#8 Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

Bruce is part Woody Guthrie, part Bob Dylan, part John Lennon, and part Elvis. His brand of heartland rock combined themes of youth and Americana and made him a star. It took several years and albums for Bruce to break. It’s doubtful many artists would be given the chance by modern record companies that Bruce and the E Street Band got. Eventually, they broke with Born to Run in 1975. At the time, rock had drifted and disco was becoming a force. As a result, Bruce was hailed as rock’s savior. Meanwhile, the band itself became stars as it was full of colorful characters such as Little Steven Van Zandt, The Mighty Max Weinberg, Nils Lofgren, Garry Tallent, Roy Bittain, Danny Federici, Patti Scialfa (as of 1984), Soozie Tyrell (as of 2002), and the Big Man, Clarence Clemons.

Bruce remained a star into the 1980s. In 1984, he achieved mega-stardom with Born in the USA. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band were a phenomenon. Bruce changed it all up for the next album, Tunnel of Love. Then, Springsteen fired the band. He went into the wilderness. His next couple of albums faced mixed reviews In the mid-90s, he went folk.

The September 11 attacks motivated Springsteen to reunite the band. In 2002, they released their first album together in 18 years, The Rising. It was a return to his mid-80s form. Once again, Bruce experienced mainstream success. The band put out two more albums inspired by real world events and the zeitgeist. This 911 trilogy has been a commercial and critical success. In 2009, he played at a pre-inaugural concert for Barack Obama. Currently, he is on tour.

Rock n Roll Moment: In 1976, Bruce attempted to see Elvis by scaling the fence at Graceland. He was escorted off the premises while trying to explain who he was.

Essential Bruce:
Born to Run (1975)
The River (1980)
Nebraska (1982)
Born in the USA (1984)
The Ghost of Tom Joad (1995)
The Rising (2002)
Magic (2007)

Bruce’s Top 10:
Rosalita
Born to Run
Thunder Road
Badlands
The River
Atlantic City
Born in the USA
Glory Days
Dancing in the Dark
The Rising