Studio Album · No. 5
The River Songwriting Credits by Bruce Springsteen
Produced by Bruce Springsteen, Jon Landau, Steven Van Zandt · Engineered by Bob Clearmountain, Neil Dorfsman, Toby Scott
Holds writing credit on 20 of 20 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 20 / 20 documented
Scored across the 20 tracks with documented writers, by whether Bruce Springsteen carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 20 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
The River is a 20-track double album, every song written by Bruce Springsteen, that swings between rowdy bar-band rockers and stark portraits of working-class lives. It became his first album to top the Billboard 200, and its lead single "Hungry Heart" gave him his first top-10 hit, reaching number five on the Hot 100. The record's blend of party songs and somber ballads laid the emotional groundwork for the spare follow-up Nebraska.
The River is Bruce Springsteen's fifth studio album, released on October 17, 1980, as a double LP. Co-produced by Springsteen, Jon Landau, and E Street Band member Steven Van Zandt, it contains 20 tracks spanning heartland rock anthems, pop, and folk. 'Hungry Heart,' the album's lead single, became Springsteen's first top-ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100. All 20 tracks were written solely by Springsteen.