It featured a physically transformed Springsteen; after two years of bodybuilding, the singer had bulked up considerably.

Van Zandt, who was replaced by Nils Lofgren, would appear a few times throughout the tour and in some of the music videos to promote the album.

It then headed back for a second leg of the U.S. tour in which Springsteen and the E Street Band played to sold-out professional football stadiums.

Springsteen had consistently pushed for improvements to the usual concert sound systems during his tours, wishing to provide the best experience for every audience member, and by the time of the Born in the U.S.A. Tour, the resulting eight rows of delay speakers suggested by Bruce Jackson, his live sound engineer during this period, brought greater audio fidelity to even the furthest "nosebleed" seats.

Several shows have been released as part of the Bruce Springsteen Archives: Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.