'Born in the U.S.A.' turns 30 today

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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Matt K. Lewis

Matt K. Lewis is a contributing editor at TheWeek.com and a senior contributor for The Daily Caller. He has written for outlets including GQ Politics, The Guardian, and Politico, and has been cited or quoted by outlets including New York Magazine, the Washington Post, and The New York Times. Matt co-hosts The DMZ on Bloggingheads.TV, and also hosts his own podcast. In 2011, Business Insider listed him as one of the 50 "Pundits You Need To Pay Attention To Between Now And The Election." And in 2012, the American Conservative Union honored Matt as their CPAC "Blogger of the Year." He currently lives in Alexandria, Va.