Today marks the 30-year anniversary of the release of Born in the U.S.A., one of the best-selling rock albums ever made. It was notable for combining serious social and political commentary about topics like the plight of Vietnam veterans (the Reagan re-election campaign famously attempted to co-opt the title track) and the decline of manufacturing in small town America ("My Hometown") while still managing to achieve a pop sensibility that garnered tremendous commercial radio success.
Other notable trivia facts about the album include a young Courteney Cox's appearance in the "Dancing in the Dark" video, and John Kerry's use of "No Surrender" as the theme of his 2004 presidential campaign. Thirty years later, this terrifically strong album still holds up. --Matt K. Lewis
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