Bruce Springsteen finally broke through
the music industry after ten years of trying in 1975.
He played blues and rock and roll throughout his home
state of New Jersey and struggled from his teenage years
to make an album that would help him perform music as
a living. That break did not come until he got signed
with Columbia Records in 1972 and three years later produced
his first album, Born to Run, in August of 1975. The album
met critical success and created a cult-like following
for his home-style rock and made the audience hunger for
more. Born to Run reached the top ten on the charts and
led to the formation of the E Street Band as back-up for
Bruce. As the band and Bruce worked on writing material,
the punk/new wave revolution hit the US and Bruce’s
music took somewhat of a back seat. It wasn’t until
they released Born in the USA in 1984, that Bruce began
to sound and sell like the “Boss.”
Born in the USA had seven hit singles and sold well
over ten million copies, putting Springsteen at the
top with Michael Jackson and Prince. Bruce’s music,
however; appealed to a completely different audience,
he was the rocker for the everyday worker and he understood
their plight. Born in the USA also launched a two-year
international tour and which has become commonplace
for Bruce Springsteen. His marathon tours became legendary
and fans lined up all night for Bruce Springsteen concert
tickets. In 1989, after more than fourteen years of
touring and making albums, Bruce and the E Street Band
parted ways, much to the dismay of their loyal fans.
Springsteen continued to tour until 1993 and took a
break to win an Oscar and some Grammy Awards for “Streets
of Philadelphia.” In 1999, Bruce Springsteen was
inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and celebrated
by another world tour, this time reuniting with the
E Street Band and selling out concert tickets across
the world. This tour holds the astounding record of
selling out Madison Square Garden in New York for ten
shows.
Bruce shows no sign of slowing down. In 2004, he embarked
on a political tour, “Vote for Change,”
to express his support of presidential candidate, John
Kerry. Alienating some of his fans by supporting such
a political cause did not seem to bother him or his
ticket sales, because in 2005, Bruce sold out his national
tour across the country. In April of 2005, he released
the album, Devils & Dust, and the album debuted
on the charts at number one in ten countries, including
the US. With this track record and his devotion to playing
live for his fans, Bruce Springsteen can clearly still
be referred to as “The Boss.”
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