Bruce Springsteen’s 20 Best Collaborations, According to E Street Radio

Bruce Springsteen’s collaborations have always felt less like guest spots and more like musical conversations. Whether trading verses with rock legends, soul icons, punk bands, or longtime E Street family members, the Boss brings out a sense of urgency, joy, and shared history.

From all-star benefit performances to unforgettable live covers and studio gems, here are E Street Radio listeners’ picks for Bruce Springsteen’s best collaborations, ranked from 20 to 1.

20. “American Land” – Dropkick Murphys and Bruce

Dropkick Murphys amplified the song’s Celtic-punk energy, making Bruce’s immigrant anthem even more raucous and communal.

19. “Dream Baby” – Roy Orbison and Bruce

Roy Orbison and Bruce created a meeting of unmistakable voices, blending Orbison’s elegance with Springsteen’s rock-and-roll devotion.

18. “Hold On/Soul Man” – Sam Moore and Bruce

Sam Moore brought soul royalty to the stage, and Bruce matched him with joyful grit and deep respect.

17. “Highway to Hell” – Eddie Vedder and Bruce

Eddie Vedder and Bruce turned the AC/DC classic into a full-throttle rock celebration, all swagger and volume.

16. “Better Man” – Eddie Vedder and Bruce

Vedder’s intensity paired beautifully with Bruce’s emotional directness, giving the Pearl Jam favorite a raw, lived-in power.

15. “Disorder in the House” – Warren Zevon and Bruce

Warren Zevon and Bruce made chaos sound thrilling, with biting lyrics, rough edges, and a hard-rocking sense of humor.

14. “Light of Day” – Joan Jett and Bruce

Joan Jett brought punk toughness to a Springsteen-penned favorite, and Bruce’s presence made it feel like a victory lap.

13. “London Calling” – Elvis Costello, Dave Grohl, Steven Van Zandt, Pete Thomas, Tony Kanal, and Bruce

Elvis Costello, Dave Grohl, Steven Van Zandt, Pete Thomas, and Tony Kanal joined Bruce for a roaring Clash tribute that honored punk’s urgency without sanding down its edge.

12. “Because the Night” – Patti Smith, U2, and Bruce

During the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary Concert in 2009, U2 performed a cover of Bruce and Patti Smith’s “Because the Night,” inviting the song’s two writers on stage with them. Originally included on Smith’s 1978 album “Easter,” “Because the Night” came full circle as U2 connected its punk poetry, arena-rock sweep, and Springsteen roots.

11. “This Little Girl” – Gary U.S. Bonds and Bruce

Gary U.S. Bonds gave Bruce’s writing a bright, throwback rock-and-soul shine that became instantly infectious when he included “This Little Girl” on his 1981 album, “Dedication.” The two performed the song together that same year when Bonds made a guest appearance on Bruce’s tour at the Brendan Byrne Arena in New Jersey.

10. “Thunder Road” – Melissa Etheridge and Bruce

On her 1995 episode of “MTV Unplugged,” self-proclaimed Bruce superfan Melissa Etheridge brought a raspy, impassioned edge to one of Bruce’s defining songs, “Thunder Road,” making the duet feel intimate and enormous at once.

9. “I Don’t Wanna Go Home” – Steven Van Zandt and Bruce

Over the years, Bruce has joined Steven Van Zandt on stage for performances of “I Don’t Want to Go Home,” which was included on Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes’ debut album of the same name in 1976. The two together capture the Jersey Shore soul sound at its finest, full of friendship, horns, and bar-band glory.

8. “Stay” – Bruce, Jackson Browne, Tom Petty, and Rosemary Butler

Jackson Browne, Tom Petty, and Rosemary Butler sang with Bruce on a cover of “Stay” (originally released in 1960 by Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs) during the Musicians United for Safe Energy (MUSE) collective’s Madison Square Garden concerts in 1979. The cover was then included on the triple live album “No Nukes: The Muse Concerts For a Non-Nuclear Future.”

In 2021, Bruce released his own “The Legendary 1979 No Nukes Concerts” live album, which also contained the 1979 “Stay” cover.

7. “Rose Tattoo” – Dropkick Murphys and Bruce

In 2013, Bruce lent his vocals to a rerecording of the Dropkick Murphys’ “Rose Tattoo,” available exclusively on iTunes as part of a charitable three-song EP to raise funds for victims of the Boston Marathon bombings. The band’s working-class roar fit Bruce perfectly, and they turned the song into a bruised but heartfelt anthem of pride and memory.

6. “I Saw Her Standing There/Twist & Shout” – Paul McCartney and Bruce

Bruce first pulled Paul McCartney (as well as Tom Morello and John Fogerty) on stage with him at a London concert in 2012 to perform a Beatles medley of “I Saw Her Standing There” and “Twist & Shout.” The pair later reunited for the same medley at a McCartney concert at Madison Square Garden in 2017, delivering pure rock-and-roll joy by bridging Beatles history with E Street exuberance.

5. “The Ghost of Tom Joad” – Bruce and Tom Morello

The title track and lead single from Bruce’s eleventh studio album, released in 1995, “The Ghost of Tom Joad” was resurrected in 2014 when Bruce rerecorded it for his eighteenth studio album, “High Hopes,” with Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello. Morello transformed the song with searing guitar work, pushing Bruce’s Dust Bowl meditation into explosive protest-rock territory.

4. “New York State of Mind” – Billy Joel and Bruce

Billy Joel has performed duets of his 1976 song “New York State of Mind” with Elton John, Garth Brooks, and more. He joined Bruce and the E Street Band on stage as a special guest during the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary Concert in 2009, giving Madison Square Garden and New York its due with a soulful, streetwise performance that felt both elegant and tough.

3. “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” – U2 and Bruce

Bruce first joined U2 to perform their 1987 track “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” at the 2005 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, then again at a Madison Square Garden concert in 2015. During both performances, U2’s spiritual grandeur met Bruce’s searching voice, giving the anthem even more yearning and lift.

2. “Jole Blon” – Gary U.S. Bonds and Bruce

Bruce recorded “Jole Blon,” the classic Cajun waltz, twice in the early ’80s: once with the E Street Band, and once with Gary U.S. Bonds for his “Dedication” album, turning it into a joyous rock-and-roll rave-up, powered by swing, swagger, and chemistry.

1. “It’s Been a Long Time” – Southside Johnny, Steven Van Zandt, and Bruce

“It’s Been a Long Time” is a track from “Better Days,” the 1991 album by Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. Southside Johnny, Steven Van Zandt, and Bruce Springsteen share lead vocals on the one song, making it the definitive celebration of friendship, history, and homegrown rock and soul.