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Engraved portrait of Bruce Springsteen
Music · 1980s

Bruce Springsteen

Still with us 1949–present
Released 21 studio albums across six decadesstudio_albums
Born in the U.S.A. produced seven Top 10 singlesborn_in_usa_singles
Won multiple Grammy Awards across his careergrammy_awards
Won an Oscar for Streets of Philadelphia in 1994academy_award
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999honors
The Turning Point

In 1984, Bruce Springsteen released Born in the U.S.A., which spawned a record-tying seven Top 10 singles and became his most commercially successful album. The blockbuster turned the New Jersey rocker into a stadium-filling global icon. It defined the heartland-rock sound of the decade.

Jersey Shore Origins

Born in Long Branch, New Jersey, in 1949, Bruce Springsteen grew up in working-class Freehold. He honed his craft in Jersey Shore bars before signing with Columbia Records in the early 1970s.

The Boss Breaks Through

Born to Run in 1975 earned him critical acclaim, but Born in the U.S.A. in 1984 made him a global superstar. His marathon concerts with the E Street Band became legendary.

Enduring Working-Class Voice

Springsteen built his reputation chronicling everyday American life with songs of struggle and hope. Decades later he remains a vital live performer and a respected elder statesman of rock.

Career Timeline

  1. 1949Born in Long Branch, New Jersey
  2. 1972Forms the E Street Band as his backing group
  3. 1975Born to Run brings critical breakthrough
  4. 1982Releases the stark solo album Nebraska
  5. 1984Born in the U.S.A. makes him a stadium star
  6. 1985Born in the U.S.A. Tour plays worldwide stadiums
  7. 1994Wins an Oscar for Streets of Philadelphia
  8. 1999Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
  9. 2009Performs at the Super Bowl halftime show
  10. 2017Launches acclaimed Springsteen on Broadway run

Biggest Hits

1975
Born to RunBreakthrough anthem that established his epic sound
1984
Dancing in the DarkHis highest-charting single, from Born in the U.S.A.
1984
Born in the U.S.A.Anthemic, often-misread title track of his biggest album
1985
Glory DaysTop 10 hit celebrating fading youth
1994
Streets of PhiladelphiaOscar-winning ballad from the film Philadelphia
Did You Know
  • Many listeners mistook Born in the U.S.A. for a patriotic anthem, though it is a bitter critique of how Vietnam veterans were treated.
  • His backing E Street Band has accompanied him since 1972, one of the longest-running partnerships in rock.

Portrait: Bill Ebbesen · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

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