Bruce Springsteen – also known as ‘The Boss’ – is an iconic musical legend, famous since the mid-sixties. What was his first song?
Bruce Springsteen’s first official song was Blinded By The Light, serving as the lead single on his 1973 debut album, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.
Read on to learn more about the legendary Bruce Springsteen and his musical legacy.
Becoming The Boss
Where the music industry is concerned, Bruce Springsteen is a tangible legend. He’s one of the best-selling artists in world history, and – as of 2020 – had been performing for almost sixty years. He boasted a staggering net worth, a huge list of accolades and awards, and a massive list of albums and singles.
It all started in 1949 when Springsteen was born in New Jersey. He first became interested in music after hearing Frank Sinatra on the radio and seeing Elvis Presley on television. When he was seven years old, his mother rented a guitar for him to learn on. Reportedly, he didn’t take to the instrument immediately and was disheartened.
However, by his mid-teens, he’d become something of a prodigy. It was said that he was a “loner who wanted nothing more than to play his guitar”. As a teenager, Springsteen was allegedly an oddball, staying away from traditional interests and acting like an outsider.
In fact, in an article in The Telegraph, Springsteen explained that his father called him ‘outcast’, ‘misfit’, and ‘weirdo’. When 1965 rolled around, Springsteen fell in with a group that was sponsoring local musical talent. He transitioned into a lead guitarist role, but would eventually become a vocalist, as well.
Springsteen’s stature and talent would grow, until 1972, when he released his first-ever studio album. He’d formed a new band before this, but they didn’t use their created name for almost two years after the first album had dropped. Therefore, the album debuted under Springsteen’s name.
Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. wasn’t an incredible success, but it did gain Springsteen some recognition. The lead single, Blinded By The Light, would still be iconic decades later, having been covered by some big industry names.
One of the most iconic reworkings of Blinded By The Light was by Manfred Mann’s Earth Band. They remixed the track and changed its sound completely, ultimately landing a number one hit. You can see a video of the original song below, taken from YouTube.
Born To Run
Bruce Springsteen’s 1975 album, Born to Run, is considered his true breakthrough piece. When it released, the album dominated the charts almost immediately, peaking in the high numbers worldwide. The composition was a commercial success and confirmed Springsteen as a contender in the rock stakes.
The reviews and scores given for Born to Run were extremely positive. Following the release of the album, Springsteen started seeing untold levels of success and garnered a massive fan following. In 1984, he released an album titled Born in the U.S.A., which – today – is one of the best-selling albums ever.
Springsteen never really took time off to relax. He’d come to release twenty albums before 2020 rolled around. The longest ‘hiatus’ he ever took was between his 1995 and 2002 albums, The Ghost of Tom Joad, and The Rising.
With almost every big album came a tour – often world tours. Bruce Springsteen became famous and well-known for his punchy, high-octane live performances, even as he aged. In the years between 1974 and 2018, he headlined no fewer than seventeen full tours.
It’s this massive discography and impressive tour set that has given Springsteen an incredible net worth. As of 2020, he was worth a reported half a billion dollars. Not only was Bruce well compensated for his work, but he was also very highly awarded and critically acclaimed.
During his time in the industry, Springsteen has won an Academy Award, twenty Grammy Awards, been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and won Golden Globes. He’s received countless other nominations along the way, too.
Bruce Springsteen will likely be celebrated long after he’s gone. His philanthropic and giving nature has earned him praise from several organizations and causes, and he’s a legendary master of song. He’ll most certainly keep performing until he’s no longer able, giving his adoring fans what they want.