"Because The Night," Bruce, Patti, and U2

During the 2009 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame concert, Bono reunited Springsteen and Smith for "the song we wish we'd written," the song Bruce gave away during the "Darkness On The Edge Of Town" sessions. Listen for the 23-second bridge, the most majestic of Bruce's peerless bridges, a bridge of Wagnerian proportions.

Timeless Songs: "Because The Night" (1978)

A live performance by Patti Smith. Go here for a montage of stills set to the original recording of by the Patti Smith Group and here for a performance by R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe (for whom Smith was a major influence) and Bruce Springsteen, who co-wrote the song with her.