I often overhear people talk about how they will never truly get over their first love, to which I generally respond with my trademark shake of the head, roll of the eyes, exhale combo. This is, of course, unless they happen to be personifying their first album, in which case the above combo is null and void. The ownership of a first album represents the birth of a music lover’s lifelong struggle to find the perfect LP. Luckily, this quest was, for me, a non-existent one – I hit gold first time.

The album cover, oozing a classic coolness I have yet to see reproduced, is what won me over at first. I rushed home, eager to bask in the sounds of my newly acquired album and to my delight was met with the seductively raspy vocals of a man I would later come to affectionately know as “The Boss”. The opening track "Born in the U.S.A." is undeniably American in both nature and title and the magnificent combination of pompous drums and rapturous keys commands speaker-blowing volume for full appreciation.

From this point on, it was obvious to me that Bruce Springsteen was who I wanted to be when I grew up. This led to some dramatic life changes that included stealing the kitchen scissors to make some knee holes in my new black jeans and stealing a red bandana from the dog’s neck, both of which saw me in trouble with mother dearest, but hey, that’s rock’n’roll.

15 years on and I can now appreciate how Springsteen, as an artist, is an American institution that represents all that was good in 1980s rock music. Paired with his incredible musicianship is his story telling abilities as a lyricist that I believe reaches its pinnacle on Born in the U.S.A.. Tracks like "My hometown", "I’m on fire" and "Glory Days" paint such an intricate picture that it is almost impossible to remain impartial from the stories they tell. These, along with tracks like "Dancing in the dark", that can cause even the stiffest foot to tap along, make this LP, in my eyes, perfect.