Because The Night - Patti Smith
Fire - Pointer Sisters
Blinded By The Light - Mannfred Mann's Earth Band (ptui!)
MMEB ruined another one, it seems, which I have mercifully forgotten. Does that count?

That's all I got... say 3.5?

OK...I'll start.

"Blinded By The Light" and "Spirit In The Night" both performed by Manfred Mann's Earth Band. (What in the hell is an "earth band"?)

"Because The Night" performed by Patti Smith.

That's all I got.

An "earth band" is a new-agey way of saying "Ring Around the Collar".

Capable guesses, both. I'm not giving any hints yet.

Don't know if it was a top 40 hit,
but I think Springsteen penned "Fever"
for Southside Side Johnny and the Asbury Jukes.

Another Southside Johnny song
is very Springsteen-like:
"This Time It's for Real"
But I'm uncertain whether that was
an original or another one written
by Springsteen.

Bruce and Miami Steve wrote most of Southside Johnny's greatest - Springsteen wrote "Fever" and "Gotta Find a Better Way Home" and "Hearts of Stone" and "I Don't Wanna Go Home", and Steve wrote "This Time...", IIRC.

But the Jukes had exactly one Top 40 hit - in 1990, "It's Been a Long Long Time", written by Miami Steve, and featuring guest vocals by Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi.

A very underrated band (as I note by putting them in my "Proof there's no justice" links on the right margin).

The other one MM killed was "For You" also off Greetings from Asbury Park. I think we're still only at 4, so I'll keep thinking! Thanks for a great time killer on a Friday!

Light of Day, Joan Jett?

Pink Cadillac, by the Queen of Soul. I think I'm done... my brain hurts! (Shows the degree to which Google normally substitutes for my brain.)

One more hour (it's 4PM central) and I'll give the answers.

ANSWERS:

1 - Blinded by the Light, Manfred Mann. Mann also covered (aka "mangled") "Spirit in the Night" on the same album, and "For You" on a subsequent album; all three songs came from Bruce's debut record. Both of the others got tons of FM airplay, but neither made the Top40.

2 - Because The Night, Patty Smith Group.

3 - This Little Girl - Gary "US" Bonds. This one fools most people.

4 - Fire - The Pointer Sisters.

5 - Light Of Day - Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, d/b/a "The Barbusters" from the movie "Light Of Day". Good catch, Chris - most people miss that one.

6 - Pink Cadillac - Natalie Cole. Not Aretha Franklin - although two years earlier she did the definitive cover of "Jumpin' Jack Flash". But that's a Stones question.

7 - Because The Night - 10,000 Maniacs. Yep, a double-dip for BtN, from 10K Maniax' "Unplugged" special (and, as it happens, recorded swan song with Nat Merchant).

Good effort, all!

My Sharona

Oops, thinking of Aretha on the Freeway of Love!

"Pilot Of The Airwaves"

Who is Bruce Springsteen?