''''' is the fourth [[studio album]] by the American [[singer-songwriter]] [[Bruce Springsteen]], released on June 2, 1978, by [[Columbia Records]]. The album was recorded after a series of legal disputes between Springsteen and his former manager [[Mike Appel]], during sessions in New York City with the [[E Street Band]] from June 1977 to March 1978. Springsteen and [[Jon Landau]] served as producers, with assistance from bandmate [[Steven Van Zandt]].

For the album's lyrics and music, Springsteen took inspiration from sources as diverse as [[John Steinbeck]] novels, [[John Ford]] films, [[punk rock]], and [[country music]]. Musically, the album strips the [[Wall of Sound]] production of its predecessor, ''[[Born to Run]]'' (1975) for a rawer [[hard rock]] sound emphasizing the band as a whole. The lyrics on ''Darkness'' focus on ill-fortuned characters who fight back against overwhelming odds. Compared to Springsteen's previous records, the characters are older and the songs are less tied to the [[Jersey Shore]] area. The cover photograph of Springsteen was taken by [[Frank Stefanko]] in his New Jersey home.

Released three years after ''Born to Run'', ''Darkness'' did not sell as well as its predecessor but reached number five in the US, while its [[Single (music)|singles]]—"[[Prove It All Night]]", "[[Badlands (song)|Badlands]]", and "[[The Promised Land (Bruce Springsteen song)|The Promised Land]]"—performed modestly. Springsteen and the E Street Band promoted the album on the [[Darkness Tour]], their largest tour up to that point. Upon release, critics praised the album's music and performances but were divided on the lyrical content. It placed on several critics' lists ranking the best albums of the year.

In later decades, ''Darkness'' has attracted acclaim as one of Springsteen's best works and one that anticipated later records. It has since appeared on various professional lists of the greatest albums of all time. [[Outtake]]s from the recording sessions were given to other artists, held over for Springsteen's next album, ''[[The River (Bruce Springsteen album)|The River]]'' (1980), or later released on [[compilation album|compilations]]. ''Darkness'' was reissued in 2010, accompanied by a documentary detailing the album's making.

==Background==
[[Bruce Springsteen]] released his third studio album, ''[[Born to Run]]'', in August 1975, which was his breakthrough album, propelling him to worldwide fame.<ref>{{Cite web|first=Peter|last=Gerstenzang|url=https://observer.com/2015/08/how-bruce-springsteen-made-born-to-run-an-american-masterpiece/|title=How Bruce Springsteen Made 'Born To Run' an American Masterpiece|website=[[The New York Observer]]|date=August 25, 2015|access-date=July 4, 2019|archive-date=July 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190704091905/https://observer.com/2015/08/how-bruce-springsteen-made-born-to-run-an-american-masterpiece/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/bruce-springsteens-born-to-run-turns-30-57678/|title=Bruce Springsteen's 'Born to Run' Turns 30|first=Brian|last=Hiatt|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=November 17, 2005|access-date=July 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190925212225/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/bruce-springsteens-born-to-run-turns-30-57678/|archive-date=September 25, 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> Despite the album's success, Springsteen was subject to a critical backlash from some music critics and journalists when they questioned whether the album deserved its popularity or if Springsteen lived up to the media hype then surrounding him.{{efn|Springsteen appeared on the covers of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' and ''[[Newsweek]]'' magazines in the same week – October 27, 1975.<ref>{{cite web |last=Lifton |first=Dave |title=Revisiting Bruce Springsteen's 'Time' and 'Newsweek' Covers |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/bruce-springsteen-time-newsweek/ |access-date=August 22, 2023 |website=[[Ultimate Classic Rock]] |date=October 27, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190617132317/https://ultimateclassicrock.com/bruce-springsteen-time-newsweek/ |archive-date=June 17, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Time''{{'s}} article analyzed Springsteen as an artist, while ''Newsweek''{{'s}} focused on Springsteen's media hype.{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|pp=45–46}}}}{{sfn|Carlin|2012|p=206}}{{sfn|Dolan|2012|pp=129–130}}<ref>{{cite news |last=Edwards |first=Henry |title=If There Hadn't Been a Bruce Springsteen, Then the Critics Would Have Made Him Up; The Invention of Bruce Springsteen |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1975/10/05/archives/if-there-hadnt-been-a-bruce-springsteen-then-the-critics-would-have.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=August 10, 2023 |date=October 5, 1975 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810230641/https://www.nytimes.com/1975/10/05/archives/if-there-hadnt-been-a-bruce-springsteen-then-the-critics-would-have.html |archive-date=August 10, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref> Following its release, Springsteen had disagreements with his manager, [[Mike Appel]]; Appel wanted to capitalize on the album's success with a [[live album]], while Springsteen wanted to return to the studio with his ''Born to Run'' co-producer [[Jon Landau]].{{sfn|Dolan|2012|p=144}}{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|pp=49–51}}{{sfn|Gaar|2016|p=60}}

Realizing that the terms of his record contract were unfavorable, Springsteen sued Appel in July 1976 for ownership of his work. The resulting legal proceedings prevented him from recording in a studio for almost a year,{{efn|Springsteen could not record in a studio without a producer approved by Appel.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=102–109}}}} during which he [[Born to Run tours|toured the United States and Europe]] with the [[E Street Band]] – [[Roy Bittan]] (piano), [[Clarence Clemons]] (saxophone), [[Danny Federici]] (organ), [[Garry Tallent]] (bass), [[Steven Van Zandt]] (guitar), and [[Max Weinberg]] (drums). Springsteen wrote new material on the road and at his farm home in [[Holmdel Township, New Jersey|Holmdel, New Jersey]], reportedly amassing between 40 and 70 songs.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=102–109}}<ref name="CameronGuardian">{{cite web |last=Cameron |first=Keith |title=Bruce Springsteen: 'People thought we were gone. Finished' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/sep/23/bruce-springsteen-darkness-edge-town |website=[[The Guardian]] |date=September 23, 2010 |access-date=January 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221002195304/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/sep/23/bruce-springsteen-darkness-edge-town |archive-date=October 2, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> The lawsuit reached a settlement on May 28, 1977, in which Springsteen bought out his contract with Appel, who received a lump sum and a share of [[Royalty payment|royalties]] from Springsteen's first three albums.{{efn|In 1983, Appel sold his share back to Springsteen, giving Springsteen full ownership of his own music.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=102–109}}}}{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|pp=49–51}}{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=102–109}}{{sfn|Gaar|2016|pp=68–70}}

==Production==
===Recording history===
[[File:Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band 1977.jpg|thumb|alt=A black and white photograph of seven men standing in a hallway. One is kneeling in the center while three stand on his left and three on his right|Springsteen (center, kneeling) and the E Street Band in February 1977, months before the album's sessions began.]]
Springsteen entered [[Atlantic Studios]] in New York City with Landau and the E Street Band to record his next album on June 1, 1977,{{sfn|Heylin|2013|p=144}} four days after the legal proceedings ended.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=102–109}}{{sfn|Gaar|2016|pp=68–70}} Springsteen initially focused on pre-written material before turning his attention to unfinished compositions for which he had written music but not lyrics.{{sfn|Dolan|2012|pp=149–152}} Songs recorded or attempted at Atlantic, some of which he had used in live sets, included: "Rendezvous", "The Promise", "Frankie", "Don't Look Back", "Something in the Night", "[[Because the Night]]", "[[Racing in the Street]]", "[[Fire (Bruce Springsteen song)|Fire]]" (which Springsteen wrote for [[Elvis Presley]]), "Breakaway", "Our Love Will Last Forever", a [[ballad]] titled "One Way Street", and two rockers named "I Wanna Be with You" and "Outside Lookin' In".{{sfn|Dolan|2012|pp=149–152}}{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|p=51}}{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=120–123}}{{sfn|Heylin|2013|pp=144–145}} Unlike the sessions for ''Born to Run'', the full band recorded the songs at once and moved quickly from one to the next, often shortly after Springsteen had written them.{{sfn|Carlin|2012|p=245}}<ref name="rs-esb">{{cite magazine |first=David |last=Fricke |author-link=David Fricke |title=The Band on Bruce: Their Springsteen |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/25556603/the_band_on_bruce_their_springsteen/print |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=January 21, 2009 |access-date=February 7, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090401080648/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/25556603/the_band_on_bruce_their_springsteen |archive-date=April 1, 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Landau had informed [[CBS Records International|CBS Records]] to not schedule a release date, wanting to ensure Springsteen had the right songs for the album at the right time.{{efn|CBS was the international distributor of [[Columbia Records]] outside of the United States.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|p=20}}}}{{sfn|Heylin|2013|p=146}}

By September 1977, Springsteen grew frustrated with Atlantic's sound and environment and moved recording to the [[Record Plant]], where most of ''Born to Run'' had been recorded.{{efn|The authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon say that all songs except "Something in the Night" were recorded at the Record Plant.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=102–109}}}} Weinberg, who suffered from illness during most of the sessions,{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=102–109}} remembered Springsteen [[Perfectionism (psychology)|demanding perfection]] from the musicians while simultaneously giving them little direction, saying he "[let] things flow" and did not "nitpick over details".<ref name="WeinbergMD">{{cite web |last=Fish |first=Scott K. |title=Max Weinberg – Good Time on "E" Street |url=https://www.moderndrummer.com/article/april-1982-max-weinberg-good-time-e-Street/ |website=[[Modern Drummer]] |access-date=February 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925034703/https://www.moderndrummer.com/article/april-1982-max-weinberg-good-time-e-Street/ |archive-date=September 25, 2020 |date=April 1982 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}}</ref> Van Zandt also had a hand in the arrangements,<ref name="RobsonGuitar.com" /> and received a production assistance credit on the album.{{sfn|Carlin|2012|p=245}} Songs that took shape between September and November included "Don't Look Back", "Something in the Night", "[[Badlands (song)|Badlands]]", "Streets of Fire", "[[Prove It All Night]]", "[[Independence Day (Bruce Springsteen song)|Independence Day]]", and "[[The Promised Land (Bruce Springsteen song)|The Promised Land]]".{{efn|Other outtakes at this time included "City of Night", "The Ballad", "English Sons", "I'm Going Back", "Preacher's Daughter", and "Iceman".{{sfn|Heylin|2013|pp=156–157}}}}{{sfn|Dolan|2012|pp=149–153}} The new album was to be titled ''Badlands'', running eight tracks long like ''Born to Run'', and a mockup album sleeve was created.{{efn|The mockup sleeve featured Springsteen on the front and Clemons on the back, both wearing all black attire.{{sfn|Dolan|2012|pp=153–155}}}}{{sfn|Dolan|2012|pp=153–155}} Springsteen reportedly scrapped the title to avoid confusion with a [[Bill Chinnock]] album of the same name,<ref name="BadlandsAM" />{{sfn|Carlin|2012|pp=253–257}} originally released in 1977 and reissued in 1978.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Ponti |first=Aimsel |title=Face the Music: Bill Chinnock's 'Badlands' Re-released in Original, Raw Form |url=https://www.pressherald.com/2019/09/16/face-the-music-bill-chinnocks-badlands-re-released-in-original-raw-form/ |magazine=[[Portland Press Herald]] |access-date=October 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20231006150745/https://www.pressherald.com/2019/09/16/face-the-music-bill-chinnocks-badlands-re-released-in-original-raw-form/ |archive-date=October 6, 2023 |date=September 16, 2019 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}}</ref>

With Springsteen still unsatisfied, the sessions continued into November and December, with the band recording "[[Adam Raised a Cain]]" and "Give the Girl a Kiss".{{sfn|Dolan|2012|pp=153–155}}{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=114–115}} The ballad "Let's Go Tonight" was rewritten as "Factory" with new lyrics and the incomplete compositions "Candy's Boy" and an untitled piece referred to as "The Fast Song" were combined into "Candy's Room".{{sfn|Dolan|2012|pp=153–155}} "[[Darkness on the Edge of Town (song)|Darkness on the Edge of Town]]" was recorded during the tail end of the sessions in March 1978;{{efn|The song itself was written in early 1976 and was initially attempted during the first week of sessions.{{sfn|Heylin|2013|p=151}}}} Springsteen later said the band found the song's drum sound in Record Plant's Studio A while it was being renovated.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=136–138}} The intention to record most of the backing tracks live with minimal [[Overdubbing|overdubs]] was hindered by the studio's carpeted floors, which muffled [[Acoustic resonance|resonance]].{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=102–109}} The sessions reportedly yielded between 50 and 70 songs, although only 32 are known.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=102–109}}

After nine months,{{sfn|Carlin|2012|p=245}} recording completed in January 1978,{{efn|A track sequence dated January 16 ran:{{sfn|Heylin|2013|p=160}}<br/>Side one: "Badlands", "Don't Look Back", "Candy's Room", "Something in the Night", "Racing in the Street";<br/>Side two: "The Promised Land", "Adam Raised a Cane", "The Way", "Prove It All Night", "The Promise"}} with overdubs extending into February and March.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=102–109}} According to the authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon, Springsteen had a rule when choosing songs for the final track list: "Each song had to remain sober and austere, so as to convey its message as effectively as possible."{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=102–109}} Choosing ten tracks for the album, now called ''Darkness on the Edge of Town'', he scrapped songs he felt did not fit the desired theme, were too bland, or too commercial.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=102–109}} He gave several songs to other artists: "Hearts of Stone" and "Talk to Me" to [[Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes]];{{sfn|Dolan|2012|pp=153–154}} "Because the Night" to [[Patti Smith]]; "Fire" to [[Robert Gordon (singer)|Robert Gordon]];{{efn|[[The Pointer Sisters]] recorded the song in 1979, which reached number 2 in the US.{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|pp=52–54}}}}{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=102–109}}{{sfn|Heylin|2013|pp=147–148}} "Rendezvous" to [[Greg Kihn]]; "Don't Look Back" to [[the Knack]]; and "[[This Little Girl]]" to [[Gary U.S. Bonds]].{{sfn|Gaar|2016|pp=68–70}}{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|pp=52–54}} The tracks "Independence Day", "Drive All Night", "[[Sherry Darling]]", and "[[Ramrod (Bruce Springsteen song)|Ramrod]]" were held over for Springsteen's next album, ''[[The River (Bruce Springsteen album)|The River]]'' (1980), while others surfaced on [[Bootleg recording|bootlegs]] before official releases on [[Compilation album|compilations]] such as ''[[Tracks (Bruce Springsteen album)|Tracks]]'' (1998) and ''[[The Promise (Bruce Springsteen album)|The Promise]]'' (2010).{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|pp=52–54}}{{sfn|Marsh|1981|p=275: "Ramrod"}}<ref name="AMPromise">{{cite web |last=Jurek |first=Thom |date=November 16, 2010 |title=''The Promise'' – Bruce Springsteen |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-promise-mw0002043949 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130717035358/http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-promise-mw0002043949 |archive-date=July 17, 2013 |access-date=February 21, 2014 |publisher=AllMusic}}</ref> "[[Darlington County (song)|Darlington County]]", later recorded for and released on ''[[Born in the U.S.A.]]'' (1984), was also written during the ''Darkness'' sessions.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|p=236}} Springsteen said in a 1978 interview that he felt it "wasn't the right time" to release the extra material, nor did he want to "sacrifice the intensity" of the album.{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|pp=54–55}}

===Sound and mixing===
Springsteen struggled to achieve the exact sounds he envisioned for the record, which he admitted was due to his and Landau's inexperience as producers. He wrote in his 2016 autobiography that "as with ''Born to Run'', our recording process was thwarted by our seeming inability to get the most basic acceptable sounds."{{sfn|Springsteen|2016|p=263}} While Landau wanted "a highly professional, technically perfect sound", Van Zandt sought a "more [[Garage rock|garage-band]] tone color". Springsteen assigned the engineer [[Jimmy Iovine]] to create a combination of the two's ideals; however Iovine and the assistant engineer [[Thom Panunzio]] struggled to achieve this goal. Iovine found trying to get the guitar sound was "impossible", while Panunzio described the drums as the hardest to record.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=102–109}}

[[Audio mixing (recorded music)|Mixing]] extended into May 1978, specifically for "The Promised Land".{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=124–127}} Iovine, suffering from exhaustion after months of recording,{{efn|Iovine instead produced and mixed Patti Smith's ''[[Easter (Patti Smith Group album)|Easter]]'' (1978), the album on which "Because the Night" appeared.{{sfn|Heylin|2013|pp=159, 163}}}} was replaced by the Los Angeles producer and engineer [[Chuck Plotkin]], who created a balanced mix.{{efn|Plotkin was brought back to mix and coproduce subsequent albums.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=102–109}}}} The album was [[Mastering (audio)|mastered]] by Mike Reese in Los Angeles.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=102–109}} Van Zandt hated the final mix, saying the final record contained some of Springsteen's "best and most important songs", but suffered from "terrible production".{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|pp=61–64}}

==Music and lyrics==
{{multiple image
| footer = The novels of [[John Steinbeck]] (left, 1939) and music of [[Hank Williams]] (right, 1948) influenced Springsteen when writing the album.
| image1 = John Steinbeck 1939 (cropped).jpg
| width1 = 158
| alt1   = A close-up photograph of a man with a mustache
| image2 = Hank Williams Promotional Photo.jpg
| width2 = 146
| alt2   = A photograph of a young man wearing a cowboy hat, holding a guitar and standing next to a microphone
}}
When writing the album's songs, Springsteen was particularly influenced by works of fiction that focused on individuals confronted by adversity; these included the [[John Steinbeck]] novels ''[[The Grapes of Wrath]]'' (1939) and ''[[East of Eden (novel)|East of Eden]]'' (1952) and their respective film adaptations directed by [[John Ford]] and [[Elia Kazan]]; [[Western (genre)|westerns]] such as Ford's ''[[The Searchers]]'' (1956); and the songs of [[Country music|country]]/[[Folk music|folk]] artists [[Hank Williams]] and [[Woody Guthrie]]. Springsteen also took note of rising British [[punk rock]] acts the [[Sex Pistols]] and [[the Clash]], and [[New wave music|new wave]] artists such as [[Elvis Costello]].{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=102–109}}<ref name="CameronGuardian" />{{sfn|Gaar|2016|pp=68–70}}{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|pp=56–61}}}} Springsteen wanted a "leaner" and "angrier" sound compared to ''Born to Run'',{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=102–109}} explaining in his 2003 book ''Songs'': "That sound wouldn't suit these songs or the people I was now writing about."{{sfn|Springsteen|2003|pp=65–69}}

The resulting ''Darkness on the Edge of Town'' is a less commercial record that emphasized the band as a whole and moved away from the [[Wall of Sound]] production of its predecessor. Springsteen favored guitar solos and limited Clemons' saxophone solos, which appear on only three of the ten tracks.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:{{sfn|Dolan|2012|pp=149–152}}<ref name="rs-esb" />{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=114–115}}<ref name="PopMatters" />}} He explained: "The [guitar] leads fit better into the tone of ''Darkness'' than the saxophone did{{nbsp}}... so consequently there was more [guitar] on the album."{{sfn|Heylin|2013|pp=149–150}} Several songs emphasize [[Refrain|choruses]] more than songs on earlier records, particularly "Badlands", "Prove It All Night", and "The Promised Land", while the [[Song structure|verses]] are more [[Arena rock|anthemic]] than poetic. Springsteen's vocal style is also more meditative and less passionate on tracks such as "Racing in the Street", "Factory", and "Darkness on the Edge of Town".{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|pp=56–61}} Reviewers have noted that every song on side one of the original [[Phonograph record|LP]] has a corresponding track on side two in the same sequence: "Badlands" and "The Promised Land" concern America and perceived hope, while "Adam Raised a Cain" and "Factory" concern father-son relationships.<ref name="RobsonGuitar.com" /><ref name="UCR2018">{{cite web |last1=Gallucci |first1=Michael |last2=DeRiso |first2=Nick |last3=Lifton |first3=Dave |last4=Filcman |first4=Debra |last5=Smith |first5=Rob |date=June 1, 2018 |title='Darkness on the Edge of Town' at 40: Our Writers Answer Five Important Questions |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/darkness-on-the-edge-of-town-roundtable/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204162955/https://ultimateclassicrock.com/darkness-on-the-edge-of-town-roundtable/ |archive-date=February 4, 2023 |access-date=January 31, 2023 |website=Ultimate Classic Rock}}</ref>

{{quote box|quote=The record was of its time. We had the late-'70s recession, punk music had just come out, times were tough for a lot of the people I knew. And so, I veered away from great bar band music or great singles music and veered towards music that I felt would speak of people's life {{no wrap|experiences.<ref name="CameronGuardian" />}}|source=—Bruce Springsteen, 2010|width=25em|align=left|style=padding:8px;}}
Margotin and Guesdon state that ''Darkness'' is "driven by raw energy and the immediacy of rock 'n' roll".{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=102–109}} The writer [[Rob Kirkpatrick]], who regarded it as Springsteen's "fiercest" record up to that point, said that with ''Darkness'', Springsteen left [[Rhythm & blues|R&B]] behind for 1970s [[hard rock]].{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|pp=56–61}} The author Marc Dolan said in his 2012 book ''Bruce Springsteen and the Promise of Rock 'n' Roll'' that the music was "whiter" than Springsteen's second album, ''[[The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle]]'' (1973), but that Springsteen evoked 1960s black singing styles, such as [[James Brown]] on "Badlands" and [[Solomon Burke]] and [[Sam Moore]] on "Streets of Fire".{{sfn|Dolan|2012|pp=149–152}} Michael Hann of ''[[The Quietus]]'' described the album as [[heartland rock]].<ref name="Quietus">{{cite web |last=Hann |first=Michael |title=40 Years On: Bruce Springsteen's 'Darkness on the Edge of Town' |url=https://thequietus.com/articles/24705-bruce-springsteen-darkness-at-the-edge-of-town-review-anniversary |website=[[The Quietus]] |access-date=January 31, 2023 |date=June 4, 2018 |archive-date=February 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204162958/https://thequietus.com/articles/24705-bruce-springsteen-darkness-at-the-edge-of-town-review-anniversary |url-status=live }}</ref>
 
According to a 2019 essay by the scholars [[Kenneth Womack]] and Eileen Chapman, ''Darkness'' saw Springsteen "drive away from the beach and boardwalk and into the ethos of the [[Heartland (United States)|American heartland]]".<ref name="Womack">{{cite journal|last1=Chapman|first1=Eileen|last2=Womack|first2=Kenneth|author-link2=Kenneth Womack|title=Bruce Springsteen's ''Darkness on the Edge of Town'': Hard Truths in Hard Rock Settings|year=2019|journal=Interdisciplinary Literary Studies|volume=21|issue=1|pages=1–3|location=[[Penn State University Park]]|publisher=[[Penn State University Press]]|jstor=10.5325/intelitestud.21.1.0001|doi=10.5325/intelitestud.21.1.0001|s2cid=194273496}}</ref> Containing older and more mature characters than ''Born to Run'', the songs on ''Darkness'' focus on ill-fortuned people who fight back against overwhelming odds;{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=102–109}}{{sfn|Springsteen|2016|p=262}} they are frustrated and angry at their inability to achieve better lives.<ref name="Hemmens">{{cite journal|last=Hemmens|first=Craig|title=There's a Darkness on the Edge of Town: Merton's Five Modes of Adaptation in the Lyrics of Bruce Springsteen|year=1999|journal=International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice|volume=23|issue=1|pages=127–136|location=Abingdon|publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]]|doi=10.1080/01924036.1999.9678636 |issn=0192-4036|id={{ProQuest|236983768}}}}</ref> Images of labor, class and class resentment, and troubled relationships with fathers, amongst various religious references, are featured throughout.{{sfn|Dolan|2012|pp=149–152}}{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|pp=56–61}} A 2008 analysis by Larry David Smith and Jon Rutter splits the album into three acts that describe "a tale of socioeconomic struggle and submission": the first details the characters' situations ("Badlands" to "Something in the Night"), the second concerns their struggles and search for hope ("Candy's Room" to "The Promised Land"), and the third finds them facing the consequences they must endure to succeed ("Factory" to "Prove It All Night"); "Darkness on the Edge of Town" acts as an epilogue, in which "Springsteen seals his narrative deal".<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Smith|first1=Larry David|last2=Rutter|first2=Jon|title=There's a Reckoning on the Edge of Town: Bruce Springsteen's Darkness on The River|year=2008|journal=Journal of Popular Music Studies|volume=20|issue=2|pages=109–128|location=[[Ball State University]]|publisher=Wiley Online Library|doi=10.1111/j.1533-1598.2008.00153.x}}</ref>

Whereas Springsteen's previous albums were mostly set in and around the [[Jersey Shore]] area, the majority of ''Darkness'' is less characterized by a specific place and refers to other parts of the United States, from the generic American landscape to the [[Utah]] desert and [[Louisiana]] towns; although "Something in the Night" and "Racing in the Street" still take place around "the Circuit", a loop formed by Kingsley and Ocean Avenues, west of the boardwalk in [[Asbury Park, New Jersey|Asbury Park]].{{sfn|Dolan|2012|pp=149–152}}{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|pp=56–61}} Springsteen later referred to the album in his 2016 autobiography as "my [[samurai]] record, all stripped down for fighting".{{sfn|Springsteen|2016|p=266}}

===Side one===
The album opens with "Badlands", a loud, anthemic rock song whose lyrics reflect a determination to succeed against oppression.<ref name="BadlandsAM">{{cite web |last=Ruhlmann |first=William |title='Badlands' – Bruce Springsteen |url=https://www.allmusic.com/song/badlands-mt0052056833 |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=February 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230823030709/https://www.allmusic.com/song/badlands-mt0052056833?1692759931287 |archive-date=August 23, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Kachejian" /> The lyrics warn against wasting time and suffering through "badlands" until they "start treating us good".{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|pp=56–61}} The autobiographical "Adam Raised a Cain" uses biblical references to portray a difficult  father-son relationship, in which the son pays for the sins of the father.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=114–115}}{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|pp=56–61}}<ref name="Kachejian" /> Musically, it is a punk-influenced rock track driven by a heavy drumbeat and a riff played simultaneously by the guitars, bass, piano, and organ.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=114–115}} The author [[Peter Ames Carlin]] describes it as "tense, heavy-footed blues".{{sfn|Carlin|2012|pp=250–252}} "Something in the Night" is a slower-paced song with dark lyrics about soul-searching in a car.<ref name="Kachejian" />{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=116–117}} Thematically offering a post-''Born to Run'' perspective,{{sfn|Carlin|2012|pp=250–252}} depicting a moment where an individual's dreams are halted,{{sfn|Gaar|2016|p=71}} Springsteen reminds the listener that once someone has "something" it can easily be taken away.{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|pp=56–61}}

Described by Hann as the album's "most musically violent moment",<ref name="Quietus" /> "Candy's Room" is a punk-influenced work led by drums.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=118–119}} Lyrically, it is a fantasy song in which suitors trade exquisite gifts for the title subject's affection.{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|pp=56–61}}<ref name="Kachejian" /> The artist Karon Bihari, whom Springsteen briefly dated in the 1970s, claimed the song was about her.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=118–119}} "Racing in the Street" is a somber song with a melancholic stripped-down piano backing, with the rest of the instruments joining in over the course of the piece.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=120–123}}{{sfn|Gaar|2016|p=71}} Telling the story of a man who will not let the bleakness of life ruin his love for car racing,<ref name="Kachejian" /> its characters resemble those of ''Born to Run''{{'s}} "[[Thunder Road (song)|Thunder Road]]", albeit two or three years later. The author Marc Dolan states that the song's themes are essential to the album, when the final verse states that individualistic efforts to succeed may be inadequate and ultimately lead to failure.{{sfn|Dolan|2012|pp=152–153}}

===Side two===
"The Promised Land" is a [[country rock]] song with influences ranging from [[Van Morrison]] and [[Bob Dylan]], to [[the Beatles]] and Hank Williams. Optimistic in tone, the narrator keeps his faith and strives for a "promised land" no matter what obstacles lie ahead.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=124–127}}{{sfn|Gaar|2016|p=71}} Springsteen has said the song asks the question: "How do we honor the community and the place we came from?"{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=102–109}} "Factory" provides commentary on the repetitive aspects of the working life,{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=128–129}} depicting a factory-worker father, whose life is consumed by his job, but who works to provide for his family.{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|pp=56–61}} A partial tribute to his father,{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=128–129}} Springsteen has said the song asks the question: "How do we honor the life that our brothers or sisters and parents lived?"{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=102–109}} "Factory" is a rock and country-influenced ballad.{{sfn|Carlin|2012|pp=250–252}}{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=128–129}}

"Streets of Fire" is a portrait of an outcast who has abandoned everything in order to defeat his inner demons. Musically, this slow rock song features both quiet and loud sections; Margotin and Guesdon note Springsteen's vocal performance for its "powerful intensity", being "on the verge of breaking".{{sfn|Carlin|2012|pp=250–252}}{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=130–131}} "Prove It All Night" follows a couple who are about to get married.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=132–135}} The song's narrator tells the woman he loves to set aside her dreams and use determination to face the challenges that confront them as a couple.{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|pp=56–61}}{{sfn|Gaar|2016|p=71}} It is an up-tempo rocker that builds in intensity.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Top Single Picks |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=June 3, 1978 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/70s/1978/Billboard%201978-06-03.pdf |page=110 |access-date=February 14, 2023 |via=worldradiohistory.com }}</ref> The final track, "Darkness on the Edge of Town", represents a unification of the album's themes of lost love, hardships, and betrayal.<ref name="Kachejian" /> The narrator stands alone, has suffered misfortune and lost everything, but refuses to give up and stands tall.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=136–138}}{{sfn|Gaar|2016|p=71}}{{sfn|Dolan|2012|pp=155–156}} Springsteen later said: "By the end of ''Darkness'', I'd found my adult voice".{{sfn|Springsteen|2003|pp=65–69}} Primarily led by piano, the other instruments join in over the course of the song.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=136–138}}

== Cover artwork ==
The cover shot and inner sleeve photographs for ''Darkness on the Edge of Town'' were taken by the then-unknown photographer [[Frank Stefanko]] inside his home in [[Haddonfield, New Jersey]].{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=102–109}} Stefanko, introduced to Springsteen by Patti Smith,<ref name="CameronGuardian" /> had not yet heard the album when the photo was taken and took the photos based on his perception of what Springsteen wanted.<ref>{{cite web|last=Dombal|first=Ryan|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/40570-take-cover-darkness-on-the-edge-of-town/|title=Take Cover: Darkness on the Edge of Town Story — Photographer Frank Stefanko Talks About His Iconic 1978 Springsteen Album Cover|date=November 12, 2010|website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|access-date=February 3, 2023|archive-date=January 17, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220117050918/https://pitchfork.com/news/40570-take-cover-darkness-on-the-edge-of-town/|url-status=live}}</ref> In an interview with ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' in 2018, Stefanko said that his concept was to shoot Springsteen "as the young man that was standing in front of me".<ref name="EW" /> On the cover, Springsteen appears as a tired man, hands in his jacket pockets, standing in a floral wallpaper-covered bedroom. Reviewers have acknowledged Springsteen's look as a physical manifestation of the album's songs and themes.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=102–109}}<ref name="CameronGuardian" /><ref name="EW" /> Springsteen himself recalled, "When I saw the picture I said, 'That's the guy in the songs.' I wanted the part of me that's still that guy to be on the cover. Frank stripped away all your celebrity and left you with your essence. That's what that record was about."<ref name="CameronGuardian" /> Stefanko felt the cover portrayed a sense of timelessness that resonated with listeners both on its release and in subsequent decades.<ref name="EW" /> On the back cover, Springsteen appears without the jacket alongside the titles of the ten songs.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=102–109}} The packaging was designed by Andrea Klein.{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|pp=54–55}}

== Release ==
{{quote box|quote=[Springsteen] wanted to be seen as having grown up. He felt that the whole ''Born to Run'' thing [had been] so hype driven.{{nbsp}}... We eventually agreed the advertising [for ''Darkness''] would have no copy except Bruce Springsteen—''Darkness on the Edge of Town''—The New Album, and the release date.{{sfn|Heylin|2013|p=165}}|source=—[[Dick Wingate]], Columbia executive, 1978|width=20em|align=right|style=padding:8px;}}
''Darkness on the Edge of Town'' was released on June 2, 1978,<ref name="UCR2018" /> nearly three years after ''Born to Run''.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=102–109}}{{sfn|Gaar|2016|p=71}} Its release coincided with new albums by [[the Rolling Stones]] (''[[Some Girls]]''), [[Bob Seger]] (''[[Stranger in Town (album)|Stranger in Town]]''), and [[Foreigner (band)|Foreigner]] (''[[Double Vision (Foreigner album)|Double Vision]]'').{{sfn|Carlin|2012|pp=253–257}} [[Columbia Records]] promoted the album minimally at Springsteen's request;{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=102–109}}<ref name="RambaliNME" /> following the media backlash of ''Born to Run'' and having gained full artistic control of his work, Springsteen initially wanted zero publicity for ''Darkness'', comparing it to Columbia's strategy for Bob Dylan's ''[[John Wesley Harding]]'' (1967).{{sfn|Heylin|2013|p=165}} He eventually allowed Columbia to promote it in select U.S. locations,{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|pp=54–55}} but refused to make [[music video|promotional video]]s or live television appearances.{{sfn|Heylin|2013|p=166}}

Despite being highly anticipated, the album sold less than its predecessor,<ref name="RuhlmannAM" /> but still reached number five on the U.S. [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' Top LPs & Tape]] chart.<ref name="bbchart" /> It remained on the chart for 167 weeks, selling more than three million copies.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=102–109}}{{sfn|Gaar|2016|pp=68–70}} In the U.K., it charted at number 14.<ref name="ukchart" /> Elsewhere, the album reached the top ten in the Netherlands (4),<ref name="NETH" /> Canada (7),<ref name="CAN" /> Australia (9),{{sfn|Kent|1993|p=289}} and Sweden (9),<ref name="SWE" /> number 11 in New Zealand,<ref name="NZ" /> 12 in Norway,<ref name="Norway" /> and 73 in Ireland.<ref name="IRE" /> Following the release of ''Born in the U.S.A.'', ''Darkness'' reappeared on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Top Pop Albums chart, peaking at number 167.<ref name="1985bbchart" /> In 1999, the album was certified [[RIAA certification|three times platinum]] by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] (RIAA) in the U.S.<ref name="RIAA" />

The album's [[Single (music)|singles]] were moderate hits according to the pop culture scholar Gillian G. Gaar.{{sfn|Gaar|2016|pp=68–70}} The first single, "Prove It All Night" with "Factory" as the [[A-side and B-side|B-side]], was released on May 23, 1978,<ref>{{cite web |last=Graff |first=Gary |title=How Bruce Springsteen's 'Prove It All Night' Was Reborn Onstage |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/bruce-springsteen-prove-it-all-night/ |website=Ultimate Classic Rock |access-date=May 30, 2023 |date=May 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230525141705/https://ultimateclassicrock.com/bruce-springsteen-prove-it-all-night/ |archive-date=May 25, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref> and extensively promoted by U.S. radio stations, reaching number 33 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]].{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=132–135}} "Badlands" was released as the second single on July 21,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1978/Music-Week-1978-07-22.pdf|title=Releases|magazine=[[Music Week]]|date=July 22, 1978|page=71|access-date=August 21, 2024|via=worldradiohistory.com}}</ref> and charted at number 42.{{efn|The B-side was "Streets of Fire", "Something in the Night", or "Candy's Room", depending on the country of release.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=110–113}}}}{{sfn|Gaar|2016|pp=68–70}} "The Promised Land", backed by "Streets of Fire", was released on October 13,{{sfn|Strong|2006|p=1021}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1978/Music-Week-1978-10-14.pdf|title=Releases|magazine=Music Week|date=October 14, 1978|page=70|access-date=August 22, 2024|via=worldradiohistory.com}}</ref> in the UK and Ireland and failed to chart.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=124–127}} Due to the album's dwindling commercial performance, Springsteen conducted an interview discussing the album and upcoming tour with [[Dave Marsh]] of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', in hopes of increasing publicity; he also hired Landau as his manager to assist in the campaign.{{sfn|Carlin|2012|pp=253–257}} A billboard promoting ''Darkness'' was commissioned on Los Angeles's [[Sunset Boulevard]], which Springsteen himself defaced on July 4.{{sfn|Carlin|2012|pp=253–257}}

Springsteen and the E Street Band embarked on the [[Darkness Tour]], which ran from May 23, 1978, to January 1, 1979.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=102–109}} Over 112 concerts, the band played 74 different songs. The setlists consisted of several songs from the ''Darkness'' sessions; songs that had yet to appear on a studio record, including "Fire", "Because the Night", and "[[The Fever (Bruce Springsteen song)|The Fever]]", were regularly played and became fan favorites.{{sfn|Dolan|2012|pp=160–166}} It was also the artist's largest tour up to that point. The band sold out stadiums and played shows upwards of three hours in length.{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|pp=61–64}}{{sfn|Gaar|2016|pp=72–75}} The tour attracted critical acclaim. Dolan called it "one of the most legendary tours" in rock history,{{sfn|Dolan|2012|pp=160–166}} while the staff of ''[[Ultimate Classic Rock]]'' said the tour solidified Springsteen and the E Street Band as "one of the most exciting live acts in rock 'n' roll".<ref name="UCR2018" /> Two months after the tour's end, recording commenced for Springsteen's next album, ''The River''.{{sfn|Gaar|2016|pp=72–75}}

== Critical reception ==
===Contemporary reviews===
{{Music ratings
| subtitle = Initial reviews
| rev1 = ''[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]''
| rev1score = {{rating|1|4}}<ref name="PI">{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/173571422 |title=Albums |newspaper=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]] |date=June 23, 1978 |access-date=February 1, 2023 |page=27 |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |url-access=subscription |archive-date=February 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204161931/https://www.newspapers.com/image/173571422 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| rev2 = ''[[Record Mirror]]''
| rev2score = {{rating|4|5}}<ref name="RecordMirror">{{cite magazine |last=Cain |first=Barry |title=Bruce Springsteen: 'Darkness on the Edge of Town' |magazine=[[Record Mirror]] |date=June 10, 1978 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Record-Mirror/70s/78/1978-06-10.pdf |page=23 |access-date=January 31, 2023 |via=worldradiohistory.com |archive-date=June 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624202856/https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Record-Mirror/70s/78/1978-06-10.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
| rev3 = ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide|The Rolling Stone Record Guide]]''{{clear}}{{resize|(1979, [[The Rolling Stone Album Guide#First edition (1979)|1st ed.]])}}
| rev3score = {{rating|5|5}}{{sfn|McGee|1979|p=365}}
| rev4 = ''The New Rolling Stone Record Guide'' {{resize|(1983, [[The Rolling Stone Album Guide#Second edition (1983)|2nd ed.]])}}
| rev4score = {{rating|4|5}}{{sfn|McGee|1983|p=482}}
| rev5 = ''[[The Village Voice]]''
| rev5score = B+<ref name="Christgau">{{cite web |last=Christgau |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Christgau |url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_album.php?id=471 |title=Album: Bruce Springsteen: ''Darkness on the Edge of Town'' |newspaper=[[The Village Voice]] |date=June 26, 1978 |access-date=February 21, 2014 |archive-date=February 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204161934/https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_album.php?id=471 |url-status=live }}</ref>
}}
''Darkness on the Edge of Town'' was met with generally favorable reviews on release.{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|pp=61–64}} According to the journalist [[Eric Alterman]], critics who enjoyed ''Born to Run'' also liked ''Darkness'', but "not as passionately or perhaps as innocently".{{sfn|Alterman|2001|p=102}} Several recognized the differences in production between the two records in both positive and negative lights.<ref name="RambaliNME" /><ref name="Billboard" /><ref name="CashBox" /><ref name="Hilburn" /> Peter Silverton of ''[[Sounds (magazine)|Sounds]]'' magazine felt the production on ''Darkness'' displayed "the ill effects" of taking too much time to record, and in general, felt ''Darkness'' showed little advancement over ''Born to Run'', with inferior songs and "only a fraction of the vitality".<ref name="SilvertonSounds">{{cite magazine |last=Silverton |first=Peter |title=Bruce Springsteen: ''Darkness on the Edge of Town'' |url=https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/bruce-springsteen-idarkness-on-the-edge-of-towni |magazine=[[Sounds (magazine)|Sounds]] |date=June 10, 1978 |access-date=January 31, 2023 |via=Rock's Backpages |url-access=subscription |archive-date=February 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204161935/https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/bruce-springsteen-idarkness-on-the-edge-of-towni |url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[ZigZag (magazine)|ZigZag]]'' magazine's [[John Tobler]] argued the production made the record "sound like it belongs in another time and another place".<ref name="ToblerZigZag">{{cite magazine |last=Tobler |first=John |author-link=John Tobler |title=Bruce Springsteen: ''Darkness on the Edge of Town''; Mink DeVille: ''Return To Magenta'' |url=https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/bruce-springsteen-idarkness-on-the-edge-of-towni-mink-deville-ireturn-to-magentai |magazine=[[ZigZag (magazine)|ZigZag]] |date=July 1978 |access-date=January 31, 2023 |via=Rock's Backpages |url-access=subscription}}</ref> More positively, [[Robert Hilburn]] of ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' said that ''Darkness'' "blends the rousing musical splendor and passionate, uplifting themes of ''Born to Run'' with even stronger production touches and a more consistent, probing group of songs".<ref name="Hilburn" /> A few believed the album improved with repeated listens.<ref name="Billboard" /><ref name="HoldshipMSN" />

The music and performances of the E Street Band and Springsteen were well received. Some felt the production allowed Springsteen's voice to shine clearer.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name="PI" /><ref name="Billboard">{{cite magazine |title=Top Album Picks |magazine=Billboard |date=June 10, 1978 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/70s/1978/Billboard%201978-06-10.pdf |page=78 |access-date=January 31, 2023 |via=worldradiohistory.com |archive-date=January 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121003052/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/70s/1978/Billboard%201978-06-10.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="CashBox">{{cite magazine |title=Album Reviews |magazine=[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cash Box]] |date=June 10, 1978 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1978/CB-1978-06-10.pdf |page=20 |access-date=January 31, 2023 |via=worldradiohistory.com |archive-date=November 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211127223249/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1978/CB-1978-06-10.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Hilburn" />}} ''[[The Boston Globe]]''{{'s}} Ernie Santosuosso said that the production exposed "a remarkably malleable voice" in Springsteen, recognized a "broader musical scope and dimension" than Springsteen's previous records, and praised his guitar work.<ref name="BGlobe">{{cite news |last=Santosuosso |first=Ernie |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/437010649 |title=Record Reviews |newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] |date=June 8, 1978 |access-date=February 1, 2023 |page=6 |via=Newspapers.com |url-access=subscription |archive-date=February 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204161938/https://www.newspapers.com/image/437010649 |url-status=live }}</ref> Critics were divided on the lyrical content. Some felt the songs were overly serious, bleak, and not as uplifting as those on ''Born to Run''.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name="RecordMirror" /><ref name="CashBox" /><ref name="SilvertonSounds" /><ref name="HoldshipMSN">{{cite magazine |last=Holdship |first=Bill |title=Bruce Springsteen: ''Darkness on the Edge of Town'' (Columbia JC 35318) |url=https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/bruce-springsteen-idarkness-on-the-edge-of-towni-columbia-jc-35318-2 |magazine=Michigan State News |date=June 23, 1978 |access-date=January 31, 2023 |via=Rock's Backpages |url-access=subscription |archive-date=February 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204161935/https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/bruce-springsteen-idarkness-on-the-edge-of-towni-columbia-jc-35318-2 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="CohenCreem" />}} Others enjoyed the evolution in themes from prior records.<ref name="Rockwell">{{cite news |last=Rockwell |first=John |author-link=John Rockwell |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1978/06/11/archives/jagger-springsteen-and-the-new-angst-the-new-angst-in-rock-music.html |title=Jagger, Springsteen and the New Angst |newspaper=The New York Times |date=June 11, 1978 |access-date=February 1, 2023 |archive-date=February 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204162006/https://www.nytimes.com/1978/06/11/archives/jagger-springsteen-and-the-new-angst-the-new-angst-in-rock-music.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Hilburn said ''Darkness'' takes the lyrical themes of its predecessor and "zeroes in more deeply and productively on the key questions" raised on that record.<ref name="Hilburn" /> In ''[[The Village Voice]]'', [[Robert Christgau]] commented on the narratives and the characters on "Badlands", "Adam Raised a Cain", and "Promised Land", writing that they showcased "how a limited genre can illuminate a mature, full-bodied philosophical insight". He deemed other songs, naming "Streets of Fire" and "Something in the Night", more impressionistic and overblown, revealing Springsteen to be either "an important minor artist or a very flawed and inconsistent major one".<ref name="Christgau" /> More negatively, ''[[Creem]]''{{'s}} Mitchell Cohen and ''[[Crawdaddy (magazine)|Crawdaddy]]''{{'s}} [[Peter Knobler]], criticized the use of similar car themes as ''Born to Run'' and pondered if Springsteen was capable of writing about other topics.<ref name="CohenCreem">{{cite magazine |last=Cohen |first=Mitchell |title=Bruce Springsteen: ''Darkness on the Edge of Town'' (Columbia) |url=https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/bruce-springsteen-darkness-on-the-edge-of-town-columbia |magazine=[[Creem]] |date=September 1978 |access-date=January 31, 2023 |via=Rock's Backpages |url-access=subscription |archive-date=February 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204161935/https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/bruce-springsteen-darkness-on-the-edge-of-town-columbia |url-status=live }}</ref>{{sfn|Heylin|2013|p=167: [[Peter Knobler]], ''[[Crawdaddy (magazine)|Crawdaddy]]''}}

In ''Rolling Stone'', Marsh hailed ''Darkness'' as a landmark rock and roll record that would one day be viewed in the same vein as records such as [[Jimi Hendrix]]'s ''[[Are You Experienced]]'' (1967), [[Van Morrison]]'s ''[[Astral Weeks]]'' (1968), and [[the Who]]'s ''[[Who's Next]]'' (1971). Marsh remarked that the subject matter of the songs fulfilled the hype that surrounded Springsteen.<ref name="MarshRS">{{cite magazine|last=Marsh|first=Dave|author-link=Dave Marsh|date=July 27, 1978|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/darkness-on-the-edge-of-town-197342/|title=Darkness on the Edge of Town|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=January 31, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131003249/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/darkness-on-the-edge-of-town-197342/|archive-date=January 31, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref> In ''[[NME]]'', [[Paul Rambali]] said that ''Darkness'' "walks a fine line between the outrageous claims made on Springsteen's behalf and his tendency towards a grandiose, epic feel that encouraged those claims in the first place".<ref name="RambaliNME">{{cite magazine |last=Rambali |first=Paul |author-link=Paul Rambali |date=June 10, 1978 |title=Bruce Springsteen: ''Darkness on the Edge of Town'' |url=https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/bruce-springsteen-darkness-on-the-edge-of-town- |url-status=live |magazine=[[NME]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204161934/https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/bruce-springsteen-darkness-on-the-edge-of-town- |archive-date=February 4, 2023 |access-date=January 31, 2023 |via=[[Rock's Backpages]] |url-access=subscription}}</ref> Hilburn argued the album affirmed Springsteen as a seminal rock figure of the 1970s, equaling the magnitude of Elvis Presley and the Rolling Stones.<ref name="Hilburn">{{cite news |last=Hilburn |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Hilburn |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/384394244 |title=Springsteen's Heavy Mettle |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=June 2, 1978 |access-date=February 1, 2023 |pages=1, 24 |via=Newspapers.com |url-access=subscription |archive-date=February 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204161939/https://www.newspapers.com/image/384394244 |url-status=live }}</ref>

''Darkness'' placed on several lists of the best albums of 1978, including at number one in ''NME''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nme.com/bestalbumsandtracksoftheyear/1978-2-1045407 |title=NME's Best Albums and Tracks of 1978 |date=October 10, 2016 |work=NME |access-date=May 30, 2023 |archive-date=February 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204161948/https://www.nme.com/features/1978-2-1045407 |url-status=live }}</ref> It ranked number two in both ''Record Mirror'' and ''Rolling Stone'', behind ''[[All Mod Cons]]'' by [[the Jam]] and ''Some Girls'' by the Rolling Stones, respectively. On ''Darkness'', the latter magazine wrote: "Springsteen came back from the nether world with a dark, self-probing record that detailed the flip side of rock & roll exhilaration with unflinching honesty."<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Top 10 Albums |magazine=Record Mirror |date=December 23, 1978 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Record-Mirror/70s/78/Record-Mirror-1978-12-22.pdf |page=8 |access-date=February 27, 2023 |via=worldradiohistory.com |archive-date=October 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211006155333/https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Record-Mirror/70s/78/Record-Mirror-1978-12-22.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=''Rolling Stone'' 1978 Critics' Awards |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=December 28, 1978 – January 11, 1979 |issue=281–282 |page=11 }}</ref> In ''Sounds'', ''Darkness'' placed at number three, behind ''[[The Scream (album)|The Scream]]'' by [[Siouxsie and the Banshees]] and ''[[Give 'Em Enough Rope]]'' by the Clash.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Albums of the Year |magazine=Sounds |date=December 30, 1978 |page=12}}</ref>

=== Retrospective reviews and legacy ===
{{Music ratings
|subtitle = Retrospective reviews
|rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
|rev1Score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref name="RuhlmannAM">{{cite web |last=Ruhlmann |first=William |title=''Darkness on the Edge of Town'' – Bruce Springsteen |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/darkness-on-the-edge-of-town-mw0000191913 |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=January 31, 2023 |archive-date=January 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117033315/https://www.allmusic.com/album/darkness-on-the-edge-of-town-mw0000191913 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|rev2 = ''[[American Songwriter]]''
|rev2score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref name="GoldAS">{{cite web |last=Gold |first=Adam |title=Bruce Springsteen: ''Darkness on the Edge of Town'' |url=https://americansongwriter.com/bruce-springsteen-darkness-on-the-edge-of-town/ |website=[[American Songwriter]] |access-date=February 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204162955/https://americansongwriter.com/bruce-springsteen-darkness-on-the-edge-of-town/ |archive-date=February 4, 2023 |date=2010 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|rev3 = ''[[Chicago Tribune]]''
|rev3Score = {{Rating|4|4}}<ref name="Kot">{{cite news|last=Kot|first=Greg|author-link=Greg Kot|date=August 23, 1992|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1992/08/23/the-recorded-history-of-springsteen/|title=The Recorded History of Springsteen|newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]]|access-date=July 8, 2013|archive-date=December 3, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203014214/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1992-08-23/entertainment/9203170100_1_star-lucky-town-springsteen|url-status=live}}</ref>
|rev4 = ''[[The Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]''
|rev4Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{sfn|Larkin|2011|p=1,957}}
|rev5 = ''[[MusicHound|MusicHound Rock]]''
|rev5Score = {{rating|4.5|5}}{{sfn|Graff|1996|pp=638–639}}
|rev6 = ''[[New Musical Express]]''
|rev6score = 8/10<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Ace of boss |last1=Bailie |first1=Stuart |last2=Staunton |first2=Terry |date=11 March 1995 |magazine=[[New Musical Express]] |pages=54–55}}</ref>
|rev7 = ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]''
|rev7Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Williams|first=Richard|title=All or Nothing: The Springsteen Back Catalogue|date=December 1989|magazine=[[Q (magazine)|Q]]|issue=39|page=149|url=https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/bruce-springsteen-all-or-nothing|access-date=February 12, 2024|via=Rock's Backpages|url-access=subscription}}</ref>
|rev8 = ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]''{{clear}}{{resize|(1992, [[The Rolling Stone Album Guide#Third edition (1992)|3rd ed.]])}}
|rev8score = {{rating|4|5}}{{sfn|Evans|1992|p=663}}
|rev9 = ''(The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide''{{clear}}{{resize|(2004, [[The Rolling Stone Album Guide|4th ed.]])}}
|rev9Score = {{Rating|5|5}}{{sfn|Sheffield|2004|p=771}}
}}

''Darkness on the Edge of Town'' has become widely regarded as one of Springsteen's finest works,<ref name="NMEBest">{{cite web |last=Taub |first=Matthew |url=https://www.nme.com/features/bruce-springsteen-albums-ranked-2808825 |title=Bruce Springsteen: Every Album Ranked in Order of Greatness |date=November 8, 2022 |work=NME |access-date=January 31, 2023 |archive-date=February 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204163135/https://www.nme.com/features/bruce-springsteen-albums-ranked-2808825 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="UpRBest">{{cite web |last=Hyden |first=Steven |title=Every Bruce Springsteen Studio Album, Ranked |url=https://uproxx.com/indie/every-bruce-springsteen-studio-album-ranked/ |website=[[Uproxx]] |access-date=January 31, 2023 |date=November 11, 2022 |archive-date=February 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204163544/https://uproxx.com/indie/every-bruce-springsteen-studio-album-ranked/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="UCRBest">{{cite web |last=Lifton |first=Dave |title=Bruce Springsteen Albums Ranked Worst to Best |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/bruce-springteen-albums-ranked/ |website=Ultimate Classic Rock |access-date=January 31, 2023 |date=July 29, 2015 |archive-date=February 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204163232/https://ultimateclassicrock.com/bruce-springteen-albums-ranked/ |url-status=live}}</ref> with some considering it his best.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name="Kachejian" /><ref name="SpinBest">{{cite web |last=Shipley |first=Al |title=Every Bruce Springsteen Album, Ranked |url=https://www.spin.com/2022/11/best-bruce-springsteen-albums/ |website=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]] |access-date=January 31, 2023 |date=November 11, 2022 |archive-date=February 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204163048/https://www.spin.com/2022/11/best-bruce-springsteen-albums/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="GuardBest">{{cite web |last=Hann |first=Michael |title=Bruce Springsteen's Albums – Ranked! |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/may/30/bruce-springsteen-albums-ranked/ |website=The Guardian |access-date=January 31, 2023 |date=May 30, 2019 |archive-date=January 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131004605/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/may/30/bruce-springsteen-albums-ranked |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="TelegraphBest">{{Cite web |last=McCormick |first=Neil |author-link=Neil McCormick |date=24 October 2020 |title=Bruce Springsteen: all his albums ranked, from worst to best |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/what-to-listen-to/bruce-springsteen-albums-ranked-worst-best/ |website=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230823165306/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/what-to-listen-to/bruce-springsteen-albums-ranked-worst-best/ |archive-date=August 23, 2023 |access-date=14 November 2022 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Male |first=Andrew |title=Bruce Springsteen's Best Albums Ranked |url=https://www.mojo4music.com/articles/the-mojo-list/bruce-springsteens-best-albums-ranks/ |magazine=[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]] |access-date=January 8, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241207212454/https://www.mojo4music.com/articles/the-mojo-list/bruce-springsteens-best-albums-ranks/ |archive-date=December 7, 2024 |date=January 3, 2025 |url-status=live}}</ref>}} Reviewers have recognized ''Darkness'' as a harbinger for Springsteen's later career, forming the basis of his songwriting for the next decade, and foreshadowing efforts like ''[[Nebraska (album)|Nebraska]]'' (1982) and ''[[The Ghost of Tom Joad]]'' (1995).{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|pp=61–64}}<ref name="UCR2018" /><ref name="RuhlmannAM" /> Some said the album embodies both Springsteen himself and the everyman appeal he stands for.<ref name="RobsonGuitar.com">{{cite web |last=Robson |first=Paul |title=The Genius of{{nbsp}}... 'Darkness on the Edge of Town' by Bruce Springsteen |url=https://guitar.com/review/album/the-genius-of-darkness-on-the-edge-of-town-by-bruce-springsteen/ |website=[[Guitar.com]] |access-date=January 31, 2023 |date=December 16, 2020 |archive-date=February 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204162956/https://guitar.com/review/album/the-genius-of-darkness-on-the-edge-of-town-by-bruce-springsteen/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="PopMatters">{{cite web |last1=Mendelsohn |first1=Jason |last2=Klinger |first2=Eric |url=https://www.popmatters.com/pm/post/166786-bruce-springsteen/ |title=Counterbalance No. 112: Bruce Springsteen's 'Darkness on the Edge of Town' |work=[[PopMatters]] |date=January 11, 2013 |access-date=February 21, 2014 |archive-date=May 26, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130526162033/http://www.popmatters.com/pm/post/166786-bruce-springsteen/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ''[[The Guardian]]''{{'s}} Keith Cameron argued that the album "remains the bedrock of both the{{nbsp}}... Springsteen legend and the ethical code by which he continues to abide".<ref name="CameronGuardian" />

Critics have called ''Darkness'' a timeless classic that speaks to wide-ranging audiences.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=102–109}}<ref name="Kachejian" /><ref name="PowersPromise">{{cite web |last=Powers |first=Ann |title=Review: Bruce Springsteen's 'The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story' |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/blogs/pop-hiss/story/2010-11-15/review-bruce-springsteens-the-promise-the-darkness-on-the-edge-of-town-story |website=Los Angeles Times |access-date=January 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221206235158/https://www.latimes.com/archives/blogs/pop-hiss/story/2010-11-15/review-bruce-springsteens-the-promise-the-darkness-on-the-edge-of-town-story |archive-date=December 6, 2022 |date=November 15, 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''{{'s}} Sarah Sahim commended the combination of the raw music with the harsh details of universal life experiences, describing ''Darkness'' as an album "dedicated to the underdog", and the underdog in Springsteen's discography.<ref name="EW">{{cite magazine |last=Sahim |first=Sarah |title=Springsteen's ''Darkness on the Edge of Town'' at 40: How the Iconic Album Cover was Made |url=https://ew.com/music/2018/06/08/bruce-springsteen-darkness-on-the-edge-of-town-cover-frank-stefanko/ |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |access-date=January 31, 2023 |date=June 8, 2018 |archive-date=January 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131004613/https://ew.com/music/2018/06/08/bruce-springsteen-darkness-on-the-edge-of-town-cover-frank-stefanko/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Brian Kachejian of ''Classic Rock History'' argued that the brilliance lies "not in the dark picture that Springsteen had painted about his life experiences, [but] in the small glimmers of hope that resounded in many of the songs".<ref name="Kachejian">{{cite web |last=Kachejian |first=Brian |title=Why Springsteen's ''Darkness on the Edge of Town'' was His Best Album |url=https://www.classicrockhistory.com/why-springsteens-darkness-on-the-edge-of-town-was-his-best-album/ |website=Classic Rock History |access-date=January 31, 2023 |date=2021 |archive-date=February 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204163010/https://www.classicrockhistory.com/why-springsteens-darkness-on-the-edge-of-town-was-his-best-album/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Other critics highlighted Springsteen's growing maturity, and praised the more accessible lyrics.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<ref name="UCR2018" /><ref name="Quietus" /><ref name="Kachejian" /><ref name="TelegraphBest" />{{sfn|Sheffield|2004|pp=771–772}}}}

''Darkness'' has continued to attract some mixed assessments. Music writers such as [[Colin Larkin]] and [[Gary Graff]] have criticized the album as being "anticlimactic" and for having "criminally flat" production, respectively.{{sfn|Larkin|2011}}{{sfn|Graff|1996|pp=638–639}} Kirkpatrick opines that while one of Springsteen's best, ''Darkness'' suffers from comparisons to ''Born to Run'', as well as from "occasional slow moments" like "Racing in the Street".{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|pp=61–64}} For the critic [[Steven Hyden]], the album "sounds like a record designed by a rock critic [Landau]", and suffers from "cynical" songs that are "generally weighed down by undercurrents of depression and severe daddy issues". Nevertheless, he named ''Darkness'' his favorite Springsteen record, and one that is "the first, best example of Springsteen juxtaposing rousing rock music with miniaturist, miserabilist, [[Middle America (United States)|Middle American]] storytelling".<ref name="HydenGrantland">{{cite web|last=Hyden|first=Steven|author-link=Steven Hyden|date=January 7, 2014|url=https://grantland.com/features/is-bruce-springsteen-career-overrated-underrated-properly-rated/|title=Overrated, Underrated, or Properly Rated: Bruce Springsteen|website=[[Grantland]]|access-date=August 20, 2019|archive-date=February 4, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204162956/https://grantland.com/features/is-bruce-springsteen-career-overrated-underrated-properly-rated/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Rankings===
''Darkness on the Edge of Town'' has appeared on numerous best-of lists. In the opinion of ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]''{{'}}s Mark Richardson, it "ranks with rock's classic albums".<ref name="p4k"/> In 1987, a panel of rock critics and music broadcasters polled for [[Paul Gambaccini]]'s ''The Top 100 Rock 'n' Roll Albums of All Time'', placed ''Darkness'' at number 59.{{sfn|Gambaccini|1987}} In 2003, it was ranked at number 151 on ''Rolling Stone''{{'}}s list of [[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|the 500 greatest albums of all time]],<ref>{{cite magazine|title=The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time: Bruce Springsteen – ''Darkness on the Edge of Town''| magazine=Rolling Stone| date=2010 |access-date=January 1, 2025 |url=http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-19691231/darkness-on-the-edge-of-town-bruce-springsteen-19691231 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110902064908/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-19691231/darkness-on-the-edge-of-town-bruce-springsteen-19691231 |archive-date=2 September 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> rising to number 91 in a 2020 revision.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-of-all-time-1062063/bruce-springsteen-darkness-on-the-edge-of-town-2-1063142/|title=The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time: Bruce Springsteen – ''Darkness on the Edge of Town''|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=September 22, 2020|access-date=November 5, 2020|archive-date=February 4, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204163001/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-of-all-time-1062063/bruce-springsteen-darkness-on-the-edge-of-town-2-1063142/|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2013, the album was ranked 109th in [[NME's The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|a similar list]] by ''NME''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Barker|first=Emily|date=October 25, 2013|url=https://www.nme.com/photos/the-500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-200-101-1426258|title=The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time: 200–101|website=NME|access-date=August 20, 2019|archive-date=January 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170104003059/https://www.nme.com/photos/the-500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-200-101-1426258|url-status=live}}</ref> In a 2020 list compiling the 70 best albums of the 1970s, ''[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]'' placed ''Darkness'' at number 30.<ref>{{cite web |title=The 70 Best Albums of the 1970s |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/1970s/best-albums-of-the-1970s/ |website=[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]] |access-date=February 8, 2023 |date=January 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221208065703/https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/1970s/best-albums-of-the-1970s/ |archive-date=December 8, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> The album was also included in the 2018 edition of Robert Dimery's book ''[[1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die]]''.{{sfn|Dimery|Lydon|2018}}

== Reissues ==
{{Main|The Promise (Bruce Springsteen album)}}
{{Music ratings
|subtitle=''The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story''
|rev1 = ''[[The Guardian]]''
|rev1score = {{rating|5|5}}<ref name="WilliamsPromise">{{cite web |last=Williams |first=Richard |title='The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story' – Review |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/nov/11/the-promise-darkness-edge-story-review |website=The Guardian |access-date=January 31, 2023 |date=November 11, 2010 |archive-date=January 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230131004607/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/nov/11/the-promise-darkness-edge-story-review |url-status=live }}</ref>
|rev2 = ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]''
|rev2score = 9.5/10<ref name="p4k">{{cite web|last=Richardson|first=Mark|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/14869-the-promise-the-darkness-on-the-edge-of-town-story-the-promise/|title=Bruce Springsteen: ''The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story'' Album Review|date=November 17, 2010|website=Pitchfork|access-date=August 20, 2019|archive-date=May 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210502052017/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/14869-the-promise-the-darkness-on-the-edge-of-town-story-the-promise/|url-status=live}}</ref>
|rev3 = ''[[Record Collector]]''
|rev3score = {{rating|5|5}}<ref name="RC">{{cite magazine|last=Staunton|first=Terry|url=https://recordcollectormag.com/reviews/album/the-promise-the-darkness-on-theedge-of-town-story|title=''The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story'' – Bruce Springsteen|date=November 20, 2010|magazine=[[Record Collector]]|issue=383|access-date=September 19, 2023|archive-date=September 19, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230919023406/https://recordcollectormag.com/reviews/album/the-promise-the-darkness-on-theedge-of-town-story|url-status=live}}</ref>
}}
''Darkness on the Edge of Town'' was first released on [[Compact disc|CD]] in 1984.<ref name="Norway" /> Additional CD reissues followed in 1990,{{sfn|Gaar|2016|p=198}} and by [[Sony BMG]] in 2008.<ref name="Norway" /> On November 16, 2010, the album was reissued as an expanded six-disc [[box set]],<ref name="AMPromise" /><ref name="GreenePromise" /> including three CDs and three [[DVD]] or [[Blu-ray]] discs. This contains a remastered version of the original album, a new two-CD album titled ''[[The Promise (Bruce Springsteen album)|The Promise]]'', containing 21 previously unreleased outtakes from the ''Darkness'' sessions, two live performance DVDs, and a "making of" documentary titled ''The Promise: The Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town''.<ref name="GreenePromise">{{cite magazine| first=Andy| last=Greene |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/17386/195179| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100828131213/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/17386/195179| url-status=dead| archive-date=August 28, 2010| title=Springsteen Announces Massive 'Darkness' Set| magazine=Rolling Stone| access-date=September 7, 2010| date=August 26, 2010}}</ref><ref name="JurekPromise">{{cite web |last=Jurek |first=Thom |title=''The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story [3 CD/3 DVD]'' – Bruce Springsteen |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/release/the-promise-the-darkness-on-the-edge-of-town-story-3-cd-3-dvd--mr0003191211 |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=August 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230819182346/https://www.allmusic.com/album/release/the-promise-the-darkness-on-the-edge-of-town-story-3-cd-3-dvd--mr0003191211 |archive-date=August 19, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="PromisePF" /> The documentary was directed by Thom Zimny and features archival footage from the recording sessions and live performances from the era by Barry Rebo.<ref name="JurekPromise" />

The deluxe box set contains an 80-page spiral-bound reproduction of Springsteen's original notebooks documenting the original recording sessions containing alternate lyrics, song ideas, recording details, and personal notes.<ref name="JurekPromise" /><ref name="PromisePF">{{cite web |last=Dombal |first=Ryan |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/39881-bruce-springsteen-to-release-darkness-on-the-edge-of-town-cddvd-box-set/ |title=Bruce Springsteen to Release ''Darkness on the Edge of Town'' CD/DVD Box Set |website=Pitchfork |date=August 26, 2010 |access-date=February 21, 2014 |archive-date=March 6, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140306162623/http://pitchfork.com/news/39881-bruce-springsteen-to-release-darkness-on-the-edge-of-town-cddvd-box-set/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The box was well received by critics<ref name="PowersPromise" /><ref name="WilliamsPromise" /><ref name="JurekPromise" /> and won the [[Grammy Award]] for [[Grammy Award for Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package|Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package]] at the [[54th Annual Grammy Awards]] in 2012.<ref>{{cite web |title=Grammy Awards 2012: Winners and Nominees List |url=https://www.latimes.com/la-env-grammy-awards-2012-winners-nominees-list-htmlstory.html |website=Los Angeles Times |access-date=February 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221103152809/https://www.latimes.com/la-env-grammy-awards-2012-winners-nominees-list-htmlstory.html |archive-date=November 3, 2022 |date=March 22, 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Track listing==
{{Track listing
| all_writing = [[Bruce Springsteen]]<ref name="liner notes" />
| headline = Side one
| title1 = [[Badlands (song)|Badlands]]
| length1 = 4:01
| title2 = [[Adam Raised a Cain]]
| length2 = 4:32
| title3 = Something in the Night
| length3 = 5:12
| title4 = Candy's Room
| length4 = 2:45
| title5 = [[Racing in the Street]]
| length5 = 6:52
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Side two
| title1 = [[The Promised Land (Bruce Springsteen song)|The Promised Land]]
| length1 = 4:24
| title2 = Factory
| length2 = 2:17
| title3 = Streets of Fire
| length3 = 4:03
| title4 = [[Prove It All Night]]
| length4 = 3:57
| title5 = [[Darkness on the Edge of Town (song)|Darkness on the Edge of Town]]
| length5 = 4:28
| total_length = 42:29
}}

==Personnel==
According to the liner notes,<ref name="liner notes">{{cite AV media notes |author=Anon. |title=Darkness on the Edge of Town |year=1978 |others=Bruce Springsteen |type=liner notes |publisher=[[Columbia Records]] |location=US |id=JC 35318}}</ref> and Margotin and Guesdon.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=110–136}}

*[[Bruce Springsteen]]&nbsp;– lead vocals, lead guitar; harmonica (6)

'''The E Street Band'''
*[[Roy Bittan]]&nbsp;– piano; backing vocals (2)
*[[Clarence Clemons]]&nbsp;– saxophone (1, 6, 9), percussion (1, 2, 5, 7, 10), backing vocals (1, 2)
*[[Danny Federici]]&nbsp;– [[Hammond organ]]; [[glockenspiel]] (3, 4, 10), backing vocals (2)
*[[Garry Tallent]]&nbsp;– bass guitar; backing vocals (2)
*[[Steven Van Zandt]]&nbsp;– [[rhythm guitar]]; backing vocals (1–5, 7–9)
*[[Max Weinberg]]&nbsp;– drums; backing vocals (2)

'''Technical'''
*Bruce Springsteen&nbsp;– producer
*[[Jon Landau]]&nbsp;– producer
*Steven Van Zandt&nbsp;– assistant producer
*[[Jimmy Iovine]]&nbsp;– [[audio engineer|engineer]], mixing
*[[Thom Panunzio]]&nbsp;– assistant engineer
*[[Chuck Plotkin]]&nbsp;– mixing
*Mike Reese&nbsp;– mastering
*[[Frank Stefanko]]&nbsp;– photography

==Charts==
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+Chart performance for ''Darkness on the Edge of Town''
!scope="col"| Chart (1978)
!scope="col"| Peak<br/>position
|-
!scope="row"|Australia ([[Kent Music Report]]){{sfn|Kent|1993|p=289}}
| 9
|-
!scope="row"|Canadian Top Albums/CDs (''[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]'')<ref name="CAN">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.4622a&volume=29&issue=21&issue_dt=August%2019%201978&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=1eslr84up6jai4j6cngk0p4cu2 |title=Top Albums/CDs |volume=29 |number=21 |date=August 19, 1978 |magazine=[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]] |access-date=February 2, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160312134524/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.4622a&volume=29&issue=21&issue_dt=August%2019%201978&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=1eslr84up6jai4j6cngk0p4cu2 |archive-date=March 12, 2016 |url-status=dead |via=[[Library and Archives Canada]]}}</ref>
| 7
|-
!scope="row"| Irish Albums ([[Irish Recorded Music Association|IRMA]])<ref name="IRE">{{cite web|url=http://irish-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Bruce+Springsteen|title=Irish Charts > Bruce Springsteen|website=irish-charts.com|publisher=Hung Medien|access-date=December 20, 2021|archive-date=December 2, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202221757/http://irish-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Bruce+Springsteen|url-status=live}}</ref>
| 73
|-
{{album chart|Netherlands|4|artist=Bruce Springsteen|album=Darkness on the Edge of Town|rowheader=true|refname="NETH"|access-date=December 20, 2021}}
|-
{{album chart|New Zealand|11|artist=Bruce Springsteen|album=Darkness on the Edge of Town|rowheader=true|refname="NZ"|access-date=December 20, 2021}}
|-
{{album chart|Norway|12|artist=Bruce Springsteen|album=Darkness on the Edge of Town|rowheader=true|refname="Norway"|access-date=December 20, 2021}}
|-
{{album chart|Sweden|9|artist=Bruce Springsteen|album=Darkness on the Edge of Town|rowheader=true|access-date=December 20, 2021|refname="SWE"}}
|-
!scope="row"| [[UK Albums Chart|U.K. Albums Chart]] ([[Official Charts Company|OCC]])<ref name="ukchart">{{cite web|title=Bruce Springsteen {{!}} full Official Chart History |publisher=[[Official Charts Company]] |url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/26627/bruce%20springsteen/ |url-status=live |access-date=February 13, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161009065508/http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/26627/bruce%20springsteen/ |archive-date=October 9, 2016 }}</ref>
| 14
|-
!scope="row"|U.S. [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' Top LPs & Tape]]<ref name="bbchart">{{cite magazine |title=Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band Chart History |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/bruce-springsteen-the-e-street-band/ |magazine=Billboard |access-date=December 20, 2021 |archive-date=February 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204163548/https://www.billboard.com/artist/bruce-springsteen-the-e-street-band/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
| 5
|-
!scope="col"| Chart (1985)
!scope="col"| Peak<br/>position
|-
!scope="row"|U.S. ''Billboard'' Top Pop Albums<ref name="1985bbchart">{{cite magazine|title=Top Pop Albums – for the week ending March 16, 1985|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GiUEAAAAMBAJ&q=DARKNESS+ON+THE+EDGE+OF+TOWN+1985+BILLBOARD&pg=PT74|magazine=Billboard|page=75|access-date=November 8, 2016|language=en|date=March 16, 1985|archive-date=February 4, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204163548/https://books.google.com/books?id=GiUEAAAAMBAJ&q=DARKNESS+ON+THE+EDGE+OF+TOWN+1985+BILLBOARD&pg=PT74|url-status=live|via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref>
| 167
|}

==Certifications==
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Sales and certifications for ''Darkness on the Edge of Town''}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|artist=Bruce Springsteen|title=Darkness on the Edge of Town|type=album|award=Platinum|relyear=1978|certyear=2008|access-date=April 29, 2022}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|artist=Bruce Springsteen|title=Darkness on the Edge of Town|type=album|award=Platinum|relyear=1978}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=France|artist=Bruce Springsteen|title=Darkness on the Edge of Town|type=album|nocert=true|relyear=1978|salesamount=50,000|salesref=<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1981/BB-1981-06-27.pdf|title=Springsteen Tour Of Europe A Triumph Covering 10 Nations|magazine=Billboard|page=73|date=June 20, 1981|issn=0006-2510|access-date=April 29, 2022|archive-date=February 8, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220208155257/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1981/BB-1981-06-27.pdf|url-status=live|via=worldradiohistory.com}}</ref>}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Germany|artist=Bruce Springsteen|title=Darkness on the Edge of Town|type=album|nocert=true|relyear=1978|salesamount=100,000|salesref=<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1981/BB-1981-06-27.pdf|title=Springsteen Tour Of Europe A Triumph Covering 10 Nations|magazine=Billboard|page=40|date=June 20, 1981|issn=0006-2510|access-date=April 29, 2022|archive-date=February 8, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220208155257/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1981/BB-1981-06-27.pdf|url-status=live|via=worldradiohistory.com}}</ref>}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Italy|type=album|artist=Bruce Springsteen|title=Darkness on the edge|nocert=true|salesamount=100,000|salesref=<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/80s/1988/M&M-1988-11-26.pdf|title=New Marketing Strategy Sees Music On New Stands|magazine=[[Music & Media]]|first=Roy|last=Zinsenheim|pages=11|date=November 26, 1988|access-date=February 27, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230703090000/https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/80s/1988/M&M-1988-11-26.pdf|archive-date=July 3, 2023|url-status=live|via=worldradiohistory.com}}</ref>}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Netherlands|artist=Bruce Springsteen|title=Darkness on the Edge of Town|type=album|award=Gold|relyear=1978}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|artist=Bruce Springsteen|title=Darkness on the Edge of Town|type=album|award=Gold|relyear=1978|id=1682-3358-2}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|artist=Bruce Springsteen|title=Darkness on the Edge of Town|type=album|award=Platinum|number=3|relyear=1978|refname=RIAA}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=yes}}

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

===Sources===
{{Refbegin|30em}}
*{{cite book|last=Alterman|first=Eric|title=It Ain't No Sin to Be Glad You're Alive: The Promise of Bruce Springsteen|location=Boston|publisher=[[Back Bay Books]]|year=2001|isbn=978-0-31603-917-8}}
*{{cite book|last=Carlin|first=Peter Ames|author-link=Peter Ames Carlin|title=Bruce|url=https://archive.org/details/bruce0000carl_f9l2/mode/2up|location=New York City|publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]]|year=2012|isbn=978-1-4391-9182-8}}
*{{cite book |first1=Robert |last1=Dimery |first2=Michael |last2=Lydon |title=1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die |edition=Revised and Updated |year=2018 |location=London |publisher=[[Cassell (publisher)|Cassell]] |isbn=978-1-78840-080-0}}
*{{cite book |last=Dolan |first=Marc |title=Bruce Springsteen and the Promise of Rock 'n' Roll |url=https://archive.org/details/brucespringsteen0000dola/mode/2up |year=2012 |publisher=[[W. W. Norton & Company]] |location=New York City |isbn=978-0-39308-135-0 }}
*{{cite book |last=Evans |first=Paul |date=1992 |chapter=Bruce Springsteen |pages=663–665 |editor1-last=DeCurtis |editor1-first=Anthony |editor1-link=Anthony DeCurtis |editor2-last=Henke |editor2-first=James |editor3-last=George-Warren |editor3-first=Holly |title=The Rolling Stone Album Guide |title-link=The Rolling Stone Album Guide#Third edition (1992) |edition=3rd |publisher=[[Straight Arrow Press|Straight Arrow Publishers, Inc.]] |location=New York City |isbn=978-0-679-73729-2}}
*{{cite book|last=Gaar|first=Gillian G.|title=Boss: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band – The Illustrated History|url=https://archive.org/details/bossbrucesprings0000gaar/mode/2up|year=2016|location=Minneapolis|publisher=Voyageur Press|isbn=978-0-76034-972-4}}
*{{cite book |last=Gambaccini |first=Paul |author-link=Paul Gambaccini |title=The Top 100 Rock "n" Roll Albums of All Time |date=1987 |publisher=[[Harmony Books]] |location=New York City |isbn=978-0-51756-561-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gAjVAAAACAAJ}}
*{{cite book|last=Graff|first=Gary|author-link=Gary Graff|editor-first=Gary|editor-last=Graff|title=MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide|publisher=[[Visible Ink Press]]|location=Detroit|year=1996|isbn=978-0-7876-1037-1|chapter=Bruce Springsteen|title-link=MusicHound}}
*{{cite book|last=Heylin|first=Clinton|title=E Street Shuffle: The Glory Days of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band|publisher=[[Viking Press]]|location=New York City|year=2013|edition=First American|isbn=978-0-670-02662-3}}
*{{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives|year=1993|isbn=978-0-646-11917-5}}
*{{cite book|last=Kirkpatrick|first=Rob|author-link=Rob Kirkpatrick|year=2007|title=The Words and Music of Bruce Springsteen|location=Santa Barbara|publisher=[[Greenwood Publishing Group]]|isbn=978-0-27598-938-5|url=https://archive.org/details/wordsmusicofbruc00kirk/page/56}}
*{{cite book|last=Larkin|first=Colin|author-link=Colin Larkin|year=2011|chapter=Bruce Springsteen|title=Encyclopedia of Popular Music|location=London|publisher=[[Omnibus Press]]|isbn=978-0-85712-595-8|edition=5th|title-link=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music}}
*{{cite book |last1=Margotin |first1=Philippe |last2=Guesdon |first2=Jean-Michel |title=Bruce Springsteen All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nrlRzQEACAAJ |year=2020 |publisher=[[Cassell (publisher)|Cassell Illustrated]] |location=London |isbn=978-1-78472-649-2}}
*{{cite book|last=Marsh|first=Dave|author-link=Dave Marsh|title=Born to Run: The Bruce Springsteen Story|year=1981|url=https://archive.org/details/borntorunbrucesp00mars/|url-access=registration|location=New York City |publisher=[[Dell Publishing]]|isbn=978-0-440-10694-4}}
*{{cite book |last=McGee |first=David |date=1979 |chapter=Bruce Springsteen |pages=365–366 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/rollingstonereco00mars/page/364/mode/2up |chapter-url-access=registration |editor1-last=Marsh |editor1-first=Dave |editor1-link=Dave Marsh |editor2-last=Swenson |editor2-first=John |title=The Rolling Stone Record Guide |title-link=The Rolling Stone Album Guide#First edition (1979) |edition=1st |publisher=[[Random House]]/[[Rolling Stone Press]] |location=New York City |isbn=978-0-394-73535-1}}
*{{cite book |last=McGee |first=David |date=1983 |chapter=Bruce Springsteen |pages=482–484 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/newrollingstoner00mars/page/482/mode/2up |chapter-url-access=registration |editor1-last=Marsh |editor1-first=Dave |editor2-last=Swenson |editor2-first=John |title=The New Rolling Stone Record Guide |title-link=The Rolling Stone Album Guide#Second edition (1983) |edition=2nd |publisher=Random House/Rolling Stone Press |location=New York City|isbn=978-0-394-72107-1}}
* {{cite book |last=Sheffield |author-link=Rob Sheffield |chapter=Bruce Springsteen |pages=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/771 771–773] |editor1-last=Brackett |editor1-first=Nathan |editor2-last=Hoard |editor1-link=Nathan Brackett |editor2-first=Christian |first=Rob |title=(The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide |edition=4th |year=2004 |publisher=[[Fireside Books]] |location=London |isbn=978-0-7432-0169-8 |title-link=The Rolling Stone Album Guide}} Portions posted at {{cite web |magazine=Rolling Stone |title=Bruce Springsteen > Album Guide |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/bruce-springsteen/albumguide |access-date=October 31, 2011 |archive-date=October 18, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111018213604/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/bruce-springsteen/albumguide |url-status=dead |ref=no}}
*{{cite book|last=Springsteen|first=Bruce|author-link=Bruce Springsteen|title=Born to Run|location=New York City|publisher=Simon & Schuster|year=2016|isbn=978-1-5011-4151-5}}
*{{cite book|last=Springsteen|first=Bruce|title=Songs|url=https://archive.org/details/songs0000spri|location=London|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|year=2003|isbn=978-0-7535-0862-6}}
*{{cite book |last=Strong |first=Martin C. |title=The Great Rock Discography |date=2006 |publisher=Canongate Books |location=Edinburgh |isbn=978-1-84195-860-6 |chapter=Bruce Springsteen }}
{{Refend|30em}}

==External links==
* {{Discogs master|type=album|26738|name=Darkness on the Edge of Town}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040205034251/http://www.brucespringsteen.net/albums/darkness.html Album lyrics and audio samples]
* [https://www.superseventies.com/spspringsteen3.html Collection of album reviews]

{{Bruce Springsteen}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Darkness On The Edge Of Town}}
[[Category:1978 albums]]
[[Category:Bruce Springsteen albums]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Steven Van Zandt]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Jon Landau]]
[[Category:Albums recorded at Record Plant (New York City)]]
[[Category:Columbia Records albums]]