Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen (born 1949 in Long Branch, New Jersey) is an American singer-songwriter whose Columbia catalog spans more than five decades of heartland rock. Born to Run (1975) is where most collections start; Nebraska (1982) is the stark acoustic counterweight worth reaching for next. Shop Bruce Springsteen vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
About Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen was born in Long Branch, New Jersey on September 23, 1949 and raised in Freehold. He signed with Columbia Records in 1972 (John Hammond, who had earlier signed Bob Dylan, brought him to the label). His third album Born to Run (1975) brought him to broad national attention. The E Street Band, his long-running backing band, has included Clarence Clemons (saxophone, until his death in 2011), Roy Bittan, Garry Tallent, Max Weinberg, Steven Van Zandt, Nils Lofgren, and Patti Scialfa. He has continued recording and touring across more than five decades.
Sound and style
Springsteen's catalog spans heartland rock, folk rock, rock and roll, and Americana, with songwriting centered on working-class American life, romance, mortality, and political engagement. His E Street Band recordings combine large ensemble rock arrangements with extensive saxophone, piano, and organ work. His acoustic albums (Nebraska, The Ghost of Tom Joad, Devils & Dust) showcase a separate folk-rooted body of work.
Discography highlights
- Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. (1973, Columbia)
- Born to Run (1975, Columbia)
- Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978, Columbia)
- The River (1980, Columbia)
- Nebraska (1982, Columbia)
- Born in the U.S.A. (1984, Columbia)
- Tunnel of Love (1987, Columbia)
- The Rising (2002, Columbia)
- Wrecking Ball (2012, Columbia)
- Western Stars (2019, Columbia)
- Only the Strong Survive (2022, Columbia)
For collectors
Original Columbia pressings of Born to Run and Born in the U.S.A. are widely collected. Multiple anniversary box sets, audiophile pressings, and the Tracks archival series have been issued across the catalog.
Where to start
Listeners new to Bruce Springsteen typically start with Born to Run (1975) or Born in the U.S.A. (1984). Nebraska (1982) is a common entry point for his acoustic work.