Despite Springsteen's popularity with critics, his cult following as a live performer, and his reputation as an artist of political integrity (he participated in the No Nukes concert in 1979), no one was prepared for the blockbuster success of Born in the USA (1984). The album spawned seven Top 10 hits and sold 15 million copies; the accompanying world tour took Springsteen to stadium-size venues usually reserved for superstar acts such as The Rolling Stones. Shows typically sold out in minutes. Springsteen once again made the cover of Newsweek, and for the first time (he had long resisted the trend) he agreed to appear in videos, two of which were filmed by Brian De Palma. "Dancing in the Dark" became his biggest hit to date; others included the exuberant "Glory Days" and the haunting "I'm on Fire." Somehow Springsteen had tapped the Zeitgeist; his newly pumped...