Greatest Hits | ||||
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Greatest hits album by | ||||
Released | January 13, 2009 (American edition) June 1, 2009 (European edition) | |||
Recorded | 1972–1984, 2002–2007 | |||
Genre | Rock | |||
Length | 53:08 (American edition) 79:03 (European edition) | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band chronology | ||||
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Bruce Springsteen chronology | ||||
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European cover | ||||
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic (American) | [1] |
Allmusic (European) | [2] |
Bruce Springsteen &The E Street Band Greatest Hits is Bruce Springsteen's fifth compilation album,released as a limited edition first in the United States,Canada and Australia on January 13,2009,exclusively through Wal-Mart retailers. [3]
The album is a collection of some of Springsteen's hit singles and popular album tracks through the years. Springsteen released a similar Greatest Hits album in 1995. Unlike the previous release,this album is billed to "Bruce Springsteen &The E Street Band",the first time Springsteen's backing band has been credited with a compilation release. As such,it contains no Springsteen material recorded between 1984 and 2002,during which period he did virtually no studio recording with the E Street Band. [4]
Springsteen's association with Wal-Mart drew puzzled reactions from the media,given the singer's longtime support for labor causes and the company's longtime anti-union actions. [5] Huffington Post writer Tony Sachs pronounced the release one of the "top five boneheaded music industry moves of 2008", [6] while The Wall Street Journal wrote that it reflected the duality of "the liberal singer-songwriter and the commercial juggernaut recording artist." [7] Longtime Springsteen writer Charles R. Cross said that fans were now more accepting of such blatant commercial strategies given the overall slump in the music business. [7] Nevertheless,the release did draw criticism from some fans as well as from labor union activists and independent record store owners. [7] [8] In response,Springsteen manager Jon Landau said,"[L]et's start with the premise that Bruce is already in Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart has been 15% of our sales in recent years. It's not a question of going into Wal-Mart;we're there. They,and other retailers,are all looking for some way to differentiate themselves,and we try to accommodate each one. We're not doing any advertising for Wal-Mart. We haven't endorsed Wal-Mart or anybody else." [8] But then Springsteen himself,during publicity for his appearance at Super Bowl XLIII,admitted that they "dropped the ball" with the association with Wal-Mart,and attributed it to insufficient vetting due to too many activities going on. [9]
All songs written by Bruce Springsteen except where noted.
Chart (2009) | Peak position |
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Australia [10] | 17 |
Austria [11] | 7 |
Belgium [12] | 6 |
Canada [13] | 21 |
Denmark [14] | 3 |
Finland [15] | 5 |
Germany [16] | 25 |
Ireland [17] | 2 |
Italy [18] | 17 |
Netherlands [19] | 4 |
Norway [20] | 3 |
Spain [21] | 6 |
Sweden [22] | 1 |
Switzerland [23] | 12 |
U.K. [24] | 3 |
U.S. Billboard 200 [25] | 43 |
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen is an American rock singer,songwriter,and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss",he has released 21 studio albums during a career spanning six decades,most of which feature his backing band,the E Street Band. Springsteen is a pioneer of heartland rock,a genre combining mainstream rock music with poetic and socially conscious lyrics that feature narratives primarily concerning working class American life. He is known for his descriptive lyrics and energetic concerts,which sometimes last over four hours.
The Wild,the Innocent &the E Street Shuffle is the second studio album by the American rock singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen. It was recorded by Springsteen with the E Street Band at 914 Sound Studios in Blauvelt,New York,and released on November 5,1973,by Columbia Records. It includes the song "Rosalita ",the band's most-used set-closing song through 1985.
"Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" is a 1973 song by Bruce Springsteen,from his The Wild,the Innocent &the E Street Shuffle album,and is especially famed as a concert number for Springsteen and The E Street Band. The song,which clocks in at just over seven minutes,is a story of forbidden love between the singer and the titular Rosalita,whose parents disapprove of his life in a rock and roll band. It is included on the compilation albums The Essential Bruce Springsteen and Bruce Springsteen &The E Street Band Greatest Hits. In 2021,Rolling Stone ranked it the 446th greatest song of all time on their updated 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list.
Darkness on the Edge of Town is the fourth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen,released on June 2,1978,by Columbia Records. The album was recorded after a series of legal disputes between Springsteen and his former manager Mike Appel,during sessions in New York City with the E Street Band from June 1977 to March 1978. Springsteen and Jon Landau co-produced,with assistance from bandmate Steven Van Zandt.
The E Street Band is an American rock band that has been the primary backing band for rock musician Bruce Springsteen since 1972. In 2014,the E Street Band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. For the bulk of Springsteen's recording and performing career,the band included guitarists Steven Van Zandt,Nils Lofgren,and Patti Scialfa,keyboardists Danny Federici and Roy Bittan,bassist Garry Tallent,drummer Max Weinberg,and saxophonist Clarence Clemons.
"Fire" is a song written by Bruce Springsteen in 1977 which had its highest profile as a 1978 single release by the Pointer Sisters. The song was later released by Robert Gordon and Springsteen himself.
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's Darkness Tour was a concert tour of North America that ran from May 1978 through the rest of the year,in conjunction with the release of Springsteen's album Darkness on the Edge of Town.
Live In Barcelona is a full concert video DVD of a performance by Bruce Springsteen &the E Street Band of their Rising Tour performance of October 16,2002 at Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona,Catalonia,Spain.
"Prove It All Night" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen,released on May 23,1978,as the first single from his fourth studio album Darkness on the Edge of Town.
"Badlands" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen,released as the second single from his fourth studio album Darkness on the Edge of Town in July 1978.
"The Rising" is the title track on Bruce Springsteen's 12th studio album The Rising,and was released as a single in 2002. Springsteen wrote the song in reaction to the September 11,2001 attacks on New York City. It gained critical praise and earned Grammy Awards for Best Rock Song and Best Male Rock Vocal Performance,as well as a nomination for Song of the Year. Rolling Stone named it the 35th best song of the decade,and VH1 placed it 81st on its list of the "100 Greatest Songs of the '00s". It was used as the first credit song to end the broadcast of the 2002 World Series on Fox Sports.
"Night" is a song by Bruce Springsteen which first appeared on the Born to Run album in 1975. Although this is one of the lesser known songs from Born to Run,"Night" has become somewhat of a stage favorite for the E Street Band. The song was not immediately played during the 1975 portions of the Born to Run Tour,but later became a frequent set-opener,especially during the 1976 and 1977 legs. It was still sometimes being used as an opening song decades later during the 2007–2008 Magic Tour.
"Racing in the Street" is a song by Bruce Springsteen from his 1978 album Darkness on the Edge of Town. In the original vinyl format,it was the last song of side one of the album. The song has been called Springsteen's best song by several commentators,including the authors of The New Rolling Stone Album Guide.
"Waitin' on a Sunny Day" is a song by Bruce Springsteen that was first released in a recording with the E Street Band on his 2002 album The Rising. Although the song was not released as a single in the United States,it was released as a single in Europe,and was a hit in Sweden.
The Promise is a compilation album by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen,released November 16,2010,on Columbia Records. The album is a collection of previously unreleased songs which were recorded during the Darkness on the Edge of Town sessions in 1977–1978,with some vocals and additional instrumentation overdubs recorded in 2010. It was released in 2CD and 3LP formats. The album is also available as part of the box set The Promise:The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story. The two-CD version of the release entered the UK Albums Chart at number 7. It had been in production for many years and was originally scheduled to be released for the 30th anniversary in 2008. The Promise debuted at number 16 on the Billboard 200,while the box set,The Promise:The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story,debuted at number 27.
Collection:1973–2012 is a compilation album by Bruce Springsteen released on Columbia in 2013 containing 18 tracks spanning forty years of Springsteen's musical career. Fourteen of the songs on the album are credited to Springsteen as a solo act and four are credited to the formation Bruce Springsteen &The E Street Band. Two of the tracks,namely "Badlands" and "The Promised Land",were remastered for the compilation edition.
Brendan Byrne Arena,New Jersey 1984 is a live album by Bruce Springsteen &the E Street Band,released in May 2015 and was the fifth official release through the Bruce Springsteen Archives. The show was originally recorded live at the Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford,New Jersey on August 5,1984.
Ippodromo Delle Capannelle,Rome 2013 is a live album by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band,released in November 2015 and the eighth official release through the Bruce Springsteen Archives. The show was originally recorded live at the Ippodromo delle Capannelle in Rome,Italy on July 11,2013 during the Wrecking Ball Tour.
The Summit,Houston,TX December 8,1978 is a live album by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band,released in September 2017,and is the 19th official release through the Bruce Springsteen Archives. The show was recorded on December 8,1978,at The Summit in Houston,TX during the Darkness on the Edge of Town Tour.
"Darkness on the Edge of Town" is the last song on the 1978 album of the same name,Darkness on the Edge of Town,by Bruce Springsteen. It was the last song recorded and mixed,and in April 1978 it was designated the title song to a thematic album whose songs portray the struggles of the less-fortunate,not only to survive,but to keep their spirit and will to live. The title track portrays a hard-luck loser in life who refuses to give up. Springsteen's fourth album,released three years after his 1975 effort Born to Run,was delayed two years because of legal problems with his former manager,Mike Appel. Expectations were high after he took one year to complete the album.