Unique and Rare ‘Born in the U.S.A.’ Variants
Forty years ago, Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Born in the U.S.A.’ spun up a homegrown tale of patriotism. It became a worldwide success that continues to inspire collectors.
Born in the U.S.A., the seventh album by Bruce Springsteen has lived many lives simultaneously. At its core, it’s a poignant protest album set around the Vietnam War and the treatment of veterans. However, thanks to a misunderstanding of the title and the stadium-ready chorus of the titular track, it consistently finds itself as a patriotic rallying cry at conventions for politicians that the boss may not approve of.
For many, though, Born in the U.S.A.’s appeal isn’t connected to the message. What draws them in are the massive tracks, Springsteen’s athletic vocal hooks, and the E-Street Band’s chemistry, all of which make it a great background record for classic rock stations, street fairs, and barbecues.
Forty years after its release, because of its massive praise from a wide array of listeners, the record’s place in the canon of Western music has only grown with each election cycle, each summer, and each Springsteen tour. It’s one of the highest-selling records of all time, and in the Discogs Marketplace, copies trade hands daily.
At the time of this writing, 200,418 collectors have added it to their shelves, and 71,567 listeners have it on their Wantlist.
When a record becomes as monolithic as Born in the U.S.A., it gets repressed dozens, if not hundreds of times, to keep up with demand, reach new territories, and land on new mediums.
According to the Discogs’ Catalog, there are 363 versions of the album on our site. Many are standard represses across different formats, but among them are a handful of unique versions, misprints, and pieces of physical media history.
Celebrate the 40th anniversary of one of the most iconic records of all time with a dive into the most unique and rare Born in the U.S.A. variants.
Renew Variety sleeve – Discos CBS, Renew Variety Records (Uruguay, 1984)
This pressing from Uruguay comes with a Renew Variety (a Uruguayan record label that put out several international hits in the country) sleeve. Currently, a single Discogs user has this version in their collection (it’s in the Marketplace and listed for over $1600), and 135 others are searching for it.
Platen 10 Daagse Promotional – CBS (Netherlands, 1985)
Created as a unique in-store exclusive, this version promoted Holland’s 10-day campaign encouraging people to buy music, Platen 10 Daagse (later called Muziek10Daagse and subsequently Muziek20Daagse) in 1985. The packaging resembles a CBS “Nieuws” paper, and the back cover contains writeups on several other albums and labels in the same design style.
Rare Japanese test pressing – CBS, Sony (Japan, 1984)
Complete with the classic white test pressing sleeve and white label, only two copies of this rare version from Japan are for sale at the time of this writing.
Vivitar 50th anniversary Celebration – CBS (Germany, 1988)
Featuring a unique cover with two young baseball players, CBS released this German promo version of the record to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Vivitar Company, a producer of photographic and optical equipment. The back of the sporty cover features a happy birthday message to the company.
Colored grey vinyl – CBS (Colombia, 1984)
This rare pressing from Colombia is one of the few colored variants of Born in the U.S.A. issued during the release year. In contrast to other South American variants, all the track names are in English and Spanish on the record label. Currently, there is only one copy for sale on Discogs (for over $2000).
Blue translucent colored vinyl – CBS (Colombia, 1984)
Similar to the aforementioned grey version, this translucent blue pressing is a rare collector’s item, with only 19 Discogs collectors having it in their collection.
Egyptian misprint – El Dawlia (Egypt, 1984)
This version of Born in the U.S.A., released by the now-defunct Egyptian cassette label El Dawlia, looks normal at a glance, but crack open the case, and the error is plain. On the cassette label, the boss’s name is misprinted as “Beurce Springsteen” on both sides.
Withdrawn Japanese repress – SME Records (Japan, 1999)
In 1999, Springsteen’s team decided not to move forward with a second batch of CD reissues in Japan right before the scheduled date, including this version of Born in the U.S.A. Due to the short notice, these CDs were only on sale for several hours before being recalled.
Inaugural DADC pressing – Colombia (US, 1984)
Fittingly, Born in the U.S.A. was the first legitimate CD pressed in the states. In 1984, Sony opened its DADC Pressing plant in Terre Haute, Indiana, the first of its kind in the U.S. To commemorate the event, Sony gave CD test pressings to attendees of the grand opening.
Perhaps the most sought-after Born in the U.S.A. variant, none are up for sale on Discogs at the time of this writing. Collectors hunting for this ultra-rare release can add it to their Wantlist to get notified when a copy is for sale.
You might also like
-
-
-
Greetings From Asbury Park N.J.Bruce Springsteen2023Rock, Rock & RollVinyl, LP, Album, Limited Edition, Numbered, Reissue, Stereo
-
Born To RunBruce Springsteen2014Rock, Pop Rock, Classic RockVinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Remastered
-
-
Dancing In The DarkBruce Springsteen1984Rock, Rock & Roll, Pop RockVinyl, 7″, 45 RPM, Single, Stereo
-
KEEP DIGGING
Extraordinary Women of the Early Punk Era
Fontaines D.C.’s Tom Coll Reveals His Essential Irish Folk Tracks
Essential Political Soul Albums
Essential Psychedelic Soul Albums: 1969-1977
Don’t miss a beat
Subscribe to Discogs’ email list to learn about sales, discover music, record collecting guides, product tips, limited edition offers, and more.