It's impossible to not like Bruce Springsteen. He's released some of the greatest albums of all-time, is supposedly a stand-up guy, and last night, to celebrate his 63rd birthday, he invited his mom, Adele, onstage at 2 a.m. to sing "Twist and Shout" with him. They also had cake. He's an endless ball of energy and he's going as strong now as he was in 1973, when Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. was released. He may, indeed, may be the coolest musician ever. In honor of his birthday, here are five reasons why, and also because the mix I sent him that contained nothing but my cover of "Crush on You" as a present was returned in pieces.
Because he's released a "required listening" album for any music fan for five straight decades:
1970s: Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J., The Wild, The Innocent & the E Street Shuffle, Born to Run, and Darkness on the Edge of Town
1980s: The River, Nebraska, and Born in the USA
1990s: The Ghost of Tom Joad
2000s: The Rising and We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions
2010s: Wrecking Ball
Because he hangs out with people more awesome than anyone we know:
And Joe Strummer once wrote a letter about him:
BRUCE IS GREAT... IF YOU DONT AGREE WITH THAT YOU'RE A PRETENTIOUS MARTIAN FROM VENUS. BRUCE LOOKS GREAT... LIKE HE'S ABOUT TO CRAWL UNDERNEATH THE CHORDS WITH A SPANNER & SOCK THE STARTER MOTOR ONE TIME SO THAT A ENGINE STARTS UP - HUMMING & READY TO TAKE US ON A GOLDEN RIDE WAY OUT SOMEWHERE IN THE YONDER... BRUCE IS GREAT... BECAUSE HE'LL NEVER LAY DOWN & BE CONQUERED BY HIS PROBLEMS HE'S ALLWAYS READY TO BUST OUT the SHACK & HIT THE TRACK... HIS MUSIC IS GREAT ON A DARK & RAINY MORNING IN ENGLAND, JUST WHEN YOU NEED SOME SPIRIT & SOME PROOF THAT THE BIG WIDE WORLD EXISTS, THE D.J. PUTS ON "RACING IN THE STREETS" & LIFE SEEMS WORTH LIVING AGAIN... LIFE SEEMS TO BE IN CINEMASCOPE AGAIN. BRUCE IS NOT ON AN EGO TRIP... BRUCE IS ACTUALLY INTO THE MUSIC... WE NEED PEOPLE LIKE THIS... A LOT OF RECORDS TODAY ARE MADE BY PEOPLE JUST TO FEED THEIR FAME. BRUCE IS GREAT... THERE AINT NO WHINGING WHINING OR COMPLAINING.. THERE'S ONLY GREAT MUSIC, LYRICS & AN OCEAN OF TALENT. ME? I LOVE SPRINGSTEEN!!!
Because Hammersmith Odeon London '75 is the greatest live album of all-time and a master course on how a concert can be more than that — it can be an experience, one that you'll never forget, even if you weren't, in the case of Odeon, actually there. Plus, in 1975, when he was 26 years old, Bruce performed for two and a half hours; in 2012, when he's 63 years old, Bruce is performing for nearly four hours. He's the best. The Boss, as it were.
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If anybody could put up a GIF of the Super Bowl show where Springsteen slides, crotch first into the cameraman, that’d be awesome.
Also: Springsteen > Grohl?
Discuss……..
Grohl is great, but I don’t think there is any comparison.
Yeah, Christ, man, Grohl is waaaaay down on the awesome rankings by comparison to The Boss.
> You’ll do the same for me on your 63rd, right?
6. His inclusion on Warren Zevon’s final album, and the heartbreaking documentary that accompanied it. Anyone associated with that is aces in my book.
Not a single person in his league,he is a force of nature and I will forever worship at the altar of Springsteen; if you haven’t seen him in concert yet or if you can’t afford it, go to brucefunds.com we’ll get you there!
Correct web address for Bruce Funds is [brucefunds.tumblr.com]
First concert I ever went to was Tunnel of Love in High School. It was also the loudest and most energetic show I’ve ever seen. My dad is the biggest Springsteen fanboy ever. Him getting me into Bruce was probably one of the greatest gifts I ever got from him.
two and one half hours, no intermission, 100% effort. Toyota Center 2008 (so he was like 58). I think of that show every time one of these panty-waist “rockers” takes a 20 minute break after playing 45.
ive never heard my dad talk about anything as mucn as how much he cant stand springsteen.
of course, this rubbed off on me for years. which was fine when i didn’t know i was missing out on thunder road.
but now it’s even worse when he says it, because my only options are agreeing with him, or just changing the subject.