Wait, Why the Night?

"Because the Night" has endured more indignity than your average stone classic. Co-written by Patti Smith and Bruce Springsteen (and performed by both artists in very different versions), the song has been covered by many lesser artists—including a big early '90s hit rendition by 10,000 Maniacs—and even Smith's indelible original (her biggest hit by some distance) has been played to death. Still, it didn't stop her from sharing the stage with actor and putative musician Russell Crowe for the performance in this video, which you can judge for yourself, if you dare: