THUNDER ROAD

Album version



The screen door slams, Mary's dress sways
Like a vision she dances across the porch as the radio plays
Roy Orbison singing for the lonely
Hey that's me and I want you only
Don't turn me home again
I just can't face myself alone again
Don't run back inside, darling you know just what I'm here for
So you're scared and you're thinking that maybe we ain't that young anymore
Show a little faith, there's magic in the night
You ain't a beauty, but hey you're alright
Oh and that's alright with me

You can hide 'neath your covers and study your pain
Make crosses from your lovers, throw roses in the rain
Waste your summer praying in vain for a savior to rise from these streets
Well now I'm no hero, that's understood
All the redemption I can offer, girl, is beneath this dirty hood
With a chance to make it good somehow
Hey what else can we do now
Except roll down the window and let the wind blow back your hair
Well the night's busting open, these two lanes will take us anywhere
We got one last chance to make it real
To trade in these wings on some wheels
Climb in back, heaven's waiting down on the tracks

Oh oh come take my hand
Riding out tonight to case the promised land
Oh oh oh oh Thunder Road, oh Thunder Road, oh Thunder Road
Lying out there like a killer in the sun
Hey I know it's late, we can make it if we run
Oh oh oh oh Thunder Road, sit tight, take hold, Thunder Road

Well I got this guitar and I learned how to make it talk
And my car's out back if you're ready to take that long walk
From your front porch to my front seat
The door's open but the ride it ain't free
And I know you're lonely for words that I ain't spoken
Tonight we'll be free, all the promises will be broken
There were ghosts in the eyes of all the boys you sent away
They haunt this dusty beach road in the skeleton frames of burned-out Chevrolets
They scream your name at night in the street
Your graduation gown lies in rags at their feet
And in the lonely cool before dawn
You hear their engines roaring on
But when you get to the porch they're gone on the wind, so Mary climb in
It's a town full of losers, I'm pulling out of here to win


Info

THUNDER ROAD is a song written by Bruce Springsteen and released on his 1975 album Born To Run. The above lyrics are for Bruce Springsteen's album version of THUNDER ROAD as released in 1975.


This fans favorite has been performed live in many different ways: full-band, stripped down, guitar solo, piano solo, slowed down, etc...

The album version of THUNDER ROAD was included on the Greatest Hits (1995 edition) compilation album, The Essential Bruce Springsteen (both 2003 and 2015 editions) compilation album, the Greatest Hits (2009 editions) compilation album, the Collection: 1973-2012 compilation album, and the Best Of Bruce Springsteen compilation album.

Writing and Origin

THUNDER ROAD underwent considerable evolution as it was written, with an early version titled "Wings For Wheels" and later versions titled "Thunder Road". The unreleased Born To Run outtake WALKING IN THE STREET contains lyrics that would end up in THUNDER ROAD.

It has long been assumed that GLORY ROAD was a very early version of THUNDER ROAD, but Bruce Springsteen handwritten lyrics sheets from the Born To Run period that surfaced in 2014 indicate that GLORY ROAD actually developped into BORN TO RUN, and not into THUNDER ROAD. See the early draft of THUNDER ROAD and the early draft of GLORY ROAD for more details.

The title phrase "Thunder Road" doesn't occur anywhere in the early version of the song, and is only used a couple of times in the middle section of the newer versions. Springsteen took the "Thunder Road" title from the Robert Mitchum 1958 movie Thunder Road. He declared that he was somehow inspired from the movie even if, as he said, "I never saw the movie, I only saw the poster in the lobby of the theater" (see the spoken intro for the live 19 Sep 1978 version). However, it is evidenced in his 1995 interview with Molly Meldrum that he did see the movie later on. He talks briefly about it and adds that he "was a big Robert Mitchum fan, [...] I wanted that band to sound like thunder, I wanted [...] to feel that sort of power."

Promotional poster for the film "Thunder Road"
Thunder Road

Bruce Springsteen got the title for his song THUNDER ROAD from the 1958 film Thunder Road, directed by Arthur Ripley and starring Robert Mitchum. Mitchum also produced the film and wrote the storyline.

The name of the girl mentioned at the beginning of the song was changed several times. It was "Angelina" (see the live 05 Feb 1975 version), then "Chrissie" (see alternate version #1 and alternate version #3), and then "Christina" (see alternate version #2) before Springsteen settled on "Mary". In a January 1999 interview for Mojo magazine, Mark Hagen asked Springsteen if Mary of THUNDER ROAD is "the same one who crops up in 'The River' and other places." Springsteen answered: "I couldn't say. Sometimes a name just comes out, I suppose there's all the interconnections that the songs make happen intentionally and unintentionally. A lot of the time you don't know a lot of what you're doing yourself."

Springsteen wrote in his 1998 book Songs: "'Thunder Road' opens the album, introducing its characters and its central proposition: Do you want to take a chance? On us? On life?"

The lyrics "We got one last chance to make it real / To trade in these wings on some wheels" echo Springsteen's make-it-or-break-it proposition. His first two albums had sold poorly (less than 90,000 copies), and the success of his third album Born To Run was crucial because Columbia Records was no longer enamored with the highly touted Springsteen.

Bruce Springsteen has always stated that Roy Orbison had a huge impact on his music. Orbison's influence is evident in many Springsteen songs, especially on the Born To Run album. In the first verse of THUNDER ROAD, he even name-checks him: "Roy Orbison singing for the lonely / Hey that's me and I want you only." Apparently this line is a reference to Orbison's 1960 hit ONLY THE LONELY. Springsteen declared in his 1995 interview with Molly Meldrum that he "tried to sing really full voiced and out of my chest because I was fanatically listening to Roy Orbison at the time, and his vocal power, there will never be a voice like that." In the liner notes of his 1995 Greatest Hits album, Springsteen wrote that he "Stole the title from the Robert Mitchum picture, the vocal sound from Roy Orbison (I Tried), the innocence of the tome was mine."

Studio Recording

The full-band version of THUNDER ROAD that was initially intended to be released on the Born To Run album was more than seven minutes long. Jon Landau suggested shrinking it to about four, and moving Clarence Clemons's saxophone solo from the middle of the song to the end. Springsteen was so pleased with the final result that he hired Landau as co-producer of the album the next day. Nick Hasted writes in the November 2005 issue of Uncut magazine that "Landau fixed an edit of an early 'Thunder Road'. By April, he was co-producer, and signed up for two per cent of whatever the record made." This might indicate that THUNDER ROAD was one of the earliest recordings from the Mar-Jun 1975 sessions, and most probably recorded in the Mar-Apr 1975 period.

Springsteen envisioned Born To Run as a "day in the life" concept album, and at some point THUNDER ROAD was slated to appear twice, opening the album in an acoustic arrangement and closing it in a full-band take.

The album version of THUNDER ROAD opens with a quiet piano and harmonica introduction, meant, as Springsteen said years later in the Wings For Wheels: The Making Of Born To Run documentary, as a welcoming to both the track and the album, a signifier that something was about to happen. Eschewing a traditional verse-and-chorus structure, the song's arrangement gradually ramps up in instrumentation, tempo, and intensity. Finally, after the closing line there is a saxophone-and-piano duet in the instrumental coda. In his book Born To Run: The Bruce Springsteen Story, Dave Marsh wrote that "'Thunder Road' is a statement of purpose; in its way, it encapsulates the whole story of the album."

The track features Bruce Springsteen on vocals, guitar, and harmonica, Garry Tallent on bass guitar, Max Weinberg on drums, Roy Bittan on Fender Rhodes, glockenspiel, and background vocals, Clarence Clemons on saxophones, Mike Appel on background vocals, and Steve Van Zandt on background vocals. It was arranged by Bruce Springsteen, produced by Bruce Springsteen, Jon Landau, and Mike Appel, and recorded and mixed at The Record Plant in New York City, NY.

Circulating Studio Versions

There are five studio versions of THUNDER ROAD in circulation, all recorded at The Record Plant in New York City, NY:

Alternate version #1, alternate version #3, and alternate version #4 have circulated for a long time on several bootlegs while alternate version #2 appeared for the first time in late 2005 on Sirius XM's E Street Radio channel. It should also be noted that there's a good chance that alternate version #4 is the same core recording as the album version, but simply a different mix. See each of these four versions for more details.

Sequel

THE PROMISE, which was written in 1976 and considered for the Darkness On The Edge Of Town album, explicitly mentions THUNDER ROAD by name but reveals a far more pessimistic outlook on the narrator's life and future. He would later mention that when he wrote it, he was reflecting on "the flip side of 'Thunder Road'". During the February 2003 benefit solo acoustic shows for DoubleTake magazine, a fan asked Springsteen "what was 'The Promise' about?" He answered that "after Born To Run, I wrote that [the Promise] for Darkness I think. And I was reflecting on sort of the flip side of 'Thunder Road' I think. I was reflecting on the responsibilities that I thought came with my fortune at that time and how it sort of fitted into my life and... that's generally what I remember it, it being about in some fashion." See the live 19 Feb 2003 version for more details.

Born To Run

The Born To Run recording sessions can be divided into two phases: the 1974 sessions and the 1975 sessions. The first phase consisted of scattered sessions conducted between May and October 1974 at 914 Sound Studios in Blauvelt, NY, while Springsteen and the band were still in the midst of The Wild, The Innocent, & The E Street Shuffle Tour. When the lengthy tour came to an end in March 1975, the recording sessions continued at The Record Plant in New York City, NY, in March 1975 and lasted till July. 914 Sound Studios was Mike Appel's studio of choice, but The Record Plant was advised by Springsteen's friend and future manager Jon Landau. All tracks on the Born To Run album, except the title track, were recorded during these Mar-Jul 1975 sessions.

Born To Run was commercially released on Columbia Records 01 Sep 1975. Note that a small quantity of blank label, advanced promo copies (known as the "Script Covers") were issued to VIPs on or around 12 Aug 1975, and normal promo copies were sent to radio stations on or around 24 Aug 1975. The album peaked at #3 on the U.S. Billboard 200. It also reached #36 on the UK Album Chart. The album re-entered the Billboard 200 in the eighties, reaching #66 in 1980 and #101 in 1985. The 30th anniversary reissue reached #18 in 2005.

Bruce Springsteen -- Born To Run
Bruce Springsteen -- Born To Run

The album features 8 new Springsteen compositions and clocks at 39:26. It is produced by Bruce Springsteen, Mike Appel, and Jon Landau.

Greatest Hits 1995 Edition

Greatest Hits (1995 edition) is a collection of some of Bruce Springsteen's hit singles and popular album tracks through the years, in addition to four previously unreleased songs, three of which were recorded with the E Street Band in 1995 — Springsteen's first release with his backing band since the late eighties. Some of the songs on Greatest Hits are shorter versions of the original album releases.

In 1994, Bruce Springsteen recorded an album with members of the 1992-1993 touring band. His manager Jon Landau wasn't a fan of the project and recommended shelving it and focusing more on a "career overview". This lead to the Greatest Hits sessions with the E Street Band in 1995. Springsteen called the band in early January to record some new songs for the album and they assembled for the recording sessions on 09 Jan 1995 at The Hit Factory in New York City, NY. The sessions, which lasted about ten days, were the band's first studio reunion in 11 years (since the Born In The U.S.A. sessions) and their first ever with Nils Lofgren.

Bruce Springsteen -- Greatest Hits
Bruce Springsteen -- Greatest Hits

Greatest Hits was released on 27 Feb 1995 on Columbia Records. It was commercially successful, debuting at #1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 where it stayed on the chart for 32 weeks. It also peaked at #1 in Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and many European countries. By 2008 the album had sold more than four million copies in the United States.

In 2013, Sony Music reissued the album in Venezuela as part of its Star Collection series, which was made exclusively for the Venezuelan market via Sony Music Venezuela in 2013. The album is titled after the series and features totally different artwork. Just like on Greatest Hits, the songs are shorter versions of the original album releases.

Bruce Springsteen -- Star Collection
Bruce Springsteen -- Star Collection

CD - Sony Music (001) - Venezuela, 2013

Though it never was a single, Springsteen felt it was important to include THUNDER ROAD on Greatest Hits because "it seemed central." He told Neil Strauss in an October 1995 interview for Guitar World magazine: "We didn't try to get into a 'best of' because everybody's got their own ideas. Basically it was songs that came out as singles. The only exception is 'Thunder Road', but it seemed central." According to Dave Marsh, what prevented THUNDER ROAD for being released as a single back in 1975 was that, along with most of the Born To Run album's tracks, it was not short enough.

The Essential Bruce Springsteen

The Essential Bruce Springsteen is a compilation album released as part of Sony BMG'S (previously Sony Music Entertainment) series of "Essential" sets. According to Springsteen's liner notes comments, the collection was intended as an introduction to his music for new fans who attended shows on The Rising Tour.

The collection is fundamentally a 2-disc set (clocking at 153:37) compiling songs from all of Springsteen's studio albums to date plus his Live In New York City release. A 3-disc limited edition (clocking at 201:04) was also released. It includes a bonus third disc comprising of a selection of rarities and previously unreleased recordings.

The Essential Bruce Springsteen was released on 11 Nov 2003 on Columbia Records. It debuted and peaked at #14 on the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart where it spent 13 weeks. It also reached #28 on the UK Albums Chart. The album was awarded certified gold and platinum records by the RIAA on 16 Dec 2003.

Bruce Springsteen -- The Essential Bruce Springsteen (2003 edition)
Bruce Springsteen -- The Essential Bruce Springsteen (2003 edition)

The Essential Bruce Springsteen was reissued on 16 Oct 2015, this time as a 2-disc set (clocking at 156:25) with an updated track list, compiling songs from all of Springsteen's studio albums to date plus his Greatest Hits (1995 edition) collection. This 2015 reissue features remastered tracks not found in that form on other Springsteen releases.

Bruce Springsteen -- The Essential Bruce Springsteen (2015 edition)
Bruce Springsteen -- The Essential Bruce Springsteen (2015 edition)

Greatest Hits 2009 Edition

Greatest Hits (2009 edition) is a compilation album released by Columbia Records on 13 Jan 2009 in the United State where it was sold exclusively through Wal-Mart retailers. The album was also released (but non-exclusively) in Canada. Unlike the 1995 Greatest Hits release and The Essential Bruce Springsteen in 2003, this compilation was billed to "Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band" instead of just "Bruce Springsteen". The album contains 12 previously released studio tracks and clocks at 53:08.

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Greatest Hits (2009 USA edition)
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Greatest Hits (2009 USA edition)

On 01 Jun 2009, Columbia Records released a European edition of the compilation album with an alternative track listing to promote Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band's European leg of the Working On A Dream Tour. The European edition was also released in Israel and Mexico, and in Australia in August 2009. The album comes in a standard jewel case, but a limited digipack edition was also released in Europe. Greatest Hits (2009 European edition) contains 16 previously released studio tracks and 2 live bonus tracks taken from the Live/1975-85 box set. It clocks at 79:03.

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Greatest Hits (2009 Europe edition)
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Greatest Hits (2009 Europe edition)

The album charted in several countries, but only made it to # 1 in Sweden. In general, the album did much better in Europe than in North America.

Collection: 1973-2012

Collection: 1973-2012 is a Bruce Springsteen compilation album released on Columbia Records in 2013. It was released on 08 Mar 2013 in Australia and 15 Apr 2013 in Europe. The compilation was not released commercially in the United States. Instead, a promotional version was given out exclusively to $1,500 ticket holders at the "MusiCares Person Of The Year" tribute event held in Los Angeles, CA, on 08 Feb 2013. The event honoured Springsteen for both his artistic achievements and philanthropic efforts. The compilation consists of 18 previously released studio tracks.

Bruce Springsteen -- Collection: 1973-2012
Bruce Springsteen -- Collection: 1973-2012

Best Of Bruce Springsteen

Best Of Bruce Springsteen is a compilation album released on Columbia Records on 19 Apr 2024. The album is collection of original songs spanning Springsteen's entire career, from 1973 to 2020. The release was officially announced on 01 Mar 2024.

Two variants of the album were released: the 18-track physical releases and an expanded 31-track download-only version. The physical releases include a single-disc CD and as a two-disc LP set. Four editions of the vinyl release were issued: a regular edition on black vinyl, an Atlantic Blue vinyl exclusive to Europe, a Highway Yellow vinyl exclusive to independent retailers, and a Jersey Devil Red vinyl exclusive to Amazon Music.

Bruce Springsteen -- Best Of Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen -- Best Of Bruce Springsteen

Other Official Releases

The album version of THUNDER ROAD can also be found on some Bruce Springsteen promo-only samplers and several various artists compilation albums.

Bruce Springsteen / Eric Clapton -- Born To Run / E. C. Was Here
Bruce Springsteen / Eric Clapton -- Born To Run / E. C. Was Here

LP - AFRTS (RL 13-6) - USA, 1975

US-only LP distributed by the U.S. military's "Armed Forces Radio And Television Service" for library rental at overseas Army bases. Side one contains five tracks from Springsteen's Born To Run album and side two contains four tracks from Eric Clapton's live album E. C. Was Here. The disc comes in a plain cardboard sleeve.

A1- Bruce Springsteen: THUNDER ROAD
A2- Bruce Springsteen: TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT
A3- Bruce Springsteen: NIGHT
A4- Bruce Springsteen: BORN TO RUN
A5- Bruce Springsteen: MEETING ACROSS THE RIVER
B1- Eric Clapton: Presence Of The Lord
B2- Eric Clapton: Drifting Blues
B3- Eric Clapton: Can't Find My Way Home
B4- Eric Clapton: Rambling On My Mind
Bruce Springsteen -- Last American Hero From Asbury Park, N.J.
Bruce Springsteen -- Last American Hero From Asbury Park, N.J.

LP - CBS/Sony (YAPC 95) - Japan, 1978

Japan-only promotional LP sampler issued to promote Springsteen's fourth album, Darkness On The Edge Of Town, though strangely including tracks from his first three albums only. This is one of the rarest Springsteen records ever.

Bruce Springsteen -- Bruce Springsteen Sampler
Bruce Springsteen -- Bruce Springsteen Sampler

LP - Columbia (CDN-57) - Canada, 1980

Canada-only red label promotional LP sampler compiling 10 tracks from Springsteen's first five albums. Issued in a white die-cut cardboard sleeve.

Bruce Springsteen -- Storia E Musica Rock: Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen -- Storia E Musica Rock: Bruce Springsteen

MC - CBS (ROCK 05) - Italy, 1982

Italy-only cassette tape sampler issued exclusively with domestic magazine Storia E Musica Rock and compiling 7 tracks from Springsteen's first four albums.

Bruce Springsteen -- Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen -- Bruce Springsteen

CD - Sony (XDDP 93084) - Japan, 1992

Japan-only promotional CD sampler compiling 16 tracks from Springsteen's studio albums up to 1992.

Bruce Springsteen -- A Whole Bunch Of Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen -- A Whole Bunch Of Bruce Springsteen

MC - Sony (XCTS 92005) - Japan, 1992

Japan-only promotional cassette tape sampler compiling 12 tracks from Springsteen's studio albums up to 1992.

Bruce Springsteen -- Rocks Vol. 1 (1973 - 1982)
Bruce Springsteen -- Rocks Vol. 1 (1973 - 1982)

CD-R - Sony (no catalog number) - Japan, 2005

Japan-only promotional "Digest" CD-R advance sampler tying in with the release of the first six Japanese 2005 "mini-LP"-style Springsteen CD album reissues. This disc comes in a plain slimline jewel case with no artwork.

Bruce Springsteen -- The Albums Collection Vol. 1, 1973-1984 - Radio Sampler
Bruce Springsteen -- The Albums Collection Vol. 1, 1973-1984 - Radio Sampler

CD-R - Columbia / Legacy (no catalog number) - USA, 2014

US-only promotional CD-R radio sampler tying with the release of Springsteen's box set of his first seven albums in remastered form.

Various artists -- Exciting Highlights From CBS Mastersound
Various artists -- Exciting Highlights From CBS Mastersound

LP - CBS (AS 902) - USA, 1981

A US-only promotional sampler promoting CBS Mastersound's "Half-Speed Mastered Extended Range Recording" and "Digital Recording" audiophile pressings. Comes in a gatefold sleeve.
Various artists -- The Sound Of Music On Mastersound
Various artists -- The Sound Of Music On Mastersound

LP - CBS (SAMP 15) - Holland, 1981

A Holland-only promotional sampler introducing the "Mastersound" reissue series in Europe.
Various artists -- Stereo Review: 35th Anniversary
Various artists -- Stereo Review: 35th Anniversary

CD - Columbia (CSK 5033) - USA, 1992

A US-only sampler issued to celebrate the 35th Anniversary of Stereo Review magazine and featuring cuts from Columbia's "Mastersound" reissue catalogue. The disc is 24-carat gold-coated and is housed in a 12x6-inch longbox.
Various artists -- Classic Rock Box: Celebrating WNEW-FM's 25th Anniversary
Various artists -- Classic Rock Box: Celebrating WNEW-FM's 25th Anniversary

4xCD - Polydor/Chronicles (314 515 913-2) - USA, 1992

4-CD box set released to celebrate the 25th anniversary of New York radio station WNEW-FM, with net proceeds benefiting the Nordoff-Robbins Musical Therapy Foundation.

Other versions of THUNDER ROAD were also officially released.

Bruce Springsteen -- Wings For Wheels: The Making Of Born To Run
Part of the alternate version #1 of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Wings For Wheels: The Making Of Born To Run home video in 2005.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Live/1975-85
The live 18 Oct 1975 (early show) version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Live/1975-85 box set in 1986.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Hammersmith Odeon, London '75
The live 18 Nov 1975 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Hammersmith Odeon, London '75 album and home video in 2005.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- London 11/24/1975
The live 24 Nov 1975 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the London 11/24/1975 official live download in 2020.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Tower Theater, Philadelphia 1975
The live 31 Dec 1975 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Tower Theater, Philadelphia 1975 official live download in 2015.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Palace Theatre, Albany 1977
The live 07 Feb 1977 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Palace Theatre, Albany 1977 official live download in 2017.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Auditorium Theatre, Rochester, NY 1977
The live 08 Feb 1977 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Auditorium Theatre, Rochester, NY 1977 official live download in 2017.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Berkeley, July 1, 1978
The live 01 Jul 1978 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Berkeley, July 1, 1978 official live download in 2021.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- The Roxy July 7, 1978
The live 07 Jul 1978 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on The Roxy July 7, 1978 official live download in 2018.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- The Agora, Cleveland 1978
The live 09 Aug 1978 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on The Agora, Cleveland 1978 official live download in 2014.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- September 19, 1978
The live 19 Sep 1978 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the September 19, 1978 official live download in 2019.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ September 20, 1978
The live 20 Sep 1978 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ September 20, 1978 official live download in 2017.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- September 30, 1978
The live 30 Sep 1978 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the September 30, 1978 official live download in 2020.
Bruce Springsteen -- The Promise: The Darkness On The Edge Of Town Story
The live 08 Dec 1978 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on The Promise: The Darkness On The Edge Of Town Story box set in 2010.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Winterland 12/15/78
The live 15 Dec 1978 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Winterland 12/15/78 official live download in 2019.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Winterland 12/16/78
The live 16 Dec 1978 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Winterland 12/16/78 official live download in 2019.
Bruce Springsteen -- Video Anthology / 1978-88
The live 22 Sep 1979 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Video Anthology / 1978-88 home video in 1989.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- No Nukes 1979
The live 21 Sep 1979 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the No Nukes 1979 official live download in 2018.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- No Nukes 1979
The live 22 Sep 1979 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the No Nukes 1979 official live download in 2018.
Bruce Springsteen -- The Ties That Bind: The River Collection
The live 05 Nov 1980 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on The Ties That Bind: The River Collection box set in 2015.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Nassau Coliseum, New York 12/29/80
The live 29 Dec 1980 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Nassau Coliseum, New York 12/29/80 official live download in 2019.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Nassau Coliseum, New York 1980
The live 31 Dec 1980 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Nassau Coliseum, New York 1980 official live download in 2015.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Wembley Arena June 5, 1981
The live 05 Jun 1981 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Wembley Arena June 5, 1981 official live download in 2018.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Brendan Byrne Arena 1981
The live 09 Jul 1981 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Brendan Byrne Arena 1981 official live download in 2020.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Brendan Byrne Arena, New Jersey 1984
The live 05 Aug 1984 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Brendan Byrne Arena, New Jersey 1984 official live download in 2015.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Brendan Byrne Arena August 6, 1984
The live 06 Aug 1984 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Brendan Byrne Arena August 6, 1984 official live download in 2020.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Brendan Byrne Arena, NJ August 20, 1984
The live 20 Aug 1984 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Brendan Byrne Arena, NJ August 20, 1984 official live download in 2015.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Sept 27, 1985
The live 27 Sep 1985 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Sept 27, 1985 official live download in 2019.
Bruce Springsteen -- The Christic Shows, November 16 & 17, 1990
The live 16 Nov 1990 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on The Christic Shows, November 16 & 17, 1990 official live download in 2016.
Bruce Springsteen -- Meadowlands July 25, 1992
The live 25 Jul 1992 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Meadowlands July 25, 1992 official live download in 2019.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Boston 13/12/92
The live 13 Dec 1992 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Boston 13/12/92 official live download in 2021.
Bruce Springsteen -- Brendan Byrne Arena, New Jersey June 24, 1993
The live 24 Jun 1993 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Brendan Byrne Arena, New Jersey June 24, 1993 official live download in 2018.
Bruce Springsteen -- The Christic Shows, November 16 & 17, 1990
The live 17 Nov 1990 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on The Christic Shows, November 16 & 17, 1990 official live download in 2016.
Bruce Springsteen -- In Concert / MTV Plugged
The live 22 Sep 1992 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the In Concert / MTV Plugged home video in 1992 and album in 1993.
Bruce Springsteen -- Hungry Heart
The live 05 Apr 1995 (Sony Music Studios) version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Hungry Heart EP in 1995.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- First Union Center, Philadelphia September 25, 1999
The live 25 Sep 1999 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the First Union Center, Philadelphia September 25, 1999 official live download in 2020.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Chicago September 30, 1999
The live 30 Sep 1999 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Chicago September 30, 1999 official live download in 2018.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Los Angeles October 23, 1999
The live 23 Oct 1999 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Los Angeles October 23, 1999 official live download in 2019.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Madison Square Garden, New York 06/27/2000
The live 27 Jun 2000 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Madison Square Garden, New York 06/27/2000 official live download in 2021.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Madison Square Garden, New York 07/01/2000
The live 01 Jul 2000 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Madison Square Garden, New York 07/01/2000 official live download in 2017.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Live In New York City
The live 27 Jun 2000 / 01 Jul 2000 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Live In New York City home video in 2001.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Live In Barcelona
The live 16 Oct 2002 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Live In Barcelona home video in 2003.
Bruce Springsteen -- Helsinki June 16, 2003
The live 16 Jun 2003 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Helsinki June 16, 2003 official live download in 2018.
=Bruce Springsteen -- VH1 Storytellers
The live 04 Apr 2005 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the VH1 Storytellers home video in 2005.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO 8/23/2008
The live 23 Aug 2008 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO 8/23/2008 official live download in 2017.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA 10/20/09
The live 20 Oct 2009 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA 10/20/09 official live download in 2017.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- HSBC Arena, Buffalo, NY 11/22/2009
The live 22 Nov 2009 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the HSBC Arena, Buffalo, NY 11/22/2009 official live download in 2016.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Apollo Theater 03/09/12
The live 09 Mar 2012 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Apollo Theater 03/09/12 official live download in 2014.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Gothenburg July 28, 2012
The live 28 Jul 2012 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Gothenburg July 28, 2012 official live download in 2020.
Bruce Springsteen -- East Rutherford, NJ 09.22.12
The live 22 Sep 2012 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on East Rutherford, NJ 09.22.12 official live download in 2019.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Ippodromo Delle Capannelle, Rome 2013
The live 11 Jul 2013 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Ippodromo Delle Capannelle, Rome 2013 official live download in 2015.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Leeds July 24, 2013
The live 24 Jul 2013 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Leeds July 24, 2013 official live download in 2018.
Bruce Springsteen -- Springsteen On Broadway
The live July 2018 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Springsteen On Broadway album in 2018.

Acclaim

THUNDER ROAD is a classic rock staple, and is consistently ranked as one of Springsteen's greatest songs, and one of the top rock songs of all time. In 2004, it was ranked #1 in WXPN's list of "The 885 All-Time Greatest Songs". In 2004 Rolling Stone magazine placed THUNDER ROAD at #86 on its list of "The 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time". The song came in at #226 in Q's list of the "1001 Greatest Songs Ever" in 2003, in which they described it as "best for pleading on the porch." It was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1998.

Julia Roberts, when asked which song lyric described her most accurately, chose THUNDER ROAD's "You ain't a beauty, but hey, you're alright." In an Esquire interview, when asked some top ten questions, Mary-Louise Parker notes THUNDER ROAD as a song that everyone must know the lyrics to. The song is featured in the book 31 Songs by British author Nick Hornby. In Hornby's novel High Fidelity, the protagonist Rob Fleming ranks THUNDER ROAD as one of his five best side one tracks.

Awards

THUNDER ROAD was nominated for a 1997 Grammy Award for "Best Male Rock Vocal Performance". The 40th Grammy Awards ceremony was held on 25 Feb 1998 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, NY. Bruce Springsteen did not attend, and he lost to Bob Dylan's COLD IRONS BOUND.

Fall 2001 Acoustic Studio Version

During the 11 Sep 2001 terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and the twin towers of the World Trade Center, Monmouth County, NJ, where Springsteen resides with his family, suffered one of the highest death tolls of any population center. Springsteen read some of the New York Times obituaries in which the deceased were identified as his fans; he wound up calling some of the families to express his condolences. There was a headline for one man, Jim Berger, that read "A Fan of the Boss". Springsteen called up his widow, Suzanne, and he even sent a pre-recorded tape of himself in studio performing a solo version of THUNDER ROAD to the family of James Berger. Berger was a senior vice president of the insurance company AON Consulting Group in the World Trade Center who helped people get out before he was killed when it collapsed. He was a big Springsteen fan and this was his favorite song. The special videotaped tribute was played during the victim's memorial service on 05 Oct 2001, which was attended by 1,000 people. Springsteen dedicated his performance to Berger's three sons. "I understand this was one of your Pop's favorite songs," he said. Then, with a harmonica in his mouth and a guitar in his hands, he began to play THUNDER ROAD. He also gave the boys the harmonica with which he recorded the song. THUNDER ROAD from the 30 Aug 2003 The Rising Tour show at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, would also be dedicated to the memory of Jim Berger.

The New York Times obituary for James Berger:

Jim Berger: A Fan of the Boss

In Jim Berger's car, there was only one kind of music: the raspy rock 'n' roll of the Boss. He grew up in Bruce Springsteen country along the Jersey Shore and never listened to anything else.

He knew the words to "Thunder Road" by heart, and often sang it for his passengers. "Every time you rode in Jim's car, Bruce was on, whether you liked it or not," said his wife, Suzanne.

At 6-foot-3, Jim, 44, an Aon executive, was a gentle giant who devoted his weekends to his three young sons, Nicholas, Alex and Christian. He was grooming them to be fans of the Giants, the Yankees and the Rangers. And he made sure they listened to Bruce, too. After a prayer service at church on Friday, his family and friends gathered at his home in Yardley, Penn. They poured wine, made a toast, and sang aloud to "Thunder Road." "He would have loved it," Suzanne said. "He taught us all a lesson in unconditional love."

Live History: on-tour

SECTION NOT YET COMPLETED

THUNDER ROAD is known to have been performed at least 5 times during what is considered The Wild, The Innocent, & The E Street Shuffle Tour (September 1973 to March 1975). Some of that period's setlists are incomplete or unknown, and therefore, the song may have been played on some more dates during The Wild, The Innocent, & The E Street Shuffle Tour.

  1. 05 Feb 1975 at The Main Point, Bryn Mawr, PA
  2. 06 Feb 1975 at Widener College, Chester, PA
  3. 18 Feb 1975 at John Carroll University, Cleveland, OH
  4. 19 Feb 1975 at Penn State University, University Park, PA
  5. 09 Mar 1975 at DAR Constitution Hall, Washington, DC

THUNDER ROAD is known to have been performed at least 60 times during the Born To Run Tour (73 know dates / 81 known shows, July to December 1975). Some of that period's setlists are incomplete or unknown, and therefore, the song must have been played on some more dates during the Born To Run Tour. At the beginning of the tour, the song was played in a full-band arrangement but then changed to a slower arrangement featuring Roy Bittan on piano and Bruce Springsteen on harmonica and vocals from mid-August 1975 onwards. It was also played in a solo acoustic arrangement at least on one occasion (on 29 Oct 1975 in Sacramento, CA). The live 18 Oct 1975 version (early show) of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Live/1975-85 box set in 1986. The live 18 Nov 1975 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Hammersmith Odeon, London '75 album and home video in 2005. The live 24 Nov 1975 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the London 11/24/1975 official live download in 2020. The live 31 Dec 1975 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Tower Theater, Philadelphia 1975 official live download in 2015.

  1. 20 Jul 1975 at Palace Concert Theatre, Providence, RI (full-band arrangement)
  2. 23 Jul 1975 at Music Inn, Lenox, MA (full-band arrangement)
  3. 25 Jul 1975 at Kutztown State College, Kutztown, PA (unknown arrangement)
  4. 26 Jul 1975 at Kutztown State College, Kutztown, PA (full-band arrangement)
  5. 30 Jul 1975 at Carter Barron Amphitheatre, Washington, DC (full-band arrangement)
  6. 01 Aug 1975 at Mosque Theatre, Richmond, VA (full-band arrangement)
  7. 02 Aug 1975 at Chrysler Hall, Norfolk, VA (full-band arrangement)
  8. 13 Aug 1975 (early show) at Bottom Line, New York City, NY (unknown arrangement)
  9. 13 Aug 1975 (late show) at Bottom Line, New York City, NY (slow arrangement)
  10. 14 Aug 1975 (early show) at Bottom Line, New York City, NY (slow arrangement)
  11. 15 Aug 1975 (early show) at Bottom Line, New York City, NY (slow arrangement)
  12. 15 Aug 1975 (late show) at Bottom Line, New York City, NY (full-band)
  13. 16 Aug 1975 (early show) at Bottom Line, New York City, NY (slow arrangement)
  14. 17 Aug 1975 (early show) at Bottom Line, New York City, NY (slow arrangement)
  15. 17 Aug 1975 (late show) at Bottom Line, New York City, NY (unknown arrangement)
  16. 06 Sep 1975 at Theatre Of The Performing Arts, New Orleans, LA (slow arrangement)
  17. 12 Sep 1975 at Municipal Auditorium, Austin, TX (slow arrangement)
  18. 13 Sep 1975 at Music Hall, Houston, TX (slow arrangement)
  19. 14 Sep 1975 at Music Hall, Houston, TX (slow arrangement)
  20. 16 Sep 1975 at Dallas Convention Center Theater, Dallas, TX (slow arrangement)
  21. 20 Sep 1975 at Grinnell College, Iowa City, IA (slow arrangement)
  22. 21 Sep 1975 at Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis, MN (slow arrangement)
  23. 23 Sep 1975 at University Of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (slow arrangement)
  24. 25 Sep 1975 at Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL (slow arrangement)
  25. 27 Sep 1975 at Ambassador Theatre, St. Louis, MO (slow arrangement)
  26. 02 Oct 1975 at Uptown Theatre, Milwaukee, WI (slow arrangement)
  27. 11 Oct 1975 (early show) at Monmouth Arts Center, Red Bank, NJ (slow arrangement)
  28. 16 Oct 1975 at The Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, CA (slow arrangement)
  29. 17 Oct 1975 (early show) at The Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, CA (slow arrangement)
  30. 17 Oct 1975 (late show) at The Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, CA (slow arrangement)
  31. 18 Oct 1975 (early show) at The Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, CA (slow arrangement)
  32. 18 Oct 1975 (late show) at The Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, CA (slow arrangement)
  33. 19 Oct 1975 at The Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, CA (slow arrangement)
  34. 29 Oct 1975 at Sacramento Memorial Auditorium, Sacramento, CA (solo acoustic arrangement)
  35. 31 Oct 1975 at Paramount Theatre, Oakland, CA (unknown arrangement)
  36. 01 Nov 1975 at University Of California, Santa Barbara, CA (slow arrangement)
  37. 06 Nov 1975 at Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ (slow arrangement)
  38. 10 Nov 1975 at Jai Alai Fronton, Tampa, FL (slow arrangement)
  39. 11 Nov 1975 at Jai Alai Fronton, Miami, FL (slow arrangement)
  40. 18 Nov 1975 at Hammersmith Odeon, London, England (slow arrangement)
  41. 21 Nov 1975 at Konserthuset, Stockholm, Sweden (slow arrangement)
  42. 23 Nov 1975 at Amsterdam RAI, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (slow arrangement)
  43. 24 Nov 1975 at Hammersmith Odeon, London, England (slow arrangement)
  44. 02 Dec 1975 at Music Hall, Boston, MA (slow arrangement)
  45. 03 Dec 1975 at Music Hall, Boston, MA (slow arrangement)
  46. 05 Dec 1975 at Georgetown University, Washington, DC (slow arrangement)
  47. 06 Dec 1975 at Georgetown University, Washington, DC (slow arrangement)
  48. 07 Dec 1975 at Georgetown University, Washington, DC (unknown arrangement)
  49. 10 Dec 1975 at Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA (slow arrangement)
  50. 11 Dec 1975 at Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ (slow arrangement)
  51. 12 Dec 1975 at C.W. Post College, Greenvale, NY (slow arrangement)
  52. 16 Dec 1975 at State University Of New York, Oswego, NY (slow arrangement)
  53. 17 Dec 1975 at Kleinhans Music Hall, Buffalo, NY (slow arrangement)
  54. 19 Dec 1975 at Théâtre Maisonneuve, Montreal, Canada
  55. 20 Dec 1975 at National Arts Centre, Ottawa, Canada (slow arrangement)
  56. 21 Dec 1975 at Seneca College, Toronto, Canada (slow arrangement)
  57. 27 Dec 1975 at Tower Theater, Upper Darby, PA (slow arrangement)
  58. 28 Dec 1975 at Tower Theater, Upper Darby, PA (slow arrangement)
  59. 30 Dec 1975 at Tower Theater, Upper Darby, PA (slow arrangement)
  60. 31 Dec 1975 at Tower Theater, Upper Darby, PA (slow arrangement)

THUNDER ROAD is known to have been performed at least 21 times during the so-called Chicken Scratch Tour (35 know dates, March to May 1976). Some of that period's setlists are incomplete or unknown, and therefore, the song must have been played on some more dates during the Chicken Scratch Tour; it may have been a stable number during the Chicken Scratch Tour. On this tour, the song was played in a full-band arrangement featuring a new piano introduction by Roy Bittan.

  1. 26 Mar 1976 at Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA (full-band arrangement)
  2. 28 Mar 1976 at Duke University, Durham, NC (full-band arrangement)
  3. 29 Mar 1976 at Ovens Auditorium, Charlotte, NC (unknown arrangement)
  4. 01 Apr 1976 at Ohio University, Athens OH (unknown arrangement)
  5. 04 Apr 1976 at Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI (full-band arrangement)
  6. 05 Apr 1976 at Ohio Theatre, Columbus, OH (full-band arrangement)
  7. 07 Apr 1976 at Allen Theatre, Cleveland, OH (full-band arrangement)
  8. 08 Apr 1976 at Allen Theatre, Cleveland, OH (full-band arrangement)
  9. 09 Apr 1976 at Colgate University, Hamilton, NY (full-band arrangement)
  10. 10 Apr 1976 at Paul Mellon Arts Center, Wallingford, CT (full-band arrangement)
  11. 13 Apr 1976 at Penn State University, University Park, PA (full-band arrangement)
  12. 15 Apr 1976 at Syria Mosque, Pittsburgh, PA (unknown arrangement)
  13. 17 Apr 1976 at University Of Rochester, Rochester, NY (unknown arrangement)
  14. 21 Apr 1976 at Knoxville Civic Auditorium, Knoxville, TN (unknown arrangement)
  15. 22 Apr 1976 at Virginia Tech University, Blacksburg, VA (full-band arrangement)
  16. 29 Apr 1976 at Ellis Auditorium, Memphis, TN (full-band arrangement)
  17. 03 May 1976 at Robinson Auditorium, Little Rock, AR (unknown arrangement)
  18. 11 May 1976 at Auburn University, Auburn, AL (unknown arrangement)
  19. 13 May 1976 at Municipal Auditorium, New Orleans, LA (full-band arrangement)
  20. 27 May 1976 at Eisenhower Hall Auditorium, West Point, NY (full-band arrangement)
  21. 28 May 1976 at Halsey Field House, Annapolis, MD (full-band arrangement)

THUNDER ROAD is known to have been performed at least 57 times during what is known as The Lawsuit Tour (62 know dates, August 1976 to March 1977). Some of that period's setlists are incomplete or unknown, and therefore, the song must have been played on some more dates during the Lawsuit Tour; it may have been a stable number during the tour. On this tour, the song was played in a full-band arrangement featuring a piano introduction by Roy Bittan. The live 07 Feb 1977 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Palace Theatre, Albany 1977 official live download in 2017. The live 08 Feb 1977 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Auditorium Theatre, Rochester, NY 1977 official live download in 2017.

  1. 01 Aug 1976 at Monmouth Arts Center, Red Bank, NJ
  2. 02 Aug 1976 at Monmouth Arts Center, Red Bank, NJ
  3. 03 Aug 1976 at Monmouth Arts Center, Red Bank, NJ
  4. 05 Aug 1976 at Monmouth Arts Center, Red Bank, NJ
  5. 06 Aug 1976 at Monmouth Arts Center, Red Bank, NJ
  6. 07 Aug 1976 at Monmouth Arts Center, Red Bank, NJ
  7. 21 Aug 1976 at Palace Theater, Waterbury, CT
  8. 22 Aug 1976 at Springfield Civic Center, Springfield, MA
  9. 26 Sep 1976 at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, AZ
  10. 29 Sep 1976 at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica, CA
  11. 30 Sep 1976 at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica, CA
  12. 02 Oct 1976 at Paramount Theatre, Oakland, CA
  13. 05 Oct 1976 at Santa Barbara County Bowl, Santa Barbara, CA
  14. 09 Oct 1976 at University Of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN
  15. 10 Oct 1976 at Miami University, Oxford, OH
  16. 12 Oct 1976 at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
  17. 13 Oct 1976 at Kean College, Union, NJ
  18. 16 Oct 1976 at The College Of William And Mary, Williamsburg, VA
  19. 17 Oct 1976 at Georgetown University, Washington, DC
  20. 25 Oct 1976 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
  21. 27 Oct 1976 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
  22. 28 Oct 1976 at Palladium, New York City, NY
  23. 29 Oct 1976 at Palladium, New York City, NY
  24. 30 Oct 1976 at Palladium, New York City, NY
  25. 02 Nov 1976 at Palladium, New York City, NY
  26. 03 Nov 1976 at Palladium, New York City, NY
  27. 04 Nov 1976 at Palladium, New York City, NY
  28. 07 Feb 1977 at Palace Theatre, Albany, NY
  29. 08 Feb 1977 at Auditorium Theatre, Rochester, NY
  30. 10 Feb 1977 at Memorial Auditorium, Utica, NY
  31. 12 Feb 1977 at Ottawa Civic Centre, Ottawa, Canada
  32. 13 Feb 1977 at Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada
  33. 15 Feb 1977 at Masonic Temple Theatre, Detroit, MI
  34. 17 Feb 1977 at Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH
  35. 19 Feb 1977 at St. Paul Civic Center Theatre, Saint Paul, MN
  36. 22 Feb 1977 at Milwaukee Auditorium, Milwaukee, WI
  37. 23 Feb 1977 at Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL
  38. 25 Feb 1977 at Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
  39. 26 Feb 1977 at Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis, IN
  40. 27 Feb 1977 at Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, OH
  41. 28 Feb 1977 at Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO
  42. 02 Mar 1977 at Civic Center Auditorium, Atlanta, GA
  43. 04 Mar 1977 at Civic Auditorium, Jacksonville, FL
  44. 05 Mar 1977 at Jai Alai Fronton, Orlando, FL
  45. 06 Mar 1977 at Jai Alai Fronton, Miami, FL
  46. 10 Mar 1977 at Sports Arena, Toledo, OH
  47. 11 Mar 1977 at Saint Vincent College, Latrobe, PA
  48. 13 Mar 1977 at Towson State University, Towson, MD
  49. 14 Mar 1977 at Mid-Hudson Civic Center, Poughkeepsie, NY
  50. 15 Mar 1977 at Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena, Binghamton, NY
  51. 18 Mar 1977 at New Haven Veterans Memorial Coliseum, New Haven, CT
  52. 19 Mar 1977 at Central Maine Youth Center, Lewiston, ME
  53. 20 Mar 1977 at Providence College, Providence, RI
  54. 22 Mar 1977 at Music Hall, Boston, MA
  55. 23 Mar 1977 at Music Hall, Boston, MA
  56. 24 Mar 1977 at Music Hall, Boston, MA
  57. 25 Mar 1977 at Music Hall, Boston, MA

In preparation for the Darkness On The Edge Of Town Tour, THUNDER ROAD is known to have been practiced on 19 May 1978 at Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park, NJ, during the only known/confirmed private rehearsal prior to the tour's start.

  1. 19 May 1978 at Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park, NJ (private rehearsal)

THUNDER ROAD is known to have been performed at least 106 times during the Darkness On The Edge Of Town Tour (111 dates, May 1978 to January 1979). A few setlists from that period are incomplete or unknown, and therefore, the song must have been played on some more dates during the Darkness On The Edge Of Town Tour; it may have been a stable number during that tour. The live 01 Jul 1978 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Berkeley, July 1, 1978 official live download in 2021. The live 07 Jul 1978 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on The Roxy July 7, 1978 official live download in 2018. The live 09 Aug 1978 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on The Agora, Cleveland 1978 official live download in 2014. The live 19 Sep 1978 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the September 19, 1978 official live download in 2019. The live 20 Sep 1978 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ September 20, 1978 official live download in 2017. The live 30 Sep 1978 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the September 30, 1978 official live download in 2020. The live 08 Dec 1978 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on The Promise: The Darkness On The Edge Of Town Story box set in 2010. The live 15 Dec 1978 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Winterland 12/15/78 official live download in 2019. The live 16 Dec 1978 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Winterland 12/16/78 official live download in 2019.

  1. 23 May 1978 at Shea's Buffalo Theatre, Buffalo, NY
  2. 24 May 1978 at Palace Theatre, Albany, NY
  3. 26 May 1978 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
  4. 27 May 1978 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
  5. 29 May 1978 at Music Hall, Boston, MA
  6. 30 May 1978 at Music Hall, Boston, MA
  7. 31 May 1978 at Music Hall, Boston, MA
  8. 02 Jun 1978 at Halsey Field House, Annapolis, MD
  9. 03 Jun 1978 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
  10. 05 Jun 1978 at Sports Arena, Toledo, OH
  11. 06 Jun 1978 at Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis, IN
  12. 08 Jun 1978 at Dane County Memorial Coliseum, Madison, WI
  13. 09 Jun 1978 at MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, WI
  14. 10 Jun 1978 at Metropolitan Sports Center, Bloomington, MN
  15. 13 Jun 1978 at University Of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
  16. 14 Jun 1978 at Civic Auditorium Music Hall, Omaha, NE
  17. 16 Jun 1978 at Memorial Hall, Kansas City, KS
  18. 20 Jun 1978 at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO
  19. 24 Jun 1978 at Paramount Theatre, Portland, OR
  20. 25 Jun 1978 at Paramount Northwest Theatre, Seattle, WA
  21. 26 Jun 1978 at Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Vancouver, Canada
  22. 29 Jun 1978 at San Jose Center For The Performing Arts, San Jose, CA
  23. 30 Jun 1978 at Berkeley Community Theatre, Berkeley, CA
  24. 01 Jul 1978 at Berkeley Community Theatre, Berkeley, CA
  25. 05 Jul 1978 at The Forum, Inglewood, CA
  26. 07 Jul 1978 at The Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, CA
  27. 08 Jul 1978 at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, AZ
  28. 09 Jul 1978 at San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, CA
  29. 12 Jul 1978 at Dallas Convention Center Theater, Dallas, TX
  30. 14 Jul 1978 at San Antonio Municipal Auditorium, San Antonio, TX
  31. 15 Jul 1978 at Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, TX
  32. 16 Jul 1978 at Municipal Auditorium, New Orleans, LA
  33. 18 Jul 1978 at Jackson Municipal Auditorium, Jackson, MS
  34. 21 Jul 1978 at Nashville Municipal Auditorium, Nashville, TN
  35. 28 Jul 1978 at Jai Alai Fronton, Miami, FL
  36. 29 Jul 1978 at Bayfront Center Arena, St. Petersburg, FL
  37. 31 Jul 1978 at Township Auditorium, Columbia, SC
  38. 01 Aug 1978 at Gaillard Municipal Auditorium, Charleston, SC
  39. 04 Aug 1978 at Charleston Civic Center, Charleston, WV
  40. 05 Aug 1978 at Louisville Gardens, Louisville, KY
  41. 07 Aug 1978 at Wings Stadium, Kalamazoo, MI
  42. 09 Aug 1978 at The Agora, Cleveland, OH
  43. 10 Aug 1978 at Rochester Community War Memorial, Rochester, NY
  44. 12 Aug 1978 at Augusta Civic Center, Augusta, ME
  45. 14 Aug 1978 at Hampton Roads Coliseum, Hampton, VA
  46. 15 Aug 1978 at Capital Centre, Largo, MD
  47. 18 Aug 1978 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
  48. 19 Aug 1978 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
  49. 21 Aug 1978 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
  50. 22 Aug 1978 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
  51. 23 Aug 1978 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
  52. 25 Aug 1978 at New Haven Veterans Memorial Coliseum, New Haven, CT
  53. 26 Aug 1978 at Providence Civic Center, Providence, RI
  54. 28 Aug 1978 at Stanley Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA
  55. 29 Aug 1978 at Stanley Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA
  56. 30 Aug 1978 at Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH
  57. 01 Sep 1978 at Masonic Temple Theatre, Detroit, MI
  58. 03 Sep 1978 at Saginaw Civic Center, Saginaw, MI
  59. 05 Sep 1978 at Veterans Memorial Auditorium, Columbus, OH
  60. 06 Sep 1978 at Uptown Theatre, Chicago, IL
  61. 10 Sep 1978 at Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, OH
  62. 12 Sep 1978 at Onondaga County War Memorial Auditorium, Syracuse, NY
  63. 13 Sep 1978 at Springfield Civic Center, Springfield, MA
  64. 15 Sep 1978 at Palladium, New York City, NY
  65. 16 Sep 1978 at Palladium, New York City, NY
  66. 17 Sep 1978 at Palladium, New York City, NY
  67. 19 Sep 1978 at Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ
  68. 20 Sep 1978 at Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ
  69. 21 Sep 1978 at Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ
  70. 25 Sep 1978 at Boston Garden, Boston, MA
  71. 29 Sep 1978 at Boutwell Memorial Auditorium, Birmingham, AL
  72. 30 Sep 1978 at Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA
  73. 01 Oct 1978 at Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA
  74. 01 Nov 1978 at Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
  75. 02 Nov 1978 at Capital Centre, Largo, MD
  76. 04 Nov 1978 at University Of Vermont, Burlington, VT
  77. 07 Nov 1978 at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
  78. 08 Nov 1978 at Montreal Forum, Montreal, Canada
  79. 10 Nov 1978 at St. Bonaventure University, St. Bonaventure, NY
  80. 12 Nov 1978 at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
  81. 14 Nov 1978 at Utica Memorial Auditorium, Utica, NY
  82. 16 Nov 1978 at Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada
  83. 17 Nov 1978 at Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
  84. 18 Nov 1978 at Miami University, Oxford, OH
  85. 20 Nov 1978 at University Of Illinois, Champaign, IL
  86. 21 Nov 1978 at Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
  87. 25 Nov 1978 at Kiel Opera House, St. Louis, MO
  88. 27 Nov 1978 at MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, WI
  89. 28 Nov 1978 at Dane County Memorial Coliseum, Madison, WI
  90. 29 Nov 1978 at St. Paul Civic Center Arena, Saint Paul, MN
  91. 01 Dec 1978 at University Of Oklahoma, Norman, OK
  92. 03 Dec 1978 at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL
  93. 05 Dec 1978 at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LO
  94. 07 Dec 1978 at University Of Texas, Austin, TX
  95. 08 Dec 1978 at The Summit, Houston, TX
  96. 09 Dec 1978 at Dallas Convention Center Arena, Dallas, TX
  97. 13 Dec 1978 at Tucson Community Center Arena, Tucson, AZ
  98. 15 Dec 1978 at Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, CA
  99. 16 Dec 1978 at Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, CA
  100. 19 Dec 1978 at Paramount Theatre, Portland, OR
  101. 20 Dec 1978 at Seattle Center Arena, Seattle, WA
  102. 27 Dec 1978 at Stanley Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA
  103. 28 Dec 1978 at Stanley Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA
  104. 30 Dec 1978 at Cobo Arena, Detroit, MI
  105. 31 Dec 1978 at Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH
  106. 01 Jan 1979 at Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH

In preparation for The River Tour, THUNDER ROAD is known to have been practiced during at least one of the private rehearsals that took place over the period of four nights in late September 1980 in Lititz, PA, prior to the tour's first leg.

  1. 27 Sep 1980 at Clair Brothers Audio, Lititz, PA (private rehearsal)

THUNDER ROAD is known to have been performed at least 136 times during The River Tour (138 dates, October 1980 to September 1981), missing only two dates, both in May 1981 in Europe: the 08 May 1981 show in Stockholm, Sweden, and the 13 May 1981 show in Manchester, England. On the tour's opening night, 03 Oct 1980 at in Ann Arbor, MI, THUNDER ROAD was performed twice, the second being the show closer on which Bob Seger joined Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band onstage. See the live 03 Oct 1980 version for more details. The live 05 Nov 1980 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on The Ties That Bind: The River Collection box set in 2015. The live 29 Dec 1980 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Nassau Coliseum, New York 12/29/80 official live download in 2019. The live 31 Dec 1980 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Nassau Coliseum, New York 1980 official live download in 2015. The live 05 Jun 1981 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Wembley Arena June 5, 1981 official live download in 2018. The live 09 Jul 1981 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Brendan Byrne Arena 1981 official live download in 2020.

  1. 03 Oct 1980 at University Of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
  2. 04 Oct 1980 at Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, OH
  3. 06 Oct 1980 at Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, OH
  4. 07 Oct 1980 at Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, OH
  5. 09 Oct 1980 at Cobo Arena, Detroit, MI
  6. 10 Oct 1980 at Uptown Theatre, Chicago, IL
  7. 11 Oct 1980 at Uptown Theatre, Chicago, IL
  8. 13 Oct 1980 at St. Paul Civic Center Arena, Saint Paul, MN
  9. 14 Oct 1980 at MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, WI
  10. 17 Oct 1980 at Kiel Opera House, St. Louis, MO
  11. 18 Oct 1980 at Kiel Opera House, St. Louis, MO
  12. 20 Oct 1980 at McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, CO
  13. 24 Oct 1980 at Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, WA
  14. 25 Oct 1980 at Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR
  15. 27 Oct 1980 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, CA
  16. 28 Oct 1980 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, CA
  17. 30 Oct 1980 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
  18. 31 Oct 1980 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
  19. 01 Nov 1980 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
  20. 03 Nov 1980 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
  21. 05 Nov 1980 at Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
  22. 08 Nov 1980 at Reunion Arena, Dallas, TX
  23. 09 Nov 1980 at University Of Texas, Austin, TX
  24. 11 Nov 1980 at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
  25. 14 Nov 1980 at The Summit, Houston, TX
  26. 15 Nov 1980 at The Summit, Houston, TX
  27. 20 Nov 1980 at Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, IL
  28. 23 Nov 1980 at Capital Centre, Largo, MD
  29. 24 Nov 1980 at Capital Centre, Largo, MD
  30. 27 Nov 1980 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
  31. 28 Nov 1980 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
  32. 30 Nov 1980 at Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
  33. 01 Dec 1980 at Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
  34. 02 Dec 1980 at Rochester Community War Memorial, Rochester, NY
  35. 04 Dec 1980 at Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, NY
  36. 06 Dec 1980 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
  37. 08 Dec 1980 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
  38. 09 Dec 1980 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
  39. 11 Dec 1980 at Providence Civic Center, Providence, RI
  40. 12 Dec 1980 at Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT
  41. 15 Dec 1980 at Boston Garden, Boston, MA
  42. 16 Dec 1980 at Boston Garden, Boston, MA
  43. 18 Dec 1980 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
  44. 19 Dec 1980 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
  45. 28 Dec 1980 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
  46. 29 Dec 1980 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
  47. 31 Dec 1980 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
  48. 20 Jan 1981 at Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada
  49. 21 Jan 1981 at Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada
  50. 23 Jan 1981 at The Forum, Montreal, Canada
  51. 24 Jan 1981 at Ottawa Civic Centre, Ottawa, Canada
  52. 26 Jan 1981 at University Of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN
  53. 28 Jan 1981 at Checkerdome, St. Louis, MO
  54. 29 Jan 1981 at Iowa State University, Ames, IA
  55. 01 Feb 1981 at St. Paul Civic Center Arena, Saint Paul, MN
  56. 02 Feb 1981 at Dane County Memorial Coliseum, Madison, WI
  57. 04 Feb 1981 at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL
  58. 05 Feb 1981 at Kemper Arena, Kansas City, MO
  59. 07 Feb 1981 at University Of Illinois, Champaign, IL
  60. 12 Feb 1981 at Municipal Auditorium, Mobile, AL
  61. 13 Feb 1981 at Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS
  62. 15 Feb 1981 at Lakeland Civic Center, Lakeland, FL
  63. 16 Feb 1981 at Lakeland Civic Center, Lakeland, FL
  64. 18 Feb 1981 at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Jacksonville, FL
  65. 20 Feb 1981 at Hollywood Sportatorium, Hollywood, FL
  66. 22 Feb 1981 at Carolina Coliseum, Columbia, SC
  67. 23 Feb 1981 at The Omni, Atlanta, GA
  68. 25 Feb 1981 at Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis, TN
  69. 26 Feb 1981 at Nashville Municipal Auditorium, Nashville, TN
  70. 28 Feb 1981 at Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC
  71. 02 Mar 1981 at Hampton Roads Coliseum, Hampton, VA
  72. 04 Mar 1981 at Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY
  73. 05 Mar 1981 at Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, IN
  74. 07 Apr 1981 at Congress Centrum Hamburg, Hamburg, West Germany
  75. 09 Apr 1981 at ICC Berlin, West Berlin, West Germany
  76. 11 Apr 1981 at Hallenstadion, Zurich, Switzerland
  77. 14 Apr 1981 at Festhalle, Frankfurt, West Germany
  78. 16 Apr 1981 at Olympiahalle, Munich, West Germany
  79. 18 Apr 1981 at Palais Des Sports De Saint-Ouen, Paris, France
  80. 19 Apr 1981 at Palais Des Sports De Saint-Ouen, Paris, France
  81. 21 Apr 1981 at Palau Municipal D'Esports, Barcelona, Spain
  82. 24 Apr 1981 at Palais Des Sports, Lyon, France
  83. 26 Apr 1981 at Forest National, Brussels, Belgium
  84. 28 Apr 1981 at Sportpaleis Ahoy, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
  85. 29 Apr 1981 at Sportpaleis Ahoy, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
  86. 02 May 1981 at Brondby-Hallen, Copenhagen, Denmark
  87. 03 May 1981 at Scandinavium, Gothenburg, Sweden
  88. 05 May 1981 at Drammenshallen, Drammen, Norway
  89. 07 May 1981 at Johanneshovs Isstadion, Stockholm, Sweden
  90. 11 May 1981 at City Hall, Newcastle, England
  91. 14 May 1981 at Apollo Theatre, Manchester, England
  92. 16 May 1981 at Edinburgh Playhouse, Edinburgh, Scotland
  93. 17 May 1981 at Edinburgh Playhouse, Edinburgh, Scotland
  94. 20 May 1981 at New Bingley Hall, Stafford, England
  95. 26 May 1981 at The Brighton Centre, Brighton, England
  96. 27 May 1981 at The Brighton Centre, Brighton, England
  97. 29 May 1981 at Wembley Arena, London, England
  98. 30 May 1981 at Wembley Arena, London, England
  99. 01 Jun 1981 at Wembley Arena, London, England
  100. 02 Jun 1981 at Wembley Arena, London, England
  101. 04 Jun 1981 at Wembley Arena, London, England
  102. 05 Jun 1981 at Wembley Arena, London, England
  103. 07 Jun 1981 at Birmingham International Arena, Birmingham, England
  104. 08 Jun 1981 at Birmingham International Arena, Birmingham, England
  105. 02 Jul 1981 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  106. 03 Jul 1981 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  107. 05 Jul 1981 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  108. 06 Jul 1981 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  109. 08 Jul 1981 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  110. 09 Jul 1981 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  111. 13 Jul 1981 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
  112. 15 Jul 1981 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
  113. 16 Jul 1981 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
  114. 18 Jul 1981 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
  115. 19 Jul 1981 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
  116. 29 Jul 1981 at Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH
  117. 30 Jul 1981 at Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH
  118. 04 Aug 1981 at Capital Centre, Largo, MD
  119. 05 Aug 1981 at Capital Centre, Largo, MD
  120. 07 Aug 1981 at Capital Centre, Largo, MD
  121. 11 Aug 1981 at Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI
  122. 12 Aug 1981 at Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI
  123. 16 Aug 1981 at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO
  124. 17 Aug 1981 at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO
  125. 20 Aug 1981 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
  126. 21 Aug 1981 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
  127. 23 Aug 1981 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
  128. 24 Aug 1981 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
  129. 27 Aug 1981 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
  130. 28 Aug 1981 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
  131. 02 Sep 1981 at San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, CA
  132. 08 Sep 1981 at Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, IL
  133. 10 Sep 1981 at Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, IL
  134. 11 Sep 1981 at Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, IL
  135. 13 Sep 1981 at Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, OH
  136. 14 Sep 1981 at Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, OH

Setlists for the Born In The U.S.A. Tour rehearsals are unknown, but THUNDER ROAD was played on 08 Jun 1984 at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ, during a warm-up gig for the tour. That was the first gig for Nils Lofgren with the E Street Band. See the live 08 Jun 1984 version for more details.

THUNDER ROAD was performed 156 times during the Born In The U.S.A. Tour (156 dates, June 1984 to October 1985); that is each and every one of the tour's regular dates. The live 05 Aug 1984 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Brendan Byrne Arena, New Jersey 1984 official live download in 2015. The live 06 Aug 1984 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Brendan Byrne Arena August 6, 1984 official live download in 2020. The live 20 Aug 1984 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Brendan Byrne Arena, NJ August 20, 1984 official live download in 2015. The live 27 Sep 1985 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Sept 27, 1985 official live download in 2019.

  1. 29 Jun 1984 at St. Paul Civic Center Arena, Saint Paul, MN
  2. 01 Jul 1984 at St. Paul Civic Center Arena, Saint Paul, MN
  3. 02 Jul 1984 at St. Paul Civic Center Arena, Saint Paul, MN
  4. 05 Jul 1984 at Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, OH
  5. 06 Jul 1984 at Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, OH
  6. 08 Jul 1984 at Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH
  7. 09 Jul 1984 at Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH
  8. 12 Jul 1984 at Alpine Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, WI
  9. 13 Jul 1984 at Alpine Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, WI
  10. 15 Jul 1984 at Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, IL
  11. 17 Jul 1984 at Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, IL
  12. 18 Jul 1984 at Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, IL
  13. 21 Jul 1984 at The Forum, Montreal, Canada
  14. 23 Jul 1984 at CNE Grandstand, Toronto, Canada
  15. 24 Jul 1984 at CNE Grandstand, Toronto, Canada
  16. 26 Jul 1984 at CNE Grandstand, Toronto, Canada
  17. 27 Jul 1984 at Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY
  18. 30 Jul 1984 at Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI
  19. 31 Jul 1984 at Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI
  20. 05 Aug 1984 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  21. 06 Aug 1984 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  22. 08 Aug 1984 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  23. 09 Aug 1984 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  24. 11 Aug 1984 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  25. 12 Aug 1984 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  26. 16 Aug 1984 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  27. 17 Aug 1984 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  28. 19 Aug 1984 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  29. 20 Aug 1984 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  30. 25 Aug 1984 at Capital Centre, Largo, MD
  31. 26 Aug 1984 at Capital Centre, Largo, MD
  32. 28 Aug 1984 at Capital Centre, Largo, MD
  33. 29 Aug 1984 at Capital Centre, Largo, MD
  34. 04 Sep 1984 at Centrum In Worcester, Worcester, MA
  35. 05 Sep 1984 at Centrum In Worcester, Worcester, MA
  36. 07 Sep 1984 at Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT
  37. 08 Sep 1984 at Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT
  38. 11 Sep 1984 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
  39. 12 Sep 1984 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
  40. 14 Sep 1984 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
  41. 15 Sep 1984 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
  42. 17 Sep 1984 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
  43. 18 Sep 1984 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
  44. 21 Sep 1984 at Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
  45. 22 Sep 1984 at Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
  46. 24 Sep 1984 at Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, NY
  47. 25 Sep 1984 at Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, NY
  48. 15 Oct 1984 at Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, BC
  49. 17 Oct 1984 at Tacoma Dome, Tacoma, WA
  50. 19 Oct 1984 at Tacoma Dome, Tacoma, WA
  51. 21 Oct 1984 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, CA
  52. 22 Oct 1984 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, CA
  53. 25 Oct 1984 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
  54. 26 Oct 1984 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
  55. 28 Oct 1984 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
  56. 29 Oct 1984 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
  57. 31 Oct 1984 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
  58. 02 Nov 1984 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
  59. 04 Nov 1984 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
  60. 08 Nov 1984 at Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
  61. 11 Nov 1984 at McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, CO
  62. 12 Nov 1984 at McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, CO
  63. 15 Nov 1984 at St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, MO
  64. 16 Nov 1984 at Iowa State University, Ames, IA
  65. 18 Nov 1984 at University Of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE
  66. 19 Nov 1984 at Kemper Arena, Kansas City, MO
  67. 23 Nov 1984 at University Of Texas, Austin, TX
  68. 25 Nov 1984 at Reunion Arena, Dallas, TX
  69. 26 Nov 1984 at Reunion Arena, Dallas, TX
  70. 29 Nov 1984 at The Summit, Houston, TX
  71. 30 Nov 1984 at The Summit, Houston, TX
  72. 02 Dec 1984 at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
  73. 06 Dec 1984 at Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Arena, Birmingham, AL
  74. 07 Dec 1984 at Leon County Civic Center, Tallahassee, FL
  75. 09 Dec 1984 at Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN
  76. 11 Dec 1984 at Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY
  77. 13 Dec 1984 at Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis, TN
  78. 14 Dec 1984 at Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis, TN
  79. 16 Dec 1984 at The Omni, Atlanta, GA
  80. 17 Dec 1984 at The Omni, Atlanta, GA
  81. 04 Jan 1985 at Hampton Roads Coliseum, Hampton, VA
  82. 05 Jan 1985 at Hampton Roads Coliseum, Hampton, VA
  83. 07 Jan 1985 at Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, IN
  84. 08 Jan 1985 at Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, IN
  85. 10 Jan 1985 at Freedom Hall, Louisville, KY
  86. 13 Jan 1985 at Carolina Coliseum, Columbia, SC
  87. 15 Jan 1985 at Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, NC
  88. 16 Jan 1985 at Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, NC
  89. 18 Jan 1985 at Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC
  90. 19 Jan 1985 at Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC
  91. 23 Jan 1985 at Providence Civic Center, Providence, RI
  92. 24 Jan 1985 at Providence Civic Center, Providence, RI
  93. 26 Jan 1985 at Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY
  94. 27 Jan 1985 at Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY
  95. 21 Mar 1985 at Sydney Entertainment Centre, Sydney, Australia
  96. 23 Mar 1985 at Sydney Entertainment Centre, Sydney, Australia
  97. 24 Mar 1985 at Sydney Entertainment Centre, Sydney, Australia
  98. 27 Mar 1985 at Sydney Entertainment Centre, Sydney, Australia
  99. 28 Mar 1985 at Sydney Entertainment Centre, Sydney, Australia
  100. 31 Mar 1985 at QEII Sports Centre, Brisbane, Australia
  101. 03 Apr 1985 at Melbourne Showgrounds, Melbourne, Australia
  102. 04 Apr 1985 at Melbourne Showgrounds, Melbourne, Australia
  103. 10 Apr 1985 at Yoyogi National Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan
  104. 11 Apr 1985 at Yoyogi National Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan
  105. 13 Apr 1985 at Yoyogi National Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan
  106. 15 Apr 1985 at Yoyogi National Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan
  107. 16 Apr 1985 at Yoyogi National Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan
  108. 18 Apr 1985 at Kyoto Furitsu Taiikukan, Kyoto, Japan
  109. 22 Apr 1985 at Osaka-Jō Hall, Osaka, Japan
  110. 23 Apr 1985 at Osaka-Jō Hall, Osaka, Japan
  111. 01 Jun 1985 at Slane Castle, Slane, Ireland
  112. 04 Jun 1985 at St James' Park, Newcastle, England
  113. 05 Jun 1985 at St James' Park, Newcastle, England
  114. 08 Jun 1985 at Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden
  115. 09 Jun 1985 at Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden
  116. 12 Jun 1985 at Stadion Feyenoord, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
  117. 13 Jun 1985 at Stadion Feyenoord, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
  118. 15 Jun 1985 at Waldstadion, Frankfurt, West Germany
  119. 18 Jun 1985 at Olympiastadion, Munich, West Germany
  120. 21 Jun 1985 at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan, Italy
  121. 23 Jun 1985 at Stade Richter, Montpellier, France
  122. 25 Jun 1985 at Stade Geoffroy Guichard, Saint-Étienne, France
  123. 29 Jun 1985 at Parc De La Courneuve, Paris, France
  124. 30 Jun 1985 at Parc De La Courneuve, Paris, France
  125. 03 Jul 1985 at Wembley Stadium, London, England
  126. 04 Jul 1985 at Wembley Stadium, London, England
  127. 06 Jul 1985 at Wembley Stadium, London, England
  128. 07 Jul 1985 at Roundhay Park, Leeds, England
  129. 05 Aug 1985 at RFK Stadium, Washington, DC
  130. 07 Aug 1985 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, OH
  131. 09 Aug 1985 at Soldier Field, Chicago, IL
  132. 11 Aug 1985 at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA
  133. 14 Aug 1985 at Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, PA
  134. 15 Aug 1985 at Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, PA
  135. 18 Aug 1985 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
  136. 19 Aug 1985 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
  137. 21 Aug 1985 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
  138. 22 Aug 1985 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
  139. 26 Aug 1985 at CNE Stadium, Toronto, Canada
  140. 27 Aug 1985 at CNE Stadium, Toronto, Canada
  141. 31 Aug 1985 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
  142. 01 Sep 1985 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
  143. 04 Sep 1985 at Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, MI
  144. 06 Sep 1985 at Hoosier Dome, Indianapolis, IN
  145. 09 Sep 1985 at Orange Bowl Stadium, Miami, FL
  146. 10 Sep 1985 at Orange Bowl Stadium, Miami, FL
  147. 13 Sep 1985 at Cotton Bowl, Dallas, TX
  148. 14 Sep 1985 at Cotton Bowl, Dallas, TX
  149. 18 Sep 1985 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, CA
  150. 19 Sep 1985 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, CA
  151. 23 Sep 1985 at Mile High Stadium, Denver, CO
  152. 24 Sep 1985 at Mile High Stadium, Denver, CO
  153. 27 Sep 1985 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA
  154. 29 Sep 1985 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA
  155. 30 Sep 1985 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA
  156. 02 Oct 1985 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA

THUNDER ROAD was performed twice during the 67-date-long Tunnel Of Love Express Tour, in Oslo and Barcelona, the latter being the tour finale. Note that the song was reported to be have been sound-checked earlier in the tour, on 09 May 1988 in Bloomington, MN, but was not played during the show.

In preparation for Amnesty International Human Rights Now! Tour, THUNDER ROAD was practiced on 01 Sep 1988 at Wembley Stadium in London, England, during the only known/confirmed private rehearsal prior to the tour's start.

  1. 01 Sep 1988 at Wembley Stadium, London, England (private rehearsal)

THUNDER ROAD was performed 13 times during the 20-date-long Amnesty International Human Rights Now! Tour. The setlist for the 14 Oct 1988 show in Mendoza, Argentina, is unknown, and therefore the song may have been played on one additional date. However, this is very unlikely since the song did not appear on any of the other setlists in the October part of the tour.

  1. 02 Sep 1988 at Wembley Stadium, London, England
  2. 04 Sep 1988 at Palais Omnisports De Paris-Bercy, Paris, France
  3. 05 Sep 1988 at Palais Omnisports De Paris-Bercy, Paris, France
  4. 06 Sep 1988 at Nepstadion, Budapest, Hungary
  5. 08 Sep 1988 at Stadio Comunale, Turin, Italy
  6. 10 Sep 1988 at Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain
  7. 15 Sep 1988 at Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada
  8. 17 Sep 1988 at Olympic Stadium, Montreal, Canada
  9. 19 Sep 1988 at JFK Stadium, Philadelphia, PA
  10. 21 Sep 1988 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA
  11. 23 Sep 1988 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, CA
  12. 27 Sep 1988 at Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan
  13. 30 Sep 1988 at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi, India

THUNDER ROAD was performed 97 times during World Tour 1992-1993 (104 dates, June 1992 to June 1993). The 24 Jun 1993 show in East Rutherford, NJ, was billed as "Concert To Fight Hunger" (see the live 24 Jun 1993 version). On this tour, the song was played in its acoustic arrangement. The live 25 Jul 1992 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Meadowlands July 25, 1992 official live download in 2019. The live 13 Dec 1992 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Boston 13/12/92 official live download in 2021. The live 24 Jun 1993 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Brendan Byrne Arena, New Jersey June 24, 1993 official live download in 2018.

  1. 17 Jun 1992 at Globe Arena, Stockholm, Sweden
  2. 20 Jun 1992 at Forum Di Assago, Milan, Italy
  3. 21 Jun 1992 at Forum Di Assago, Milan, Italy
  4. 25 Jun 1992 at Festhalle, Frankfurt, Germany
  5. 26 Jun 1992 at Festhalle, Frankfurt, Germany
  6. 29 Jun 1992 at Palais Omnisports De Paris-Bercy, Paris, France
  7. 03 Jul 1992 at Plaza Monumental, Barcelona, Spain
  8. 04 Jul 1992 at Plaza Monumental, Barcelona, Spain
  9. 06 Jul 1992 at Wembley Arena, London, England
  10. 09 Jul 1992 at Wembley Arena, London, England
  11. 10 Jul 1992 at Wembley Arena, London, England
  12. 12 Jul 1992 at Wembley Arena, London, England
  13. 13 Jul 1992 at Wembley Arena, London, England
  14. 23 Jul 1992 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  15. 25 Jul 1992 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  16. 26 Jul 1992 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  17. 28 Jul 1992 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  18. 30 Jul 1992 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  19. 31 Jul 1992 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  20. 02 Aug 1992 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  21. 04 Aug 1992 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  22. 06 Aug 1992 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  23. 07 Aug 1992 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  24. 10 Aug 1992 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  25. 13 Aug 1992 at Centrum In Worcester, Worcester, MA
  26. 14 Aug 1992 at Centrum In Worcester, Worcester, MA
  27. 17 Aug 1992 at The Palace Of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, MI
  28. 18 Aug 1992 at The Palace Of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, MI
  29. 21 Aug 1992 at Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH
  30. 22 Aug 1992 at Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH
  31. 25 Aug 1992 at Capital Centre, Largo, MD
  32. 26 Aug 1992 at Capital Centre, Largo, MD
  33. 28 Aug 1992 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
  34. 29 Aug 1992 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
  35. 02 Sep 1992 at World Music Theatre, Tinley Park, IL
  36. 03 Sep 1992 at World Music Theatre, Tinley Park, IL
  37. 24 Sep 1992 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
  38. 25 Sep 1992 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
  39. 28 Sep 1992 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
  40. 29 Sep 1992 at San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, CA
  41. 02 Oct 1992 at America West Arena, Phoenix, AZ
  42. 03 Oct 1992 at America West Arena, Phoenix, AZ
  43. 06 Oct 1992 at Arco Arena, Sacramento, CA
  44. 13 Oct 1992 at Tacoma Dome, Tacoma, WA
  45. 15 Oct 1992 at Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, Canada
  46. 17 Oct 1992 at Olympic Saddledome, Calgary, Canada
  47. 18 Oct 1992 at Northlands Coliseum, Edmonton, Canada
  48. 21 Oct 1992 at Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA
  49. 22 Oct 1992 at Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA
  50. 26 Oct 1992 at Mcnichols Sports Arena, Denver, CO
  51. 30 Oct 1992 at Hilton Coliseum, Iowa State University, Ames, IA
  52. 31 Oct 1992 at Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
  53. 03 Nov 1992 at Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI
  54. 05 Nov 1992 at SkyDome, Toronto, Canada
  55. 06 Nov 1992 at SkyDome, Toronto, Canada
  56. 09 Nov 1992 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
  57. 10 Nov 1992 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
  58. 13 Nov 1992 at Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY
  59. 15 Nov 1992 at Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT
  60. 17 Nov 1992 at Dean E. Smith Student Activities Center, Chapel Hill, NC
  61. 18 Nov 1992 at Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, NC
  62. 23 Nov 1992 at Orlando Arena, Orlando, FL
  63. 24 Nov 1992 at Miami Arena, Miami, FL
  64. 30 Nov 1992 at The Omni, Atlanta, GA
  65. 02 Dec 1992 at Reunion Arena, Dallas, TX
  66. 03 Dec 1992 at St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, MO
  67. 05 Dec 1992 at Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, IN
  68. 07 Dec 1992 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
  69. 08 Dec 1992 at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
  70. 13 Dec 1992 at Boston Garden, Boston, MA
  71. 14 Dec 1992 at Boston Garden, Boston, MA
  72. 16 Dec 1992 at Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
  73. 17 Dec 1992 at Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY
  74. 31 Mar 1993 at SECC, Glasgow, Scotland
  75. 03 Apr 1993 at Westfalenhalle, Dortmund, Germany
  76. 04 Apr 1993 at Westfalenhalle, Dortmund, Germany
  77. 07 Apr 1993 at Hallenstadion, Zurich, Switzerland
  78. 08 Apr 1993 at Hallenstadion, Zurich, Switzerland
  79. 11 Apr 1993 at Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi, Verona, Italy
  80. 13 Apr 1993 at Halle Tony Garnier, Lyon, France
  81. 15 Apr 1993 at Sheffield Arena, Sheffield, England
  82. 16 Apr 1993 at Sheffield Arena, Sheffield, England
  83. 19 Apr 1993 at Sportpaleis Ahoy, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
  84. 20 Apr 1993 at Sportpaleis Ahoy, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
  85. 23 Apr 1993 at Flanders Expo, Ghent, Belgium
  86. 24 Apr 1993 at Flanders Expo, Ghent, Belgium
  87. 01 May 1993 at Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal
  88. 05 May 1993 at Estadio Vicente Calderón, Madrid, Spain
  89. 16 May 1993 at Alter Flughafen Riem, Munich, Germany
  90. 17 May 1993 at Maimarkthalle, Mannheim, Germany
  91. 20 May 1993 at RDS Arena, Dublin, Ireland
  92. 22 May 1993 at The National Bowl, Milton Keynes, England
  93. 25 May 1993 at Stadio Flaminio, Rome, Italy
  94. 28 May 1993 at Stockholms Stadion, Stockholm, Sweden
  95. 30 May 1993 at Gentofte Stadion, Copenhagen, Denmark
  96. 01 Jun 1993 at Valle Hovin Stadion, Oslo, Norway
  97. 24 Jun 1993 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ

THUNDER ROAD was sound-checked prior to the 08 Nov 1996 show in Freehold, NJ, (as far as it's known) but it was not performed on any of The Ghost Of Tom Joad Solo Acoustic Tour's regular shows. On 22 May 1997, after playing a show at Teatro Augusteo in Naples, Italy, Springsteen performed THUNDER ROAD from the theater's balcony. See the live 22 May 1997 version for more details.

In preparation for The Reunion Tour, THUNDER ROAD was performed during both of the tour's two public warm-up rehearsal shows that took place in March 1999 in Asbury Park. The song is also known to have been practiced during at least one of the private rehearsals that took place in March 1999 in Asbury Park prior to the tour's first leg, and during the private rehearsal that took place in April 1999 in Barcelona the day before the tour kicked off in Spain.

  1. 05 Mar 1999 at Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ (private rehearsal)
  2. 18 Mar 1999 at Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ (public rehearsal)
  3. 19 Mar 1999 at Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ (public rehearsal)
  4. 08 Apr 1999 at Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona, Spain (private rehearsal)

THUNDER ROAD was performed 132 times during what is known as The Reunion Tour (132 dates, April 1999 to July 2000); that is each and every one of the tour's regular dates. The song was played in a full-band arrangement. The live 25 Sep 1999 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the First Union Center, Philadelphia September 25, 1999 official live download in 2020. The live 30 Sep 1999 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Chicago September 30, 1999 official live download in 2018. The live 23 Oct 1999 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Los Angeles October 23, 1999 official live download in 2019. The live 27 Jun 2000 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Madison Square Garden, New York 06/27/2000 official live download in 2021. The live 01 Jul 2000 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Madison Square Garden, New York 07/01/2000 official live download in 2017. The live 27 Jun 2000 / 01 Jul 2000 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Live In New York City home video in 2001.

  1. 09 Apr 1999 at Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona, Spain
  2. 11 Apr 1999 at Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona, Spain
  3. 13 Apr 1999 at Olympiahalle, Munich, Germany
  4. 15 Apr 1999 at Kölnarena, Cologne, Germany
  5. 17 Apr 1999 at Palamalaguti, Bologna, Italy
  6. 19 Apr 1999 at Fila Forum, Milan, Italy
  7. 20 Apr 1999 at Fila Forum, Milan, Italy
  8. 23 Apr 1999 at Donau Arena, Regensburg, Germany
  9. 24 Apr 1999 at Wiener Stadthalle, Vienna, Austria
  10. 26 Apr 1999 at Hallenstadion, Zurich, Switzerland
  11. 28 Apr 1999 at Halle Tony Garnier, Lyon, France
  12. 01 May 1999 at Manchester Evening News Arena, Manchester, England
  13. 02 May 1999 at Manchester Evening News Arena, Manchester, England
  14. 16 May 1999 at The NEC Arena, Birmingham, England
  15. 18 May 1999 at Earls Court, London, England
  16. 19 May 1999 at Earls Court, London, England
  17. 21 May 1999 at Earls Court, London, England
  18. 23 May 1999 at Earls Court, London, England
  19. 25 May 1999 at RDS Arena, Dublin, Ireland
  20. 27 May 1999 at Flanders Expo, Ghent, Belgium
  21. 29 May 1999 at Parkbühne Wuhlheide, Berlin, Germany
  22. 30 May 1999 at Parkbühne Wuhlheide, Berlin, Germany
  23. 02 Jun 1999 at Palais Omnisports De Paris-Bercy, Paris, France
  24. 03 Jun 1999 at Palais Omnisports De Paris-Bercy, Paris, France
  25. 05 Jun 1999 at Estadio La Romareda, Zaragoza, Spain
  26. 07 Jun 1999 at Estadio De La Comunidad, Madrid, Spain
  27. 11 Jun 1999 at Stadio Luigi Ferraris, Genoa, Italy
  28. 13 Jun 1999 at Bruno-Platche-Stadion, Leipzig, Germany
  29. 15 Jun 1999 at Stadion Am Bieberer Berg, Offenbach, Germany
  30. 17 Jun 1999 at Weserstadion, Bremen, Germany
  31. 19 Jun 1999 at Gelredome, Arnhem, The Netherlands
  32. 20 Jun 1999 at Gelredome, Arnhem, The Netherlands
  33. 23 Jun 1999 at Stockholms Stadion, Stockholm, Sweden
  34. 24 Jun 1999 at Stockholms Stadion, Stockholm, Sweden
  35. 26 Jun 1999 at Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark
  36. 27 Jun 1999 at Valle Hovin Stadion, Oslo, Norway
  37. 15 Jul 1999 at Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  38. 18 Jul 1999 at Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  39. 20 Jul 1999 at Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  40. 24 Jul 1999 at Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  41. 26 Jul 1999 at Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  42. 27 Jul 1999 at Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  43. 29 Jul 1999 at Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  44. 01 Aug 1999 at Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  45. 02 Aug 1999 at Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  46. 04 Aug 1999 at Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  47. 06 Aug 1999 at Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  48. 07 Aug 1999 at Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  49. 09 Aug 1999 at Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  50. 11 Aug 1999 at Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  51. 12 Aug 1999 at Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  52. 21 Aug 1999 at Fleet Center, Boston, MA
  53. 22 Aug 1999 at Fleet Center, Boston, MA
  54. 24 Aug 1999 at Fleet Center, Boston, MA
  55. 26 Aug 1999 at Fleet Center, Boston, MA
  56. 27 Aug 1999 at Fleet Center, Boston, MA
  57. 31 Aug 1999 at MCI Center, Washington, DC
  58. 01 Sep 1999 at MCI Center, Washington, DC
  59. 03 Sep 1999 at MCI Center, Washington, DC
  60. 08 Sep 1999 at The Palace Of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, MI
  61. 09 Sep 1999 at The Palace Of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, MI
  62. 13 Sep 1999 at First Union Center, Philadelphia, PA
  63. 15 Sep 1999 at First Union Center, Philadelphia, PA
  64. 20 Sep 1999 at First Union Center, Philadelphia, PA
  65. 21 Sep 1999 at First Union Center, Philadelphia, PA
  66. 24 Sep 1999 at First Union Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
  67. 25 Sep 1999 at First Union Center, Philadelphia, PA
  68. 27 Sep 1999 at United Center, Chicago, IL
  69. 28 Sep 1999 at United Center, Chicago, IL
  70. 30 Sep 1999 at United Center, Chicago, IL
  71. 15 Oct 1999 at America West Arena, Phoenix, AZ
  72. 17 Oct 1999 at Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
  73. 18 Oct 1999 at Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
  74. 21 Oct 1999 at Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
  75. 23 Oct 1999 at Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
  76. 25 Oct 1999 at Oakland Arena, Oakland, CA
  77. 26 Oct 1999 at Oakland Arena, Oakland, CA
  78. 28 Oct 1999 at Oakland Arena, Oakland, CA
  79. 06 Nov 1999 at Fargodome, Fargo, ND
  80. 09 Nov 1999 at Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI
  81. 10 Nov 1999 at Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
  82. 14 Nov 1999 at Gund Arena, Cleveland, OH
  83. 15 Nov 1999 at Gund Arena, Cleveland, OH
  84. 17 Nov 1999 at Value City Arena, Columbus, OH
  85. 19 Nov 1999 at Marine Midland Arena, Buffalo, NY
  86. 21 Nov 1999 at Pepsi Arena, Albany, NY
  87. 28 Nov 1999 at Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
  88. 29 Nov 1999 at Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
  89. 28 Feb 2000 at Penn State University, University Park, PA
  90. 04 Mar 2000 at Orlando Arena, Orlando, FL
  91. 06 Mar 2000 at Ice Palace, Tampa, FL
  92. 09 Mar 2000 at National Car Rental Center, Sunrise, FL
  93. 10 Mar 2000 at National Car Rental Center, Sunrise, FL
  94. 13 Mar 2000 at Reunion Arena, Dallas, TX
  95. 14 Mar 2000 at Alltel Arena, Little Rock, AR
  96. 18 Mar 2000 at Pyramid Arena, Memphis, TN
  97. 19 Mar 2000 at New Orleans Arena, New Orleans, LA
  98. 30 Mar 2000 at Pepsi Center, Denver, CO
  99. 31 Mar 2000 at Pepsi Center, Denver, CO
  100. 03 Apr 2000 at Rose Garden, Portland, OR
  101. 04 Apr 2000 at Tacoma Dome, Tacoma, WA
  102. 08 Apr 2000 at Kiel Center, St. Louis, MO
  103. 09 Apr 2000 at Kemper Arena, Kansas City, MO
  104. 12 Apr 2000 at Nashville Arena, Nashville, TN
  105. 15 Apr 2000 at Freedom Hall, Louisville, KY
  106. 17 Apr 2000 at Frank Erwin Center, Austin, TX
  107. 18 Apr 2000 at Compaq Center, Houston, TX
  108. 21 Apr 2000 at Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, NC
  109. 22 Apr 2000 at Raleigh Entertainment & Sports Arena, Raleigh, NC
  110. 25 Apr 2000 at Mellon Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
  111. 26 Apr 2000 at Mellon Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
  112. 30 Apr 2000 at Firstar Center, Cincinnati, OH
  113. 03 May 2000 at Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Canada
  114. 04 May 2000 at Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Canada
  115. 07 May 2000 at Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT
  116. 08 May 2000 at Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT
  117. 21 May 2000 at Arrowhead Pond Of Anaheim, Anaheim, CA
  118. 22 May 2000 at Arrowhead Pond Of Anaheim, Anaheim, CA
  119. 27 May 2000 at MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, NV
  120. 29 May 2000 at Delta Center, Salt Lake City, UT
  121. 03 Jun 2000 at Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA
  122. 04 Jun 2000 at Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA
  123. 12 Jun 2000 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
  124. 15 Jun 2000 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
  125. 17 Jun 2000 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
  126. 20 Jun 2000 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
  127. 22 Jun 2000 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
  128. 23 Jun 2000 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
  129. 26 Jun 2000 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
  130. 27 Jun 2000 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
  131. 29 Jun 2000 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
  132. 01 Jul 2000 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY

In preparation for The Rising Tour, THUNDER ROAD was performed during one of the tour's five public warm-up rehearsal shows that took place in July and August 2002 in Asbury Park and East Rutherford.

  1. 30 Jul 2002 at Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ (public rehearsal)

THUNDER ROAD was performed 59 times during The Rising Tour (120 dates, August 2002 to October 2003). The live 16 Oct 2002 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Live In Barcelona home video in 2003. The live 16 Jun 2003 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Helsinki June 16, 2003 official live download in 2018.

  1. 07 Aug 2002 at Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
  2. 10 Aug 2002 at MCI center, Washington, DC
  3. 12 Aug 2002 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
  4. 14 Aug 2002 at Gund Arena, Cleveland, OH
  5. 15 Aug 2002 at The Palace Of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, MI
  6. 18 Aug 2002 at Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV
  7. 20 Aug 2002 at Rose Garden, Portland, OR
  8. 21 Aug 2002 at Tacoma Dome, Tacoma, WA
  9. 24 Aug 2002 at The Forum, Inglewood, CA
  10. 25 Aug 2002 at America West Arena, Phoenix, AZ
  11. 27 Aug 2002 at Compaq Center At San Jose, San Jose, CA
  12. 30 Aug 2002 at Savvis Center, St Louis, MO
  13. 16 Oct 2002 at Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona, Spain
  14. 18 Oct 2002 at Palamalaguti, Bologna, Italy
  15. 20 Oct 2002 at Velodrom, Berlin, Germany
  16. 22 Oct 2002 at Sportpaleis Ahoy, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
  17. 24 Oct 2002 at Globe Arena, Stockholm, Sweden
  18. 27 Oct 2002 at Wembley Arena, London, England
  19. 14 Nov 2002 at Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY
  20. 02 Dec 2002 at Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA
  21. 04 Dec 2002 at Mellon Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
  22. 05 Dec 2002 at Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Canada
  23. 16 Dec 2002 at Value City Arena, Columbus, OH
  24. 17 Dec 2002 at Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
  25. 28 Feb 2003 at The Arena At Gwinnett Center, Duluth, GA
  26. 02 Mar 2003 at Frank Erwin Center, Austin, TX
  27. 04 Mar 2003 at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Jacksonville, FL
  28. 10 Mar 2003 at Dunkin' Donuts Center, Providence, RI
  29. 20 Mar 2003 at Telstra Dome, Melbourne, Australia
  30. 22 Mar 2003 at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, Australia
  31. 25 Mar 2003 at Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Australia
  32. 26 Mar 2003 at Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Australia
  33. 28 Mar 2003 at Western Springs Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand
  34. 09 Apr 2003 at Arco Arena, Sacramento, CA
  35. 11 Apr 2003 at Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, Canada
  36. 14 Apr 2003 at Skyreach Centre, Edmonton, Canada
  37. 18 Apr 2003 at Corel Centre, Ottawa, Canada
  38. 19 Apr 2003 at Bell Centre, Montreal, Canada
  39. 06 May 2003 at Stadion Feyenoord, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
  40. 15 May 2003 at Estadio Municipal El Molinón, Gijón, Spain
  41. 22 May 2003 at Arena Auf Schalke, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
  42. 26 May 2003 at Crystal Palace National Sports Stadium, London, England
  43. 27 May 2003 at Crystal Palace National Sports Stadium, London, England
  44. 29 May 2003 at Old Trafford Cricket Ground, Manchester, England
  45. 31 May 2003 at RDS Arena, Dublin, Ireland
  46. 14 Jun 2003 at Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark
  47. 16 Jun 2003 at Olympiastadion, Helsinki, Finland
  48. 17 Jun 2003 at Olympiastadion, Helsinki, Finland
  49. 21 Jun 2003 at Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden
  50. 22 Jun 2003 at Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden
  51. 25 Jun 2003 at Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria
  52. 28 Jun 2003 at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan, Italy
  53. 15 Jul 2003 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
  54. 17 Jul 2003 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
  55. 09 Aug 2003 at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA
  56. 11 Aug 2003 at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA
  57. 30 Aug 2003 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
  58. 07 Sep 2003 at Fenway Park, Boston, MA
  59. 18 Sep 2003 at Rentschler Field, Hartford, CT

THUNDER ROAD was performed once during the Devils & Dust Solo Acoustic Tour (72 dates, April to November 2005), on 12 Oct 2005 in Minneapolis, MN. The song was performed solo piano. See the live 12 Oct 2005 version for more details. Note that the song was also sound-checked prior to the 03 Aug 2005 show in Grand Rapids, MI, but was not performed on the regular show.

THUNDER ROAD was performed 28 times during the Magic Tour (100 dates, October 2007 to August 2008). On 14 Mar 2008 in Omaha, NE, the song featured a guest appearance by Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes (see the the 14 Mar 2008 version). On 08 April 2008 in Anaheim, CA, the song opened the show for the first time with the E Street Band since early on the Born in The U.S.A. Tour. On 14 Jun 2008 in Cardiff, England, the song was dedicated to the late Tim Russert. The 30 Aug 2008 performance was during Harley-Davidson's 105th Anniversary Celebration — the song was played while the stage screens displayed a series of images of Springsteen riding his motorcycle over the years. The live 23 Aug 2008 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO 8/23/2008 official live download in 2017.

  1. 22 Oct 2007 at United Center, Chicago, IL
  2. 25 Oct 2007 at Oracle Arena, Oakland, CA
  3. 02 Nov 2007 at Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul, MN
  4. 12 Nov 2007 at Verizon Center, Washington, DC
  5. 15 Nov 2007 at Times Union Center, Albany, NY
  6. 25 Nov 2007 at Palacio De Deportes De La Comunidad De Madrid, Madrid, Spain
  7. 28 Nov 2007 at Datch Forum, Milan, Italy
  8. 03 Mar 2008 at Copps Coliseum, Hamilton, Canada
  9. 07 Mar 2008 at HSBC Arena, Buffalo, NY
  10. 14 Mar 2008 at Quest Center, Omaha, NE
  11. 08 Apr 2008 at Honda Center, Anaheim, CA
  12. 14 Apr 2008 at Toyota Center, Houston, TX
  13. 25 Apr 2008 at Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA
  14. 27 Apr 2008 at Charlotte Bobcats Arena, Charlotte, NC
  15. 02 May 2008 at BankAtlantic Center, Sunrise, FL
  16. 22 May 2008 at RDS Arena, Dublin, Ireland
  17. 30 May 2008 at Emirates Stadium, London, England
  18. 14 Jun 2008 at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales
  19. 23 Jun 2008 at Sportpaleis, Antwerp, Belgium
  20. 05 Jul 2008 at Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden
  21. 08 Jul 2008 at Valle Hovin Stadion, Oslo, Norway
  22. 15 Jul 2008 at Estadio Anoeta, Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain
  23. 20 Jul 2008 at Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain
  24. 28 Jul 2008 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
  25. 19 Aug 2008 at Hersheypark Stadium, Hershey, PA
  26. 21 Aug 2008 at Sommet Center, Nashville, TN
  27. 23 Aug 2008 at Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO
  28. 30 Aug 2008 at The Roadhouse At The Lakefront, Milwaukee, WI

In preparation for the Working On A Dream Tour, THUNDER ROAD was performed during the first of the tour's two public warm-up rehearsal shows that took place in March 2009 in Asbury Park. The song is also known to have been practiced during at least one of the private rehearsals that took place in March 2009 in Asbury Park prior to the tour's first leg.

  1. 19 Mar 2009 at Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ (private rehearsal, with Jay Weinberg)
  2. 23 Mar 2009 at Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ (public rehearsal)

THUNDER ROAD was performed 49 times during the Working On A Dream Tour (83 dates, April to November 2009). Among these 50 performances, Jay Weinberg played drums 14 times on THUNDER ROAD. The 30 May 2009 performance was during Pinkpop festival and featured a guest appearance by Brandon Flowers of The Killers who shared lead vocals with Bruce Springsteen. See the live 30 May 2009 version for more details.

  1. 01 Apr 2009 at HP Pavilion At San Jose, San Jose, CA
  2. 10 Apr 2009 at Pepsi Center, Denver, CO
  3. 16 Apr 2009 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
  4. 22 Apr 2009 at TD Banknorth Garden, Boston, MA
  5. 29 Apr 2009 at Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA (with Jay Weinberg on drums)
  6. 02 May 2009 at Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC (with Jay Weinberg on drums)
  7. 05 May 2009 at John Paul Jones Arena, Charlottesville, VA (with Jay Weinberg on drums)
  8. 14 May 2009 at Times Union Center, Albany, NY (with Jay Weinberg on drums)
  9. 15 May 2009 at Hersheypark Stadium, Hershey, PA (with Jay Weinberg on drums)
  10. 19 May 2009 at Mellon Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
  11. 21 May 2009 at Izod Center, East Rutherford, NJ (with Jay Weinberg on drums)
  12. 23 May 2009 at Izod Center, East Rutherford, NJ
  13. 30 May 2009 at Megaland, Landgraaf, The Netherlands (with Jay Weinberg on drums and Brandon Flowers on duet vocals)
  14. 02 Jun 2009 at Ratinan Stadion, Tampere, Finland (with Jay Weinberg on drums)
  15. 05 Jun 2009 at Stockholms Stadion, Stockholm, Sweden (with Jay Weinberg on drums)
  16. 07 Jun 2009 at Stockholms Stadion, Stockholm, Sweden (with Jay Weinberg on drums)
  17. 10 Jun 2009 at Koengen, Bergen, Norway (with Jay Weinberg on drums)
  18. 13 Jun 2009 at Great Stage Park, Manchester, TN
  19. 27 Jun 2009 at Worthy Farm, Pilton, England
  20. 30 Jun 2009 at Stade De Suisse, Bern, Switzerland
  21. 08 Jul 2009 at MCH Arena Herning, Herning, Denmark
  22. 11 Jul 2009 at RDS Arena, Dublin, Ireland
  23. 14 Jul 2009 at Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland
  24. 19 Jul 2009 at Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy
  25. 26 Jul 2009 at Estadio San Mamés, Bilbao, Spain
  26. 19 Aug 2009 at Comcast Theatre, Hartford, CT
  27. 23 Aug 2009 at Comcast Center, Mansfield, MA (with Jay Weinberg on drums)
  28. 25 Aug 2009 at Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY (with Jay Weinberg on drums)
  29. 12 Sep 2009 at Ford Amphitheatre, Tampa, FL
  30. 13 Sep 2009 at BankAtlantic Center, Sunrise, FL
  31. 16 Sep 2009 at BI-LO Center, Greenville, SC (with Jay Weinberg on drums)
  32. 20 Sep 2009 at United Center, Chicago, IL (complete Born To Run album performed)
  33. 21 Sep 2009 at Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines, IA
  34. 30 Sep 2009 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ (complete Born To Run album performed)
  35. 02 Oct 2009 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
  36. 03 Oct 2009 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
  37. 08 Oct 2009 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ (complete Born To Run album performed)
  38. 13 Oct 2009 at Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA (complete Born To Run album performed)
  39. 19 Oct 2009 at Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA (complete Born To Run album performed)
  40. 20 Oct 2009 at Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
  41. 25 Oct 2009 at Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO (complete Born To Run album performed)
  42. 02 Nov 2009 at Verizon Center, Washington, DC (complete Born To Run album performed)
  43. 03 Nov 2009 at Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, NC (complete Born To Run album performed)
  44. 10 Nov 2009 at Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH (complete Born To Run album performed)
  45. 13 Nov 2009 at The Palace Of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, MI (complete Born To Run album performed)
  46. 15 Nov 2009 at Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI (complete Born To Run album performed)
  47. 18 Nov 2009 at Sommet Center, Nashville, TN (complete Born To Run album performed)
  48. 20 Nov 2009 at 1st Mariner Arena, Baltimore, MD (complete Born To Run album performed)
  49. 22 Nov 2009 at HSBC Arena, Buffalo, NY

In preparation for the Wrecking Ball Tour, THUNDER ROAD is known to have been practiced during at least one of the private rehearsals that took place between January and March 2012 in Fort Monmouth, Trenton, and Asbury Park prior to the tour's first U.S. leg, during the private rehearsal that took place in on 12 May 2012 in Seville, Spain prior to the tour's European leg.

  1. Mar 2012 at Sun National Bank Center, Trenton, NJ (private rehearsal)
  2. 12 May 2012 at Estadio Olimpico De La Cartuja, Seville, Spain (private rehearsal)

In preparation for Springsteen On Broadway, THUNDER ROAD was performed during all of the tour's three known private rehearsal shows that took place in September 2017 in West Long Branch, NJ, and New York City, NY, and during both of the tour's known private rehearsal shows that took place in June 2021 in New York City, NY.

  1. 19 Sep 2017 at Monmouth University, West Long Branch, NJ (private rehearsal)
  2. 22 Sep 2017 at Monmouth University, West Long Branch, NJ (private rehearsal)
  3. 29 Sep 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY (private rehearsal)
  4. 24 Jun 2021 at St. James Theatre, New York City, NY (private rehearsal)
  5. 25 Jun 2021 at St. James Theatre, New York City, NY (private rehearsal)

THUNDER ROAD was performed 268 times during Springsteen On Broadway (268 dates, October 2017 to December 2018 and June to September 2021). On this tour, the song was played solo on acoustic guitar and harmonica. The live July 2018 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Springsteen On Broadway album in 2018.

  1. 03 Oct 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  2. 04 Oct 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  3. 05 Oct 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  4. 06 Oct 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  5. 07 Oct 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  6. 10 Oct 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  7. 11 Oct 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  8. 12 Oct 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  9. 13 Oct 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  10. 14 Oct 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  11. 17 Oct 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  12. 18 Oct 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  13. 19 Oct 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  14. 20 Oct 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  15. 21 Oct 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  16. 24 Oct 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  17. 25 Oct 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  18. 26 Oct 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  19. 27 Oct 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  20. 28 Oct 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  21. 31 Oct 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  22. 01 Nov 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  23. 02 Nov 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  24. 03 Nov 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  25. 04 Nov 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  26. 07 Nov 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  27. 08 Nov 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  28. 09 Nov 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  29. 10 Nov 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  30. 11 Nov 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  31. 14 Nov 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  32. 15 Nov 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  33. 16 Nov 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  34. 17 Nov 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  35. 18 Nov 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  36. 21 Nov 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  37. 22 Nov 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  38. 24 Nov 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  39. 25 Nov 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  40. 26 Nov 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  41. 05 Dec 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  42. 06 Dec 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  43. 07 Dec 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  44. 08 Dec 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  45. 09 Dec 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  46. 12 Dec 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  47. 13 Dec 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  48. 14 Dec 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  49. 15 Dec 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  50. 16 Dec 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  51. 19 Dec 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  52. 20 Dec 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  53. 21 Dec 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  54. 22 Dec 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  55. 23 Dec 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  56. 26 Dec 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  57. 27 Dec 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  58. 28 Dec 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  59. 29 Dec 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  60. 30 Dec 2017 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  61. 09 Jan 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  62. 10 Jan 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  63. 11 Jan 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  64. 12 Jan 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  65. 13 Jan 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  66. 16 Jan 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  67. 17 Jan 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  68. 18 Jan 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  69. 19 Jan 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  70. 20 Jan 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  71. 23 Jan 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  72. 24 Jan 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  73. 25 Jan 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  74. 26 Jan 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  75. 27 Jan 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  76. 30 Jan 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  77. 31 Jan 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  78. 01 Feb 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  79. 02 Feb 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  80. 03 Feb 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  81. 28 Feb 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  82. 01 Mar 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  83. 02 Mar 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  84. 03 Mar 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  85. 06 Mar 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  86. 07 Mar 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  87. 08 Mar 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  88. 09 Mar 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  89. 10 Mar 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  90. 14 Mar 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  91. 15 Mar 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  92. 16 Mar 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  93. 17 Mar 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  94. 20 Mar 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  95. 21 Mar 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  96. 22 Mar 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  97. 23 Mar 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  98. 24 Mar 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  99. 27 Mar 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  100. 28 Mar 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  101. 29 Mar 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  102. 30 Mar 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  103. 04 Apr 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  104. 05 Apr 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  105. 06 Apr 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  106. 07 Apr 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  107. 10 Apr 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  108. 11 Apr 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  109. 12 Apr 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  110. 13 Apr 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  111. 14 Apr 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  112. 17 Apr 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  113. 18 Apr 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  114. 19 Apr 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  115. 20 Apr 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  116. 02 May 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  117. 03 May 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  118. 04 May 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  119. 05 May 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  120. 08 May 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  121. 09 May 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  122. 10 May 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  123. 11 May 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  124. 12 May 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  125. 16 May 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  126. 17 May 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  127. 18 May 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  128. 19 May 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  129. 22 May 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  130. 23 May 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  131. 24 May 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  132. 25 May 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  133. 26 May 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  134. 30 May 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  135. 31 May 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  136. 01 Jun 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  137. 02 Jun 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  138. 05 Jun 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  139. 06 Jun 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  140. 07 Jun 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  141. 08 Jun 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  142. 09 Jun 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  143. 13 Jun 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  144. 14 Jun 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  145. 15 Jun 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  146. 16 Jun 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  147. 19 Jun 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  148. 20 Jun 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  149. 21 Jun 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  150. 22 Jun 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  151. 23 Jun 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  152. 27 Jun 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  153. 28 Jun 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  154. 29 Jun 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  155. 30 Jun 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  156. 10 Jul 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  157. 11 Jul 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  158. 12 Jul 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  159. 13 Jul 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  160. 14 Jul 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  161. 17 Jul 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  162. 18 Jul 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  163. 20 Jul 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  164. 21 Jul 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  165. 24 Jul 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  166. 25 Jul 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  167. 26 Jul 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  168. 27 Jul 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  169. 08 Aug 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  170. 09 Aug 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  171. 10 Aug 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  172. 11 Aug 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  173. 14 Aug 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  174. 15 Aug 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  175. 16 Aug 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  176. 17 Aug 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  177. 18 Aug 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  178. 22 Aug 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  179. 23 Aug 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  180. 24 Aug 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  181. 25 Aug 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  182. 28 Aug 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  183. 29 Aug 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  184. 30 Aug 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  185. 31 Aug 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  186. 04 Sep 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  187. 05 Sep 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  188. 06 Sep 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  189. 07 Sep 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  190. 26 Sep 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  191. 27 Sep 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  192. 28 Sep 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  193. 29 Sep 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  194. 02 Oct 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  195. 03 Oct 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  196. 04 Oct 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  197. 05 Oct 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  198. 06 Oct 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  199. 10 Oct 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  200. 11 Oct 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  201. 12 Oct 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  202. 13 Oct 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  203. 16 Oct 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  204. 17 Oct 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  205. 18 Oct 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  206. 19 Oct 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  207. 20 Oct 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  208. 24 Oct 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  209. 25 Oct 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  210. 26 Oct 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  211. 27 Oct 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  212. 30 Oct 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  213. 31 Oct 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  214. 01 Nov 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  215. 02 Nov 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  216. 03 Nov 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  217. 07 Nov 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  218. 08 Nov 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  219. 09 Nov 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  220. 10 Nov 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  221. 13 Nov 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  222. 14 Nov 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  223. 15 Nov 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  224. 16 Nov 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  225. 17 Nov 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  226. 28 Nov 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  227. 29 Nov 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  228. 30 Nov 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  229. 01 Dec 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  230. 04 Dec 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  231. 05 Dec 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  232. 06 Dec 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  233. 07 Dec 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  234. 08 Dec 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  235. 12 Dec 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  236. 13 Dec 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  237. 14 Dec 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  238. 15 Dec 2018 at Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, NY
  239. 26 Jun 2021 at St. James Theatre, New York City, NY
  240. 29 Jun 2021 at St. James Theatre, New York City, NY
  241. 30 Jun 2021 at St. James Theatre, New York City, NY
  242. 01 Jul 2021 at St. James Theatre, New York City, NY
  243. 02 Jul 2021 at St. James Theatre, New York City, NY
  244. 03 Jul 2021 at St. James Theatre, New York City, NY
  245. 06 Jul 2021 at St. James Theatre, New York City, NY
  246. 07 Jul 2021 at St. James Theatre, New York City, NY
  247. 08 Jul 2021 at St. James Theatre, New York City, NY
  248. 09 Jul 2021 at St. James Theatre, New York City, NY
  249. 10 Jul 2021 at St. James Theatre, New York City, NY
  250. 13 Jul 2021 at St. James Theatre, New York City, NY
  251. 14 Jul 2021 at St. James Theatre, New York City, NY
  252. 15 Jul 2021 at St. James Theatre, New York City, NY
  253. 16 Jul 2021 at St. James Theatre, New York City, NY
  254. 17 Jul 2021 at St. James Theatre, New York City, NY
  255. 17 Aug 2021 at St. James Theatre, New York City, NY
  256. 18 Aug 2021 at St. James Theatre, New York City, NY
  257. 19 Aug 2021 at St. James Theatre, New York City, NY
  258. 20 Aug 2021 at St. James Theatre, New York City, NY
  259. 24 Aug 2021 at St. James Theatre, New York City, NY
  260. 25 Aug 2021 at St. James Theatre, New York City, NY
  261. 26 Aug 2021 at St. James Theatre, New York City, NY
  262. 27 Aug 2021 at St. James Theatre, New York City, NY
  263. 28 Aug 2021 at St. James Theatre, New York City, NY
  264. 31 Aug 2021 at St. James Theatre, New York City, NY
  265. 01 Sep 2021 at St. James Theatre, New York City, NY
  266. 02 Sep 2021 at St. James Theatre, New York City, NY
  267. 03 Sep 2021 at St. James Theatre, New York City, NY
  268. 04 Sep 2021 at St. James Theatre, New York City, NY

Live History: off-tour

THUNDER ROAD was performed off-tour on 12 May 1977 and 13 May 1977 at Monmouth Arts Center in Red Bank, NJ, with The Asbury Park All-Star Revue. The song was played in a full-band arrangement featuring a piano introduction by Roy Bittan. See the live 13 May 1977 (early show) version for more details.

THUNDER ROAD was performed off-tour on 13 Sep 1977 at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ, with with Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes. The song was played in a full-band arrangement. See the live 13 Sep 1977 version for more details.

THUNDER ROAD was performed off-tour on 03 Jun 1979 at Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, CA, during the wedding party for Marc Brickman (Springsteen's lighting director) and June Rudley (Springsteen's travel agent). Springsteen, along with members of the E Street Band, joined Ricky Lee Jones and Boz Scaggs for a three hour celebration, playing a mixture of classic covers and Springsteen originals.

THUNDER ROAD was performed off-tour on 21 and 22 Sep 1979 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY, during the MUSE Concerts For A Non-Nuclear Future. The live 21 Sep 1979 version and the live 22 Sep 1979 version of THUNDER ROAD were released on the No Nukes 1979 official live download in 2018.

THUNDER ROAD was performed off-tour on 16 Nov 1990 and 17 Nov 1990 at Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, CA, during the benefit shows for the Christic Institute. The song was played solo on grand piano. The live 16 Nov 1990 version and the live 17 Nov 1990 version of THUNDER ROAD were released on The Christic Shows, November 16 & 17, 1990 official live download in 2016.

THUNDER ROAD was performed off-tour on 22 Sep 1992 at Warner Hollywood Studios in Los Angeles, CA, during the taping of MTV Unplugged. That performance was released on the In Concert / MTV Plugged home video in 1992 and the corresponding audio album the following year. See the live 22 Sep 1992 version for more details.

THUNDER ROAD was performed off-tour on 15 Feb 1995 at Brooklyn Academy Of Music in New York City, NY, during the taping of Melissa Etheridge's episode of MTV Unplugged. The song was played in an acoustic arrangement as a duet Melissa with Etheridge. See the live 15 Feb 1995 version for more details.

THUNDER ROAD was performed off-tour on 21 Feb 1995 at Tramps nightclub in New York City, NY, during a reunion gig with the E Street Band. See the live 21 Feb 1995 version for more details.

THUNDER ROAD was performed off-tour on 05 Apr 1995 at Sony Music Studios in New York City, NY, during a gig with the E Street Band to promote the release of the Greatest Hits album. This live 05 Apr 1995 version of the song was officially released on the Hungry Heart EP in 1995. See the live 05 Apr 1995 (Sony Music Studios) version for more details.

THUNDER ROAD was performed off-tour on 09 Jul 1995 at Cafe Eckstein in Berlin, Germany, during a gig with Wolfgang Niedecken and Leopardefellband to tape the HUNGRY HEART music video. The song was played in a solo electric arrangement. See the live 09 Jul 1995 version for more details.

THUNDER ROAD was performed off-tour on 05 May 1997 at Grand Hotel in Stockholm, Sweden, during the Polar Music Prize awards ceremony. The song was played in a solo acoustic arrangement. See the live 05 May 1997 version for more details.

THUNDER ROAD was performed off-tour on 31 Jan 1998 at Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, NJ, during the "Come Together: Jon Bon Jovi & Friends" benefit concert. See the live 31 Jan 1998 version for more details.

THUNDER ROAD was performed off-tour on 18 and 19 Oct 2001 at Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, NJ, during The Alliance Of Neighbors Concerts. The song was also performed acoustically during a public sound-check held on the afternoon of 18 Oct 2001 at Count Basie Theatre. These shows were fundraisers for the families from Monmouth County, NJ, that were affected by the 9/11 tragedy. The 19 Oct 2001 show was broadcast on cable television. See the live 19 Oct 2001 version for more details.

THUNDER ROAD was performed off-tour on 26 Jul 2002 at Sonny's Southern Cuisine restaurant in Asbury Park, NJ, when Springsteen played an intimate acoustic set for contest winners who were at the warm-up gig for The Rising Tour that took place on the afternoon of the same day at the Convention Hall in Asbury Park. Patti Scialfa joined Bruce Springsteen on harmony vocals for THUNDER ROAD.

THUNDER ROAD was performed off-tour on 29 Aug 2002 at Hayden Planetarium in New York City, NY, during an open air convert filmed for the MTV Video Music Awards. See the live 29 Aug 2002 version for more details.

THUNDER ROAD was performed off-tour on 04 Oct 2002 at Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge in Boston, MA, during the bridge opening ceremony. The song was played in a solo acoustic arrangement. See the live 04 Oct 2002 version for more details.

THUNDER ROAD was performed off-tour on 19 and 20 Feb 2003 at Somerville Theatre in Somerville, MA, during the DoubleTake Magazine benefit shows. The song was played solo acoustic. See the live 19 Feb 2003 version for more details.

THUNDER ROAD was performed off-tour on 29 Apr 2003 at Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, NJ, during "The Hope Concert" benefit. The song was played in a full-band version, with Bruce Springsteen backed by the Max Weinberg 7, plus Bobby Bandiera on guitar, and joined by Jon Bon Jovi on guitar and vocals. See the live 29 Apr 2003 version for more details. The song was also practiced the previous day at Count Basie Theatre during the concert's rehearsals.

THUNDER ROAD was performed off-tour on 04 Apr 2005 at Rechnitz Theater in Red Bank, NJ, during the taping of Bruce Springsteen's episode of VH1's Storytellers television series. The song was played solo on grand piano. An edited version of the concert was released on the VH1 Storytellers home video in 2005. See the live 04 Apr 2005 version for more details.

THUNDER ROAD was performed off-tour on 09 Nov 2007 at Pier Sixty in New York City, NY, during the fifth annual Joe Torre Safe At Home Foundation benefit. The song was played solo on acoustic guitar. See the live 09 Nov 2007 version for more details.

THUNDER ROAD was performed off-tour on 07 May 2008 at Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, NJ, during a benefit show for the historic theatre. The complete Born To Run album was played that night. See the live 07 May 2008 version for more details.

THUNDER ROAD was performed off-tour on 18 Jun 2008 via statellite from The Netherlands, during a televised memorial service for Tim Russert which was held at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. The song was played solo on acoustic guitar and harmonica. See the live 18 Jun 2008 version for more details.

THUNDER ROAD was performed off-tour on 17 Nov 2009 at Carnegie Hall in New York City, NY, during the "Concert For Autism Speaks" event. The song was played in a solo acoustic arrangement. See the live 17 Nov 2009 version for more details.

THUNDER ROAD was performed off-tour on 09 Mar 2012 at Apollo Theater in New York City, NY, during the Sirius Satellite Radio 10-year anniversary celebration. The song was played with the E Street Band. The live 09 Mar 2012 version of THUNDER ROAD was released on the Apollo Theater 03/09/12 official live download in 2014.

THUNDER ROAD was performed off-tour on 15 Mar 2012 at Moody Theater in Austin, TX, during the South By Southwest music festival. The song was played with the E Street band.

  1. 12 May 1977 at Monmouth Arts Center, Red Bank, NJ
  2. 13 May 1977 (early show) at Monmouth Arts Center, Red Bank, NJ
  3. 13 May 1977 (late show) at Monmouth Arts Center, Red Bank, NJ
  4. 13 Sep 1977 at The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ
  5. 03 Jun 1979 at Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, CA
  6. 21 Sep 1979 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
  7. 22 Sep 1979 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
  8. 16 Nov 1990 at Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA
  9. 17 Nov 1990 at Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA
  10. 22 Sep 1992 at Warner Hollywood Studios, Los Angeles, CA
  11. 15 Feb 1995 at Brooklyn Academy Of Music, New York City, NY
  12. 21 Feb 1995 at Tramps, New York City, NY
  13. 05 Apr 1995 at Sony Music Studios, New York City, NY
  14. 09 Jul 1995 at Cafe Eckstein, Berlin, Germany
  15. 05 May 1997 at Grand Hotel, Stockholm, Sweden
  16. 31 Jan 1998 at Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, NJ
  17. 18 Oct 2001 (public soundcheck) at Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, NJ
  18. 18 Oct 2001 at Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, NJ
  19. 19 Oct 2001 at Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, NJ
  20. 26 Jul 2002 at Sonny's Southern Cuisine, Asbury Park, NJ
  21. 29 Aug 2002 at Hayden Planetarium, New York City, NY
  22. 04 Oct 2002 at Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge, Boston, MA
  23. 19 Feb 2003 at Somerville Theatre, Somerville, MA
  24. 20 Feb 2003 at Somerville Theatre, Somerville, MA
  25. 29 Apr 2003 at Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, NJ
  26. 04 Apr 2005 at Rechnitz Theater, Red Bank, NJ
  27. 09 Nov 2007 at Pier Sixty, New York City, NY
  28. 07 May 2008 at Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, NJ
  29. 18 Jun 2008 at Kennedy Center, Washington, DC
  30. 17 Nov 2009 at Carnegie Hall, New York City, NY
  31. 09 Mar 2012 at Apollo Theater, New York City, NY
  32. 15 Mar 2012 at Moody Theater, Austin, TX

Bruce Springsteen performed on four election rallies for U.S. presidential candidate senator John Kerry in 2004. THUNDER ROAD was performed during one of the four rallies. The song was played in a solo acoustic arrangement. See the live 01 Nov 2004 version for more details.

THUNDER ROAD was performed on all of the four Barack Obama 2008 election rallies on which Springsteen appeared. The song was played solo on acoustic guitar and harmonica. See the live 04 Oct 2008 version for more details. THUNDER ROAD was also performed on 16 Oct 2008 at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, NY, during the "Change Rocks" benefit show for Barack Obama's presidential campaign. See the live 16 Oct 2008 version for more details.

  1. 04 Oct 2008 at Ben Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA
  2. 05 Oct 2008 at Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
  3. 06 Oct 2008 at Oestrike Stadium, Ypsilanti, MI
  4. 16 Oct 2008 at Hammerstein Ballroom, New York City, NY
  5. 02 Nov 2008 at Lakeside Ave, Cleveland, OH

THUNDER ROAD was performed on two of the seven Barack Obama 2012 election rallies on which Springsteen appeared. The song was played solo on acoustic guitar.

  1. 18 Oct 2012 at Cuyahoga Community College, Parma, OH
  2. 18 Oct 2012 at Iowa State University, Ames, IA
  3. 23 Oct 2012 at nTelos Wireless Pavilion, Charlottesville, VA
  4. 27 Oct 2012 at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum, Pittsburgh, PA

THUNDER ROAD was performed on one (of only one) Hillary Clinton 2016 election rally on which Springsteen appeared. The song was played in a solo acoustic guitar and harmonica arrangement. See the live 07 Nov 2016 version for more details.

Bruce Springsteen has been performing on almost all the annual Stand Up for Heroes benefits since 2007. THUNDER ROAD was performed during the first (2007) and second (2008) annual benefits. The song was played in a solo acoustic guitar and harmonica arrangement. See the live 07 Nov 2007 version for more details.

  1. 07 Nov 2007 at Town Hall, New York City, NY (during the first annual Stand Up For Heroes benefit)
  2. 05 Nov 2008 at Town Hall, New York City, NY (during the second annual Stand Up For Heroes benefit)

Since 2002, Springsteen has been playing private benefit shows for schools and colleges that his kids attended ─ Rumson Country Day School of Rumson, NJ, and Ranney School of Tinton Falls, NJ, and Boston College of Chestnut Hill, MA. THUNDER ROAD was performed at 7 of these fundraisers, always at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ. On the first two of these shows (in 2002), the song was played in an acoustic arrangement with Springsteen on guitar and vocals and Patti Scialfa joining him on vocals. On the third of these shows (in 2008), the song was played solo on electric guitar. On the last four of these shows (in 2009, 2010, and 2011), the song was played solo acoustic. THUNDER ROAD was also performed on 22 May 2010 during a benefit gala for Gateway School held in New York City, NY. The song was played in an acoustic arrangement with Springsteen on guitar and vocals and Patti Scialfa joining him on vocals.

  1. 13 Apr 2002 at The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ (with Patti Scialfa, during a private fundraiser for Rumson Country Day School)
  2. 14 Apr 2002 at The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ (with Patti Scialfa, during a private fundraiser for Rumson Country Day School)
  3. 13 May 2008 at The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ (during a private fundraiser for Ranney School)
  4. 17 Oct 2009 at The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ (during a private fundraiser for Boston College)
  5. 22 May 2010 at Nokia Theater, New York City, NY (with Patti Scialfa, during a benefit gala for Gateway School)
  6. 11 Sep 2010 at The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ (during a private fundraiser for Boston College)
  7. 29 Jan 2011 at The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ (during a private fundraiser for Ranney School)
  8. 22 Oct 2011 at The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ (during a private fundraiser for Boston College)

Bruce Springsteen appeared at a total of six Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers concerts at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum in Pittsburgh, PA, in 2010, 2011, and 2014. THUNDER ROAD was performed on 04 Nov 2010, 05 Nov 2010, 03 Nov 2011, and 04 Nov 2011. The song was the closer of each of these four shows and was played in an acoustic sing-along arrangement. Joe Grushecky joined Springsteen on lead vocals on THUNDER ROAD on the 04 Nov 2011 show. See the live 04 Nov 2010 version, the live 03 Nov 2011 version, and the live 04 Nov 2011 version for more details.

THUNDER ROAD was performed during the eleventh (2011), twelfth (2012), fourteenth (2014), and fifteenth (2015) annual Light Of Day benefits. The song was played at the end of the shows, in a sing-along acoustic arrangement. See the live 15 Jan 2011 version and the live 14 Jan 2012 version for more details.

  1. 15 Jan 2011 at Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park, NJ (during the eleventh annual Light Of Day benefit)
  2. 14 Jan 2012 at Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park, NJ (during the twelfth annual Light Of Day benefit)
  3. 18 Jan 2014 at Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park, NJ (during the fourteenth annual Light Of Day benefit)
  4. 17 Jan 2015 at Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park, NJ (during the fifteenth annual Light Of Day benefit)

Appearance in Movies

Bruce Springsteen's album version of THUNDER ROAD appears in two movies.

Promotional poster for the film "Mask"
Mask

It was used in the 1985 film Mask, directed by Peter Bogdanovich and starring Cher, Sam Elliott, and Eric Stoltz. The song was not included in the film's soundtrack album.

The movie originally featured extensive use of Springsteen's music in the soundtrack, including: BADLANDS, THUNDER ROAD, THE PROMISED LAND, THE RIVER, and BORN IN THE U.S.A.. The music was used to set a timeline for the story, and Springsteen is a favorite of Roy "Rocky" Dennis, about whom the story is based. By the time the movie was released to theaters, the Springsteen element had to be stripped down (against the director's will) and replaced by Bob Seger songs. A new director's cut was released on DVD from Universal Studios in September 2004, and is seven minutes longer with the original Bruce Springsteen songs score restored. "Now it exists in the form it should have been 20 years ago," Bogdanovich told ESPN. "I think you'll find it a much better picture." Bogdanovich also discusses the Springsteen element in a commentary track on the DVD.
Promotional poster for the film "Blinded By The Light"
Blinded By The Light

It was used in the 2019 film Blinded By The Light, directed by Gurinder Chadha and starring Viveik Kalra. A different version of the song (the live 18 Oct 1975 (early show) version) was included in the film's soundtrack album.

See I'LL STAND BY YOU (the "Blinded By The Light" section) for more details.

Covers

At least 72 artists have recorded and released Bruce Springsteen's THUNDER ROAD.

Kids Incorporated -- The Chart Hits
Kids Incorporated -- The Chart Hits

LP - K-Tel (NU 1850) - USA, 1985
John Berry -- Saddle The Wind
John Berry -- Saddle The Wind

CD - no label (WRF9091CD) - USA, 1990

This album was reissued in 1994 on Liberty and on EMI/Capitol with a different artwork. John Berry's cover version of THUNDER ROAD was also included in 2004 on the various artists Bruce Springsteen tribute album Reason To Believe: A Country Music Tribute To Bruce Springsteen.
Double Negative -- Live at Elandorf 1996
Double Negative -- Live at Elandorf 1996

CD - Nibor (1058) - USA, 1996

This is a live album.
Richard De Groot -- Man At The Top: Medley Of Springsteen Songs
Richard De Groot -- Man At The Top: Medley Of Springsteen Songs

CD EP - Roulette Records (RR001) - Holland, 1997

This EP contains a cover of MAN AT THE TOP plus two versions (electric and acoustic) of a medley consisting of 8 Springsteen covers: BECAUSE THE NIGHT, BORN IN THE U.S.A., BORN TO RUN, DANCING IN THE DARK, FIRE, FOR YOU, MAN AT THE TOP, and THUNDER ROAD. Also included is a CD-ROM track containing interactive material.
The Springstreeters -- Ground Zero
The Springstreeters -- Ground Zero

CD - no label (no catalog number) - USA, 1997

This is the Williams College a-cappella group.
Barbara Fasano -- The Girls Of Summer
Barbara Fasano -- The Girls Of Summer

CD - Human Child (hcr400) - USA, 1998
Frank Jaklitsch -- Outside The Lines
Frank Jaklitsch -- Outside The Lines

CD - unknown label (unknown catalog number) - USA, 1999

Includes two Bruce Springsteen covers: IF I SHOULD FALL BEHIND and THUNDER ROAD.
Kevin Rowland -- My Beauty
Kevin Rowland -- My Beauty

CD - Creation (CRECD 216P) - UK, 1999

This promo issue exclusively contains Kevin Rowland's cover version of THUNDER ROAD. See Kevin Rowland's version for more details.
American Boys -- Bruce Springsteen - Coverversion
American Boys -- Bruce Springsteen - Coverversion

CD - Azzurra (TBP 1113) - Italy, 2000

This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album. It was reissued in 2003 under the title Bruce Springsteen: The Best - Cover 100%, with catalog number TBP 1152 and with a different artwork.
Greg Kihn -- True Kihnfessions
Greg Kihn -- True Kihnfessions

CD - Corazong (2000010) - Europe, 2000

Greg Kihn's cover of THUNDER ROAD was also included on some various artists Bruce Springsteen tribute albums. See Greg Kihn's version for more details.
Richard Coleman -- I Can't Believe It's Not... Bruce Springsteen
Richard Coleman -- I Can't Believe It's Not... Bruce Springsteen

CD - Pegasus (ICBINCD 047) - Germany, 2001

This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
Studio 99 -- Born In The USA: Springsteen - A Tribute
Studio 99 -- Born In The USA: Springsteen - A Tribute

CD - Going For A Song (GFS402) - UK, 2001

This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
Nick White -- The Music Of Bruce Springsteen
Nick White -- The Music Of Bruce Springsteen

CD - Millennium Gold (MG2110) - Holland, 2002

This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
The Section -- Hometown: The String Quartet Tribute To Springsteen
The Section -- Hometown: The String Quartet Tribute To Springsteen

CD - Vitamin (CD 8678) - USA, 2002

This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
Various artists -- Drew's Famous 30 Greatest Race Tracks Classics
Various artists -- Drew's Famous 30 Greatest Race Tracks Classics

2xCD - Turn Up The Music (TUTM 1291-2) - USA, 2002

THUNDER ROAD is performed by The Hit Crew. Their cover was also included in 2012 on the download-only digital Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, and Eric Clapton tribute album A Tribute To Rock Icons Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel And Eric Clapton.
Renato Russo -- Renato Russo Presente
Renato Russo -- Renato Russo Presente

CD - EMI (583029 2) - Brazil, 2003
Solo -- Canciones De Bruce Springsteen
Solo -- Canciones De Bruce Springsteen

CD - no label (no catalog number) - Spain, 2003

This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album. THUNDER ROAD is a Spanish adaptation titled "Camino del trueno".
Various artists -- Born To Run 2003 Volume One
Various artists -- Born To Run 2003 Volume One

CD - Uncut (2003 04A) - UK, 2003

This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album. It's a free CD (volume 1 of 2) issued exclusively with the April 2003 issue of Uncut magazine. THUNDER ROAD is performed by Badly Drawn Boy. See Badly Drawn Boy's version for more details.
Various artists -- Light Of Day: A Tribute To Bruce Springsteen
Various artists -- Light Of Day: A Tribute To Bruce Springsteen

2xCD - Schoolhouse Records / Big Daddy (SHR0022-2) - USA, 2003
2xCD - Good Sounds / DiscMedi Blau (DM 797E-02) - Spain, 2003
3xCD - Good Sounds / DiscMedi Blau (DM 797-02) - Spain, 2003
2xCD - Schoolhouse Records / Revolver (REV XD244) - UK, 2004
2xCD - Revolver / Sony (MHCP 928-9) - Japan, 2005

This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album. There are five issues of this album (with three track configurations) and this track was included on all five issues listed above. THUNDER ROAD is performed by Dan Bern.
Various artists -- Light Of Day: A Tribute To Bruce Springsteen
Various artists -- Light Of Day: A Tribute To Bruce Springsteen

3xCD - Good Sounds / DiscMedi Blau (DM 797-02) - Spain, 2003

This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album. There are five issues of this album (with three track configurations) and this track was only included on the issue listed above. THUNDER ROAD is performed by Jaime Anglada.
Ashton Jones -- American Boy
Ashton Jones -- American Boy

CD EP - unknown label (unknown catalog number) - USA, 2004
Cowboy Junkies -- 'Neath Your Covers, Part 1
Cowboy Junkies -- 'Neath Your Covers, Part 1

CD EP - Zoë Records (01143-2005-2) - USA, 2004

This is a free 5-track EP given away with the purchase of Cowboy Junkies' One Soul Now album. See Cowboy Junkies' version for more details.
New Jersey All Stars -- A Tribute To Bruce Springsteen
New Jersey All Stars -- A Tribute To Bruce Springsteen

CD - Cedar (1402) - Europe, 2004

This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
Various artists -- Thunder Road - Tracks Inspired By The Boss
Various artists -- Thunder Road - Tracks Inspired By The Boss

CD - Uncut (2005 11) - UK, 2005

This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album. It's a free CD issued exclusively with the November 2005 issue Uncut magazine. THUNDER ROAD is performed by Mary Lou Lord.
Matt Tyler -- Brilliant Disguise
Matt Tyler -- Brilliant Disguise

CD-R - Dannyboy Records (DBM003) - UK, 2006

This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
Milow -- You Don't Know
Milow -- You Don't Know

CD EP - Munich Records / Homerun Records (MRCDS 858) - Belgium, 2006

THUNDER ROAD is a live version.
Paul Baribeau & Ginger Alford -- Darkness On The Edge Of Your Town Tour
Paul Baribeau & Ginger Alford -- Darkness On The Edge Of Your Town Tour

CD-R - no label (no catalog number) - USA, 2006
CD-R - no label (no catalog number) - USA, 2009

This is a live Bruce Springsteen tribute album. CD-R copies were sold on tour and online. The 2006 issue contains 10 tracks and the 2009 reissue includes 5 additional tracks. THUNDER ROAD can be found on both issues.
Studio Group -- A Tribute To Bruce Springsteen Vol 2
Studio Group -- A Tribute To Bruce Springsteen Vol 2

Digital album - Charly Records (no catalog number) - unknown country, 2006

This is a download-only digital Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
Tortoise & Bonnie Prince Billy -- The Brave And The Bold
Tortoise & Bonnie Prince Billy -- The Brave And The Bold

CD - Overcoat Recordings (OC27) - USA, 2006
LP - Overcoat Recordings (OC27) - USA, 2006

Tortoise & Bonnie Prince Billy's cover of THUNDER ROAD was also released in Norway in 2006 on the various artists promotional sampler Playground Sampler, Feb 2006.
Hayward Williams -- Another Sailor's Dream
Hayward Williams -- Another Sailor's Dream

CD - Machine Records (MAC761012) - USA, 2007
The Blankket -- Be Your Own Boss
The Blankket -- Be Your Own Boss

MiniCD EP - Blocks Recording Club (040) - Canada, 2007

This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute EP.
Sal Ritz And Joe Mixon -- No Shoes Required
Sal Ritz And Joe Mixon -- No Shoes Required

CD - no label (no catalog number) - USA, 2008
Andrew Nicholson -- Driving All Night: A Tribute To Bruce Springsteen Volume II
Andrew Nicholson -- Driving All Night: A Tribute To Bruce Springsteen Volume II

CD - no label (no catalog number) - UK, 2009

This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
Dana Agnellini -- River Of Dreams
Dana Agnellini -- River Of Dreams

CD - Silver Lining Records (unknown catalog number) - USA, 2009
David Bryce -- Gotcha Covered
David Bryce -- Gotcha Covered

CD - David Bryce (unknown catalog number) - USA, 2009
Lullaby Players -- Sleepytime Tunes: Bruce Springsteen Lullaby Tribute
Lullaby Players -- Sleepytime Tunes: Bruce Springsteen Lullaby Tribute

CD - Copycats Entertainment (CCE 9048) - USA, 2009

This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
Rock Riot -- A Tribute To Bruce Springsteen
Rock Riot -- A Tribute To Bruce Springsteen

Digital EP - Vanilla OMP (unknown catalog number) - unknown country, 2009

This is a download-only digital Bruce Springsteen tribute EP. It was later reissued featuring a different artwork and credited to "The Wanted".
The Grindstone Cowboys -- The Hits
The Grindstone Cowboys -- The Hits

CD - no label (unknown catalog number) - Canada, 2009
The Pop Royals -- Sing The Hits Of Bruce Springsteen
The Pop Royals -- Sing The Hits Of Bruce Springsteen

Digital album - Marathon Media (unknown catalog number) - unknown country, 2009

This is a download-only digital Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
The Popettes -- Gold Classics
The Popettes -- Gold Classics

Digital album - Ectypal Music OMP (unknown catalog number) - USA, 2009

This is a download-only digital album.
Various artists -- Play Some Pool, Skip Some School, Act Real Cool: A Global Pop Tribute To Bruce Springsteen
Various artists -- Play Some Pool, Skip Some School, Act Real Cool: A Global Pop Tribute To Bruce Springsteen

2xCD - Where It's At Is Where You Are (WIACD20) - UK, 2009

This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album. THUNDER ROAD is performed by Hillary And The Democrates.
Jukebox Junction -- Trip Down Memory Lane: Enduring Classics From Yesterday
Jukebox Junction -- Trip Down Memory Lane: Enduring Classics From Yesterday

Digital album - Silence Is Golden / OMP (unknown catalog number) - USA, 2010

This is a download-only digital album.
Kyle Swartzwelder -- Our Home In Yonder Field
Kyle Swartzwelder -- Our Home In Yonder Field

Digital EP - 13:13 Records (1313-002) - USA, 2010

This is a download-only digital EP.
Le Voci Del Tempo -- Il Mio Nome È Joe Roberts
Le Voci Del Tempo -- Il Mio Nome È Joe Roberts

CD - Pubblico-08 (no catalog number) - Italy, 2010

This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
Merry Miller -- "Pop" Favorites On the Harp
Merry Miller -- "Pop" Favorites On the Harp

Digital album - Harp Music To Go (unknown catalog number) - USA, 2010

This is a download-only digital album.
Mount Pleasant -- Born To Run
Mount Pleasant -- Born To Run

Digital album - no label (no catalog number) - New New Zealand, 2010

This is a free download-only digital Bruce Springsteen tribute album. It includes three versions of THUNDER ROAD, the third being a bonus track performed by Joseph Harper.
The Hit Co. -- A Tribute To The Best Of Bruce Springsteen Box Set
The Hit Co. -- A Tribute To The Best Of Bruce Springsteen Box Set

Digital album - Planet Music (unknown catalog number) - unknown country, 2010

This is a download-only digital Bruce Springsteen tribute album. It was also released the same year as three separate volumes: Long Live The Boss: A Tribute To Bruce Springsteen Vol. 1 1973-1985, Long Live The Boss: A Tribute To Bruce Springsteen Vol. 2 1980-1989, and Long Live The Boss: A Tribute To Bruce Springsteen Vol. 3 1990-2009. A Tribute To The Best Of Bruce Springsteen Box Set however includes two tracks not found on the three separate volumes. In 2012, the same tracks found on A Tribute To The Best Of Bruce Springsteen Box Set were distributed over three download-only digital Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp tribute albums: Working Class Heroes: A Tribute to Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp, Vol. 1, Working Class Heroes: A Tribute to Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp, Vol. 2, and Working Class Heroes: A Tribute to Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp, Vol. 3.
Twilight Trio -- Pure Instrumental - All Hits V2
Twilight Trio -- Pure Instrumental - All Hits V2

Digital album - Digital Revolution (unknown catalog number) - USA, 2010

This is a download-only digital album.
Alice Ripley -- Daily Practice Volume 1
Alice Ripley -- Daily Practice Volume 1

CD - Sh-K-Boom Records (unknown catalog number) - USA, 2011
Dan May -- Dying Breed
Dan May -- Dying Breed

CD - unknown label (unknown catalog number) - USA, 2011
Frank Turner -- The Second Three Years
Frank Turner -- The Second Three Years

CD - Xtra Mile Recordings (XMR053CD) - UK, 2011
Paul Roush -- Today's The Day
Paul Roush -- Today's The Day

CD - no label (no catalog number) - USA, 2011
The Boss Band -- The Ultimate Tribute To Bruce Springsteen
The Boss Band -- The Ultimate Tribute To Bruce Springsteen

Digital album - Big Eye Music (unknown catalog number) - USA, 2011

This is a download-only digital Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
Déjà Vu -- Tribute To Working Class Hero Bruce Springsteen - Vol. 2
Déjà Vu -- Tribute To Working Class Hero Bruce Springsteen - Vol. 2

Digital album - Zulu (unknown catalog number) - USA, 2012

This is a download-only digital Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
Frans Pollux -- Pollux Duit Springsteen
Frans Pollux -- Pollux Duit Springsteen

CD - hippoproducties (no catalog number) - Holland, 2012
2xLP - unknown label (unknown catalog number) - Holland, 2022

This is a live Bruce Springsteen tribute album. All songs are in Dutch. The album was reissued on vinyl in 2022, with three additional tracks and completely different artwork. THUNDER ROAD is a Dutch version titled "Raegewaeg".
Luigi Stephensen -- Noir Et Blanc
Luigi Stephensen -- Noir Et Blanc

Digital album - CD Run (unknown catalog number) - France, 2013

This is a download-only digital album.
Martyn Joseph -- Tires Rushing By In The Rain
Martyn Joseph -- Tires Rushing By In The Rain

CD - Pipe Records (PRCD023) - UK, 2013

This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
Andrew Bissel -- Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions Of Bruce Springsteen
Andrew Bissel -- Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions Of Bruce Springsteen

CD - Rockabye Baby! (CD 9701) - USA, 2014

This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
Boo Hoo & The Burning Hell -- Sing For The Lonely
Boo Hoo & The Burning Hell -- Sing For The Lonely

CD - no label (no catalog number) - Germany, 2014

This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
Sergio Gisbert -- Loose Ends: A Tribute To Bruce Springsteen's 78-80 Era
Sergio Gisbert -- Loose Ends: A Tribute To Bruce Springsteen's 78-80 Era

CD - no label (no catalog number) - Spain, 2014

This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
Various artists -- Bruce Springsteen Tribute (Rauch Auf Dem Wasser - Edition)
Various artists -- Bruce Springsteen Tribute (Rauch Auf Dem Wasser - Edition)

CD - Coaast TMP (no catalog number) - Germany, 2014

This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album. THUNDER ROAD is performed by Carolin Hinz & Peter Grützmann.
Various artists -- Rock Made In USA
Various artists -- Rock Made In USA

Digital album - Open Records (unknown catalog number) - unknown country, 2014

This is a download-only digital album. 13 of the 20 tracks are covers of Bruce Springsteen songs. THUNDER ROAD is performed by Shannon Travis.
Various artists -- Thunder Road - A Folk-Punk Tribute To Bruce Springsteen
Various artists -- Thunder Road - A Folk-Punk Tribute To Bruce Springsteen

Digital album - Anxiety Attack Recordings (AA-005) - Canada, 2014

This is a free download-only digital Bruce Springsteen tribute album. THUNDER ROAD is performed by James Renton.
Various artists -- Tramps Like Us - My Music Factory's Bruce Springsteen Tribute
Various artists -- Tramps Like Us - My Music Factory's Bruce Springsteen Tribute

Digital album - no label (no catalog number) - unknown country, 2014

This is a free download-only digital Bruce Springsteen tribute album. THUNDER ROAD is performed by Nordgarden.
Alyssa Hankey -- A Mellow Assortment
Alyssa Hankey -- A Mellow Assortment

CD - no label (no catalog number) - USA, 2015
By The Way -- Should I Fall Behind EP
By The Way -- Should I Fall Behind EP

Digital EP - no label (no catalog number) - Switzerland, 2015

This is a free download-only digital live Bruce Springsteen tribute EP recorded in November 2013 at Evangelisch-Reformierte Kirche in Bäretswil, Switzerland.
BeautyHeads -- TheBossCovers
BeautyHeads -- TheBossCovers

Digital album - no label (no catalog number) - USA, 2017

This is a free download-only digital Bruce Springsteen tribute album. THUNDER ROAD is titled "BossCover X" on this release.
Jonathan Rado -- Born To Run
Jonathan Rado -- Born To Run

LP - Sounds Delicious (SD002) - USA, 2017

This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
Rock The Cradle -- Lullaby Versions Of Bruce Springsteen
Rock The Cradle -- Lullaby Versions Of Bruce Springsteen

Digital album - Rock The Cradle (unknown catalog number) - unknown country, 2018

This is a download-only digital Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
Heaven Is Shining -- Born In The USA
Heaven Is Shining -- Born In The USA

Digital album - Rosenklang (unknown catalog number) - Germany, 2021

This is a download-only digital Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
Nigel Hallchurch -- Cross My Heart
Nigel Hallchurch -- Cross My Heart

CD-R - no label (no catalog number) - UK, 2022

This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
The Boss Brothers -- Live
The Boss Brothers -- Live

Digital album - 729285 Records DK (no catalog number) - The Netherlands, 2023

This is a download-only digital live Bruce Springsteen tribute album.

References in Popular Culture

With the title taken from the Bruce Springsteen song, Thunder Road magazine was founded in 1976 by Lou Cohan and Ken Viola. It was the first Springsteen fanzine, and it published only 6 issues, the last one being actually a double issue (#6/7 - Fall 1982).

Thunder Road magazine issue #6/7 - Fall 1982
Thunder Road magazine issue #6/7 - Fall 1982

Bruce Springsteen and THUNDER ROAD are mentioned in THE RING, a song by the New York alt-country band The Hangdogs, available on their 1998 album East Of Yesterday.

And hey, while you're looking, maybe you could have a glance at this Springsteen bootleg circa 84, was playing "Thunder Road" the night I rode out for the promised land, now I found her and I don't need it no more.
The Hangdogs -- East Of Yesterday
The Hangdogs -- East Of Yesterday

THUNDER ROAD and many other Springsteen references appear in SPEED, as song by Canadian group Bran Van 3000, available on their 2001 album Discosis.

See Mary dancing across the porch she put her rolled up Ziggys in her rock and roll jersey Jersey, she was born to run she was the spirit of midnight she was blinded by the light she was holed up in jungleland straight up the rock and roll big boss turnpike down by the river of desire just off Thunder Road where you catch her in the tenth avenue freeze out she was lost in a flood Mary, queen of Arkansas dreaming of a Cadillac ranch with a hungry heart but most of all she was born in the USA Asbury Park, New Jersey.
Bran Van 3000 -- Discosis
Bran Van 3000 -- Discosis

Credits / References

Thanks Charissa for the contribution. Thanks Carlo Bondi for the Storia E Musica Rock: Bruce Springsteen cassette tape scan.

Most of the recording info on this page is taken from Brucebase. Some of the info and scans for the above Bruce Springsteen official releases are taken from the Lost In The Flood website. Info and scans for some of the above Bruce Springsteen tribute albums are taken from the Nebraska website.

Request

I'm not sure that I mentioned all the existing official releases that include Bruce Springsteen's THUNDER ROAD, and I don't have the complete info and scans for all of them. You can help by sending additions, corrections, better scans, or comments at , or by using the below form. If you'd like to add a cover to the list, please send artist name, album title, cover art, format, country and original year of release, label and catalog number.

Available Versions

List of available versions of THUNDER ROAD on this website:

THUNDER ROAD [Album version]
THUNDER ROAD [Early draft]
THUNDER ROAD [Alternative version #1]
THUNDER ROAD [Alternative version #2]
THUNDER ROAD [Alternative version #3]
THUNDER ROAD [Alternative version #4]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 05 Feb 1975 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 20 Jul 1975 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 17 Oct 1975 (early show) version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 18 Oct 1975 (early show) version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 18 Nov 1975 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 31 Dec 1975 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 07 Apr 1976 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 25 Mar 1977 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 13 May 1977 (early show) version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 13 Sep 1977 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 19 Sep 1978 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 08 Dec 1978 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 21 Sep 1979 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 22 Sep 1979 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 03 Oct 1980 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 03 Jul 1981 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 08 Jun 1984 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 19 Nov 1984 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 27 Jul 1988 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 02 Sep 1988 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 16 Nov 1990 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 22 Sep 1992 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 28 Sep 1992 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 24 Jun 1993 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 15 Feb 1995 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 21 Feb 1995 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 05 Apr 1995 (Sony Music Studios) version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 09 Jul 1995 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 05 May 1997 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 22 May 1997 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 31 Jan 1998 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 23 Oct 1999 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 27 Jun 2000 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 27 Jun 2000 / 01 Jul 2000 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 01 Jul 2000 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 19 Oct 2001 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 29 Aug 2002 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 04 Oct 2002 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 16 Oct 2002 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 19 Feb 2003 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 29 Apr 2003 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 22 Jun 2003 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 01 Nov 2004 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 04 Apr 2005 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 12 Oct 2005 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 07 Nov 2007 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 09 Nov 2007 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 14 Mar 2008 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 07 May 2008 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 18 Jun 2008 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 23 Aug 2008 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 04 Oct 2008 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 16 Oct 2008 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 30 May 2009 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 17 Nov 2009 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 22 Nov 2009 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 04 Nov 2010 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 15 Jan 2011 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 03 Nov 2011 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 04 Nov 2011 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 14 Jan 2012 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 09 Mar 2012 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 06 Apr 2012 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live 07 Nov 2016 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Live July 2018 version]
THUNDER ROAD [Greg Kihn's cover version]
THUNDER ROAD [Badly Drawn Boy's cover version]
THUNDER ROAD [Cowboy Junkies' cover version]
THUNDER ROAD [Kevin Rowland's cover version]

Page last updated: 19 Dec 2016