The Essential Bruce Springsteen

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The Essential Bruce Springsteen
The Essential Bruce Springsteen Cover Art.jpg
Greatest hits album by
Bruce Springsteen
ReleasedNovember 11, 2003
Recorded1972–2002
Genre
Length3:21:01 (2003)
2:36:22 (2015)
Label Columbia
Bruce Springsteen chronology
The Rising
(2002)		The Essential Bruce Springsteen
(2003)		 Devils & Dust
(2005)
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band chronology
The Rising
(2002)		The Essential Bruce Springsteen
(2003)		 Hammersmith Odeon, London '75
(2006)

The Essential Bruce Springsteen is a compilation album by Bruce Springsteen, released on November 11, 2003. The collection is part of a series of Essential sets released by Sony Music. It includes songs from various Springsteen albums and concerts up to the year 2003. A limited-edition third disc includes previously unreleased cuts, B-sides, contributions to soundtracks and benefit albums, covers, and an alternate, "country-blues" acoustic version of "Countin' on a Miracle" from The Rising (2002).

Contents

The album debuted on the Billboard 200 albums chart on November 29, 2003, at No. 14, with sales of 90,000 copies. The album was awarded gold and platinum records on December 16, 2003, by the RIAA. As of August 2013, the album has sold over 1,079,000 copies in the United States. [2] It reached No. 15 on the UK Albums Chart in 2013. The album was re-released with an updated track listing in October 2015. [3]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [1]
Entertainment Weekly A− [4]
Pitchfork 8.6/10 [5]
PopMatters (positive) [6]

The album received general acclaim from music critics, who appreciated its inclusion of Springsteen's most recognizable hits throughout his career. [5] AllMusic calls it a better compilation album than 1995's "misguided, haphazardly selected" Greatest Hits . [1]

Track listing

The Essential Bruce Springsteen track listing

2003 track orderTitleOriginal albumLength2015 track order
—"Growin' Up" Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ (1973)3:05disc 1, track 01
disc 1, track 01"Blinded by the Light"Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ5:04—
disc 1, track 02"For You"Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ4:40—
disc 1, track 03"Spirit in the Night"Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ5:00—
disc 1, track 04"4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)" The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle (1973)5:37disc 1, track 03
disc 1, track 05"Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)"The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle7:04disc 1, track 02
disc 1, track 06"Thunder Road" Born to Run (1975)4:51disc 1, track 04
disc 1, track 07"Born to Run"Born to Run4:33disc 1, track 05
disc 1, track 08"Jungleland"Born to Run9:36—
—"Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out"Born to Run3:11disc 1, track 06
disc 1, track 09"Badlands" Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978)4:05disc 1, track 07
disc 1, track 10"Darkness on the Edge of Town"Darkness on the Edge of Town4:31—
disc 1, track 11"The Promised Land"Darkness on the Edge of Town4:31disc 1, track 08
—"Prove It All Night"Darkness on the Edge of Town3:56disc 1, track 09
disc 1, track 12"The River" The River (1980)5:01disc 1, track 10
disc 1, track 13"Hungry Heart"The River3:21disc 1, track 11
—"The Ties That Bind"The River3:34disc 1, track 12
—"Out in the Street"The River4:20disc 1, track 13
disc 1, track 14"Nebraska" Nebraska (1982)4:30—
disc 1, track 15"Atlantic City"Nebraska3:57disc 1, track 14
—"Johnny 99"Nebraska3:41disc 1, track 15
disc 2, track 01"Born in the U.S.A." Born in the U.S.A. (1984)4:42disc 1, track 17
disc 2, track 02"Glory Days"Born in the U.S.A.4:17disc 1, track 16
disc 2, track 03"Dancing in the Dark"Born in the U.S.A.4:04disc 1, track 18
disc 2, track 04"Tunnel of Love" Tunnel of Love (1987)5:13—
—"Tougher Than the Rest"Tunnel of Love4:37disc 2, track 01
disc 2, track 05"Brilliant Disguise"Tunnel of Love4:16disc 2, track 02
—"One Step Up"Tunnel of Love4:22disc 2, track 03
disc 2, track 06"Human Touch" Human Touch (1992)6:31 (2003) / 5:11 (2015)disc 2, track 04
disc 2, track 07"Living Proof" Lucky Town (1992)4:48—
disc 2, track 08"Lucky Town"Lucky Town3:29—
—"Better Days"Lucky Town3:48disc 2, track 05
—"If I Should Fall Behind"Lucky Town2:58disc 2, track 06
disc 2, track 09"Streets of Philadelphia" Philadelphia soundtrack (1994)3:18disc 2, track 07
—"Murder Incorporated" Greatest Hits (1995)3:59disc 2, track 08
disc 2, track 10"The Ghost of Tom Joad" The Ghost of Tom Joad (1995)4:24disc 2, track 09
disc 2, track 11"The Rising" The Rising (2002)4:48disc 2, track 10
disc 2, track 12"Mary's Place"The Rising6:01—
disc 2, track 13"Lonesome Day"The Rising4:08disc 2, track 11
disc 2, track 14"American Skin (41 Shots)" Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band: Live in New York City (2001)7:53—
disc 2, track 15"Land of Hope and Dreams"Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band: Live in New York City9:22—
-"Devils & Dust" Devils & Dust (2005)5:03disc 2, track 12
-"Long Time Comin'"Devils & Dust4:17disc 2, track 13
-"Radio Nowhere" Magic (2007)3:21disc 2, track 14
-"Working on a Dream" Working on a Dream (2009)3:30disc 2, track 15
-"My Lucky Day"Working on a Dream4:02disc 2, track 16
-"The Wrestler"Working on a Dream3:51disc 2, track 17
-"We Take Care of Our Own" Wrecking Ball (2012)3:57disc 2, track 18
-"Hunter of Invisible Game" High Hopes (2014)4:42disc 2, track 19
2003 bonus disc edition – disc three
No.TitleNotesLength
1."From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come)"The River outtake2:42
2."The Big Payback"Nebraska outtake; B-side to "Open All Night" single 1:59
3."Held Up Without a Gun" (Live at Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, New York, December 31, 1980)Originally the B-side of "Hungry Heart"1:21
4."Trapped" (Live at Meadowlands Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey, August 6, 1984) We Are the World , 19855:10
5."None But the Brave"Born in the U.S.A. outtake5:35
6."Missing" The Crossing Guard soundtrack, 19955:04
7."Lift Me Up" Limbo soundtrack, 19995:16
8."Viva Las Vegas" Honeymoon in Vegas soundtrack, 19923:10
9."County Fair"Born in the U.S.A. outtake4:51
10."Code of Silence" (Live at Madison Square Garden, New York City, Manhattan, New York, June 29, 2000)Recorded live during the Reunion Tour 4:33
11."Dead Man Walkin'" Dead Man Walking soundtrack, 19962:44
12."Countin' on a Miracle" (acoustic version)Originally from The Rising5:01
Total length:47:26

Charts

Chart (2003)Peak
position
Australian Top 50 Albums [7] 43
Austrian Top 75 Albums [8] 12
Belgium (Flanders) 100 Albums [9] 19
Finnish Top 50 Albums [10] 14
French Compilations [11] 21
Irish Top 75 Albums [12] 5
Italian Albums [13] 8
Netherlands Top 100 Albums [14] 22
Norwegian Top 40 Albums [15] 4
Portuguese Top 30 Albums [16] 13
Swedish Top 60 Albums [17] 2
Swiss Top 100 Albums [18] 35
UK Albums Chart [19] 28
US Billboard 200 [20] 14
Chart (2004)Peak
position
Belgium (Wallonia) 100 Albums [21] 84
Danish Top 40 Albums [22] 17
Chart (2008)Peak
position
Spanish Top 100 Albums [23] 77
Chart (2009)Peak
position
US Catalog Albums [20] 13
Chart (2013)Peak
position
UK Albums Chart [24] 15
Chart (2017)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [7] 41

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [25] 2× Platinum140,000^
Finland (Musiikkituottajat) [26] Gold15,736 [26]
Italy (FIMI) [27] Gold25,000‡
Norway (IFPI Norway) [28] Platinum40,000*
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [29] Gold50,000^
Sweden (GLF) [30] Gold30,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [31] Platinum300,000*
United States (RIAA) [32] 2× Platinum1,079,000 [2]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<i>The Ghost of Tom Joad</i> 1995 studio album by Bruce Springsteen

The Ghost of Tom Joad is the eleventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on November 21, 1995, by Columbia Records. His second primarily acoustic album after Nebraska (1982), The Ghost of Tom Joad reached the top ten in two countries, and the top twenty in five more, including No. 11 in the United States. It was his first studio album to fail to reach the top ten in the US in over two decades. The album won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album.

<i>Human Touch</i> 1992 studio album by Bruce Springsteen

Human Touch is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen. The album was released on March 31, 1992, the same day as Lucky Town. It was the more popular of the two, peaking at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart, and lead single "Human Touch" peaking at number one on the Mainstream Rock and number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. "Human Touch" has since Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for over one million copies sold in the US, and was nominated for Best Rock Vocal Performance at the 1993 Grammy Awards.

<i>Tunnel of Love</i> (album) 1987 studio album by Bruce Springsteen

Tunnel of Love is the eighth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on October 5, 1987. Although members of the E Street Band occasionally performed on the album, Springsteen recorded most of the parts himself, often with drum machines and synthesizers. Tunnel of Love is not officially regarded as an E Street Band album, as The Rising (2002) was marketed as his first studio album with the E Street Band since Born in the U.S.A. (1984).

<i>The Rising</i> (album) 2002 studio album by Bruce Springsteen

The Rising is the twelfth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on July 30, 2002, on Columbia Records. The album is based in large part on Springsteen's reflections in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks the year before. The album was a critical and commercial success, representing Springsteen's first album to top the US Billboard 200 since Tunnel of Love in 1987.

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<i>Devils & Dust</i> 2005 studio album by Bruce Springsteen

Devils & Dust is the thirteenth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, and his third acoustic album. It was released on April 25, 2005, in Europe and the following day in the United States, where it debuted at No. 1 on the US Billboard 200 album chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruce Springsteen discography</span>

American rock musician Bruce Springsteen has released 21 studio albums, 121 live albums, 77 singles, and 66 music videos. Widely referred to as "The Boss" by the media, Springsteen has sold over 150 million records worldwide, listing him among the best-selling music artists in history. Billboard ranked him as the 24th Greatest Artist of all time. According to Recording Industry Association of America, he has sold 65.5 million albums in the United States, making him the 7th best-selling male soloist of all time. Born in the U.S.A. remains the best-selling album of his career, selling more than 30 million copies around the world.

<i>Greatest Hits</i> (Bruce Springsteen album) 1995 greatest hits album by Bruce Springsteen

Greatest Hits is the first compilation album by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released February 27, 1995, on Columbia Records. It is a collection of some of Springsteen's hit singles and popular album tracks through the years along with four new songs at the end, mostly recorded with the E Street Band in 1995. The latter constituted Springsteen's first release with his backing band since the late 1980s. Some of the songs are shorter versions of the original album releases.

<i>The Essential Bob Dylan</i> 2000 greatest hits album by Bob Dylan

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<i>The Essential Ozzy Osbourne</i> 2003 greatest hits album by Ozzy Osbourne

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<i>Sultans of Swing: The Very Best of Dire Straits</i> 1998 greatest hits album by Dire Straits

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<i>The Essential Leonard Cohen</i> 2002 greatest hits album by Leonard Cohen

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<i>Magic</i> (Bruce Springsteen album) 2007 studio album by Bruce Springsteen

Magic is the fifteenth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released by Columbia Records on LP on September 25, 2007, and on CD on October 2. It was his first with the E Street Band since The Rising in 2002, and topped the charts in six countries, including the US and UK, going triple platinum in Ireland. Two songs from the album – "Radio Nowhere" and "Girls in Their Summer Clothes" – won a total of three Grammys, making Magic the second of only two Springsteen albums with three wins, after The Rising. It ranked No. 2 on Rolling Stone's list of the Top 50 Albums of 2007.

<i>Working on a Dream</i> 2009 studio album by Bruce Springsteen

Working on a Dream is the sixteenth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on January 27, 2009, through Columbia Records. It topped the charts in nine countries, including the US, where it was Springsteen's ninth No. 1. "The Wrestler", which appeared as a bonus track, won a Golden Globe award. E Street Band guitarist Steve Van Zandt said that Working on a Dream completed a trilogy which started with The Rising (2002) and continued with Magic (2007), all of which were produced by Brendan O'Brien.

<i>The Promise</i> (Bruce Springsteen album) 2010 compilation album by Bruce Springsteen

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.

References

  1. 1 2 3 The Essential Bruce Springsteen at AllMusic
  2. 1 2 Paul Grein (August 7, 2013). "Week Ending Aug. 4, 2013. Albums: Robin Thicke, Call Katy Perry". Yahoo Chart Watch. Archived from the original on August 10, 2013. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
  3. ↑ "The Essential Bruce Springsteen - Compilation by Bruce Springsteen". Spotify . Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  4. ↑ Browne, David (November 21, 2003). "Bruce Springsteen – The Essential Bruce Springsteen". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on December 24, 2016. Retrieved November 21, 2003.
  5. 1 2 Richardson, Mark (January 6, 2004). "Bruce Springsteen – The Essential Bruce Springsteen". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on November 21, 2010. Retrieved January 6, 2004.
  6. ↑ Kalet, Hank (January 13, 2003). "Bruce Springsteen : The Essential Bruce Springsteen". PopMatters . Retrieved January 13, 2003.
  7. 1 2 "Bruce Springsteen – The Essential (Album)" (ASP). Australian Charts . Hung Medien. Archived from the original on October 25, 2012. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Bruce Springsteen – The Essential (Album)" (ASP). Austrian Charts (in German). Hung Medien. Archived from the original on November 28, 2010. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
  9. ↑ "Bruce Springsteen – The Essential (Album)" (ASP). Ultratop (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
  10. ↑ "Bruce Springsteen – The Essential (Album)" (ASP). Finnish Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
  11. ↑ "Les "Charts Runs" de chaque Album Classé". InfoDisc (in French). Archived from the original (PHP) on August 20, 2008. Search for "Bruce SPRINGSTEEN" on the drop-down menu to see results.
  12. ↑ "Top 75 Artist Album, Week Ending 13 November 2003". GfK Chart-Track . Archived from the original (JSP) on June 4, 2012. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
  13. ↑ "Bruce Springsteen – The Essential (Album)" (ASP). Italian Charts. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on May 6, 2012. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
  14. ↑ "Bruce Springsteen – The Essential (Album)" (ASP). Dutch Charts (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Archived from the original on December 16, 2010. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
  15. ↑ "Bruce Springsteen – The Essential (Album)" (ASP). Norwegian Charts . Hung Medien. Archived from the original on May 15, 2012. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
  16. ↑ "Bruce Springsteen – The Essential (Album)" (ASP). Portuguese Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
  17. ↑ "Bruce Springsteen – The Essential (Album)" (ASP). Swedish Charts . Hung Medien. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
  18. ↑ "Bruce Springsteen – The Essential (Album)" (ASP). Swiss Charts . Hung Medien. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
  19. ↑ "Chart Archive: Top 40 Official UK Albums Archive – 22nd November 2003". Official Charts Company . Archived from the original on November 12, 2017. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
  20. 1 2 "The Essential Bruce Springsteen – Bruce Springsteen". Billboard . Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  21. ↑ "Bruce Springsteen – The Essential (Album)" (ASP). Ultratop (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
  22. ↑ "Bruce Springsteen – The Essential (Album)" (ASP). Danish Charts . Hung Medien. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
  23. ↑ "Bruce Springsteen – The Essential (Album)" (ASP). Spanish Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
  24. ↑ "Chart Archive: Top 40 Official UK Albums Archive – 22nd June 2013". Official Charts Company . Archived from the original on May 3, 2015. Retrieved June 16, 2013.
  25. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2014 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  26. 1 2 "Bruce Springsteen" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland . Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  27. ↑ "Italian album certifications – Bruce Springsteen – The Essential Bruce Springsteen" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana . Retrieved July 22, 2019. Select "2019" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Type "The Essential Bruce Springsteen" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Album e Compilation" under "Sezione".
  28. ↑ "Norwegian album certifications – Bruce Springsteen – The Essential" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway.
  29. ↑ "Spanish album certifications" (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España . Retrieved September 30, 2019.Select Álbumes under "Categoría", select 2004 under "Año". Select 4 under "Semana". Click on "BUSCAR LISTA".
  30. ↑ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 2003" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 17, 2011.
  31. ↑ "British album certifications – Bruce Springsteen – The Essential". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  32. ↑ "American album certifications – Bruce Springsteen – The Essential Bruce Springsteen". Recording Industry Association of America.
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