Studio Album · No. 17

Wrecking Ball Songwriting Credits by Bruce Springsteen

2012 Columbia 11 tracks 51 min

Produced by Ron Aniello, Bruce Springsteen  ·  Engineered by Ross Petersen, Rob Lebret, Clif Norrell, Toby Scott

Columbia RockFolk RockAmericana
100%
Authorship
Complete Artist

Holds writing credit on 11 of 11 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 11 / 11 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 11 tracks with documented writers, by whether Bruce Springsteen carries a lyricist or composer credit.

100%
11 trackswritten by Bruce Springsteen 0 tracksoutside writers
Bruce Springsteen's roles on this album

Share of the 11 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist100%
Composer100%
Producer100%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

11
Tracks
1
Lyricists
2
Producers
Over 1.5 million copies worldwide
Worldwide Copies Sold
2012
Released

Awards & Recognition 4

Nominated for Grammy Award for Best Rock Album
Nominated for Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance ("We Take Care of Our Own")
Nominated for Grammy Award for Best Rock Song ("We Take Care of Our Own")
Named Best Album of 2012 by Rolling Stone
Data Insight

Every song on Wrecking Ball was written by Bruce Springsteen and the record was produced by Ron Aniello with Springsteen. The album channels anger and grief over the post-2008 recession, taking aim at economic injustice and the gap between everyday Americans and the financial powers that failed them. The opener and lead single "We Take Care of Our Own" wraps that frustration in a defiant, anthemic chorus. The record also carries an elegiac weight, featuring two of the final saxophone performances by E Street Band member Clarence Clemons, who died in June 2011 before its release.

Wrecking Ball is Bruce Springsteen's seventeenth studio album, released on March 6, 2012. Co-produced by Ron Aniello and Springsteen, it is a politically charged record responding to the 2008 financial crisis, using elements of folk, gospel, and hip-hop alongside rock. The album was dedicated to E Street Band saxophonist Clarence Clemons and organist Danny Federici, who had both died since the previous album. All eleven tracks were written solely by Springsteen.

Track Listing & Credits 11 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
We Take Care of Our Own #6
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Springsteen Ron AnielloBruce Springsteen Bruce Springsteen (Lead Vocals)
2
Easy Money
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Springsteen Ron AnielloBruce Springsteen Bruce Springsteen (Lead Vocals)
3
Shackled and Drawn
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Springsteen Ron AnielloBruce Springsteen Bruce Springsteen (Lead Vocals)
4
Jack of All Trades
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Springsteen Ron AnielloBruce Springsteen Bruce Springsteen (Lead Vocals)
5
Death to My Hometown
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Springsteen Ron AnielloBruce Springsteen Bruce Springsteen (Lead Vocals)
6
This Depression
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Springsteen Ron AnielloBruce Springsteen Bruce Springsteen (Lead Vocals)
7
Wrecking Ball #3
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Springsteen Ron AnielloBruce Springsteen Bruce Springsteen (Lead Vocals)
8
You've Got It
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Springsteen Ron AnielloBruce Springsteen Bruce Springsteen (Lead Vocals)
9
Rocky Ground
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Springsteen Ron AnielloBruce Springsteen Bruce Springsteen (Lead Vocals)
10
Land of Hope and Dreams
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Springsteen Ron AnielloBruce Springsteen Bruce Springsteen (Lead Vocals)
11
We Are Alive
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Springsteen Ron AnielloBruce Springsteen Bruce Springsteen (Lead Vocals)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 2 contributors

More from Bruce Springsteen

Frequently Asked Questions Wrecking Ball

Who wrote the songs on Wrecking Ball?
All eleven tracks on Wrecking Ball were written by Bruce Springsteen.
Who produced Wrecking Ball?
The album was produced by Ron Aniello together with Bruce Springsteen.
What is Wrecking Ball about?
The album responds to the 2008 financial crisis and its aftermath, with angry, populist songs about economic hardship, lost work, and the failures of the financial system. Tracks like "Death to My Hometown," "Jack of All Trades," and "Shackled and Drawn" voice the frustration of ordinary people hit hardest by the recession.
What was the lead single from Wrecking Ball?
"We Take Care of Our Own" was the lead single, released in January 2012. It did not enter the Billboard Hot 100 but reached number 6 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart and earned Grammy nominations for Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song.
Does Wrecking Ball feature Clarence Clemons?
Yes. The album includes some of the final saxophone performances by longtime E Street Band saxophonist Clarence Clemons, who died in June 2011, before the record was released in 2012.
Where did the title track "Wrecking Ball" come from?
Springsteen first performed "Wrecking Ball" in 2009 as a tribute to the soon-to-be-demolished Giants Stadium, releasing it as a live single that reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot Singles Sales chart. A studio version was later recorded for the 2012 album.
Did Wrecking Ball reach number one?
Yes. Wrecking Ball debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and topped the charts in numerous countries, making it Springsteen's tenth number-one album in the United States.

Sources