Songwriter: Bruce Springsteen

[Spoken]
Now, real rock 'n’ roll band evolves out of a common place and time, fans come out of towns, out of city, out of neighborhood, and they come along in a particular moment. Bands are all about what happens, they're musicians, who come from the same streets, the same passions and influences, who go in search of lightning and thunder. They come together in a whole that is greater than the sum of their parts. They may not be the best players, that's not necessary. They need to be the right players, and when they play together, there is a communion of souls, and a natural brotherhood, and sisterhood, manifests itself, and a quest, a quest is begun, you’re in search of something, an adventure's undertaken, and you ride shotgun. In a real band, principles of math get stood on their head, and one plus one equals three

Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen is a rock ‘n’ roll icon from the great state of New Jersey. Nicknamed “The Boss,” he’s known for spirited sax-powered anthems about working-class people making their way in the world. Backed by the trusty E Street Band, he’s sold more than 120 million records, won numerous awards (including 20 Grammys and an Oscar), sold out stadiums around the globe, and earned a place alongside his teenage heroes in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Although he’s a living legend who ranks among the most important artists in rock history, Springsteen wasn’t an overnight success. Around the time of his first album, 1973’s Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J., he was dismissed as just another “new Dylan"—some scruffy folk singer with a decent vocabulary looking to follow in Bob’s footsteps. In the decade that followed, Springsteen proved himself to be much more.

His breakthrough came with his third album, 1975’s Born to Run. The record hit No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and landed the singer-songwriter on the cover of both Time and Newsweek. Bruce nabbed his first chart-topping album five years later with The River, and in 1984, he went global with Born in the U.S.A., a critical and commercial smash that produced seven Top 10 singles.

more tracks from the album

Springsteen on Broadway

From the album