Bruce Springsteen releases ICE protest song “Streets of Minneapolis,” which quickly becomes a bestseller and takes over the iTunes Top Songs chart in the United States. MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – MAY 14: Bruce Springsteen performs during the first night of his ‘The Land of Hopes and Dreams’ tour at Co-op Live on May 14, 2025 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Shirlaine Forrest/Getty Images)
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Throughout the past several days, dozens of well known musicians have spoken out against the Trump administration’s ICE raids in the city of Minneapolis, which have now claimed multiple lives and sparked outrage across the United States. One of the most famous artists to use his voice to attempt to highlight the insanity of what’s going on is Bruce Springsteen.
On Wednesday (January 28), the legendary rocker released a protest song titled “Streets of Minneapolis” in reaction to the protests and the violence. In only a matter of hours, the track has become a quick bestseller.
Bruce Springsteen’s “Streets of Minneapolis”
As of the time of writing, “Streets of Minneapolis” rules the iTunes Top Songs chart, the platform’s ranking of the bestselling individual tracks in America. Springsteen’s cut quickly rocketed to the summit, replacing “I Just Might” by Bruno Mars, which rules the Hot 100 for a second week.
“Streets of Minneapolis” Lyrics And Targets
“Streets of Minneapolis” is not subtle, and Springsteen does not mince words. In the cut’s lyrics, he refers to the president as King Trump, honors both Alex Pretti and Renee Good, two American citizens who were shot and killed by ICE, and the superstar also name checks Stephen Miller and Kristi Noem, calling out their “dirty lies.”
Bruce Springsteen’s Statement On “Streets of Minneapolis”
On his website, Springsteen posted a short message about “Streets of Minneapolis,” saying:
“I wrote this song on Saturday, recorded it yesterday and released it to you today in response to the state terror being visited on the city of Minneapolis. It’s dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.”
He ended the missive with the simple message, “Stay free.”
Classic Bruce Springsteen Songs Rise on iTunes
As “Streets of Minneapolis” rules — which coincidentally, or perhaps not so coincidentally, nearly shares a title with Springsteen’s Academy Award-winning “Streets of Philadelphia” from the movie Philadelphia – two thematically-relevant classics from the rocker’s discography surge on the iTunes Top Songs chart. “Born in the U.S.A.” returns at No. 130, while “I’m on Fire” breaks back onto the ranking at No. 135.
Bruce Springsteen’s Albums are Also Performing Well
Over on the iTunes Top Albums ranking, five full-lengths by Springsteen are performing well, buoyed in part by the release of his politically-charged new single. Nebraska and Born in the U.S.A. take up space within the top 20, landing at Nos. 18 and 20 respectively. Springsteen’s Greatest Hits shoots more than 50 spaces north to settle at No. 27. At the same time, Born to Run and Land of Hope and Dreams settle lower on the roster, and as of the time of writing, they sit at Nos. 134 and 160, respectively.
Bruce Springsteen’s Busy 2025
“Streets of Minneapolis” marks Springsteen’s first new music release of 2026 after a packed 2025. Last year, the Grammy winner shared an EP titled Land of Hope and Dreams, which was released just days after being recorded live at a concert in Manchester, England. The short project includes a rant from Springsteen against Trump.
UNITED STATES – OCTOBER 11: REDBANK Photo of Bruce SPRINGSTEEN, Bruce Springsteen performing on stage – Born to Run Tour, 27 (Photo by Fin Costello/Redferns)
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Springsteen also shared a pair of box sets in 2025. First came Tracks II: The Lost Albums, which included seven never-before-released full-lengths, and which dropped in June. Before the year was up, Nebraska ’82: Expanded Edition arrived in October to coincide with the film Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere. The musician’s biopic, starring Jeremy Allen White and Jeremy Strong, landed in theaters that month, and it tells the story of the creation of Springsteen’s album Nebraska.