Editing Bruce Springsteen (section)

===1975–1983: ''Born to Run'' and breakthrough success===
''[[Born to Run]]'' was released in August 1975. It proved to be a breakthrough album<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 25, 2015 |title=How Bruce Springsteen Made 'Born To Run' an American Masterpiece |url=https://observer.com/2015/08/how-bruce-springsteen-made-born-to-run-an-american-masterpiece/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190704091905/https://observer.com/2015/08/how-bruce-springsteen-made-born-to-run-an-american-masterpiece/ |archive-date=July 4, 2019 |access-date=July 4, 2019 |website=[[The New York Observer]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Kahn |first=Ashley |date=November 10, 2005 |title=Springsteen Looks Back On 'Born to Run' |work=The Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB113157733159792810 |url-status=live |access-date=July 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190704091911/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB113157733159792810 |archive-date=July 4, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=June 20, 2019 |title=Bruce Springsteen looks for mercy and deliverance in new album 'Western Stars' |url=https://www.americamagazine.org/arts-culture/2019/06/20/bruce-springsteen-looks-mercy-and-deliverance-new-album-western-stars |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190704091906/https://www.americamagazine.org/arts-culture/2019/06/20/bruce-springsteen-looks-mercy-and-deliverance-new-album-western-stars |archive-date=July 4, 2019 |access-date=July 4, 2019 |website=America Magazine}}</ref> that catapulted Springsteen to worldwide fame.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Hiatt |first=Brian |date=November 17, 2005 |title=Bruce Springsteen's 'Born to Run' Turns 30 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/bruce-springsteens-born-to-run-turns-30-57678/ |url-status=dead |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190925212225/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/bruce-springsteens-born-to-run-turns-30-57678/ |archive-date=September 25, 2019 |access-date=July 4, 2019}}</ref> The album peaked at No. 3 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' Top LPs & Tape]] chart, eventually going seven times platinum in the US.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=70–71}} The album's two singles, "Born to Run" and "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" reached No. 23 and 83, respectively, on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.{{sfn|Dolan|2012|p=128}}<ref>{{cite web |last=Lifton |first=Dave |title=Bruce Springsteen's 'Born to Run': A Track-by-Track Guide |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/bruce-springsteen-born-to-run-songs/ |website=[[Ultimate Classic Rock]] |access-date=August 10, 2023 |date=August 22, 2020 |archive-date=August 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810232707/https://ultimateclassicrock.com/bruce-springsteen-born-to-run-songs/ |url-status=live}}</ref> According to author Louis Masur, the album's success was tied to the fears of growing old held by a generation of late teenagers.{{sfn|Masur|2010|pp=111–112}}

In October 1975, Springsteen appeared on the covers of both ''[[Newsweek]]'' and ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' in the same week, becoming the first artist to do so.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lifton |first=Dave |title=Revisiting Bruce Springsteen's 'Time' and 'Newsweek' Covers |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/bruce-springsteen-time-newsweek/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190617132317/https://ultimateclassicrock.com/bruce-springsteen-time-newsweek/ |archive-date=June 17, 2019 |access-date=August 6, 2019 |website=Ultimate Classic Rock|date=October 27, 2015}}</ref> The magazines' cover stories resulted in a media backlash,{{sfn|Masur|2010|p=132}} as critics began wondering if Springsteen was for real or the product of record company promotion.<ref>{{cite web |last=Edwards |first=Henry |title=If There Hadn't Been a Bruce Springsteen, Then the Critics Would Have Made Him Up; The Invention of Bruce Springsteen |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1975/10/05/archives/if-there-hadnt-been-a-bruce-springsteen-then-the-critics-would-have.html |website=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=August 10, 2023 |date=October 5, 1975 |archive-date=August 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810230641/https://www.nytimes.com/1975/10/05/archives/if-there-hadnt-been-a-bruce-springsteen-then-the-critics-would-have.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Rockwell |first=John |author-link=John Rockwell |title=The Pop Life; 'Hype' and the Springsteen Case |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1975/10/24/archives/the-pop-life-hype-and-the-springsteen-case.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=August 10, 2023 |date=October 24, 1975 |archive-date=August 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810230642/https://www.nytimes.com/1975/10/24/archives/the-pop-life-hype-and-the-springsteen-case.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Springsteen was hurt by the backlash{{sfn|Masur|2010|p=133}} and disliked his newfound attention. When the E Street Band arrived in London for their first concerts outside North America,{{sfn|Gaar|2016|p=61}} Springsteen personally tore down promotional posters in the lobby of the [[Hammersmith Odeon]].{{sfn|Carlin|2012|pp=212–213}}

[[File:Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band 1977.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|Springsteen and the E Street Band in February 1977]]
A legal battle with Appel kept Springsteen out of the studio for nearly a year, during which time he kept the E Street Band together through [[Born to Run tours|extensive touring across the U.S.]] and continued writing new material.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=102–109}}<ref name="CameronGuardian">{{cite web |last=Cameron |first=Keith |title=Bruce Springsteen: 'People thought we were gone. Finished' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/sep/23/bruce-springsteen-darkness-edge-town |website=[[The Guardian]] |date=September 23, 2010 |access-date=January 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221002195304/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/sep/23/bruce-springsteen-darkness-edge-town |archive-date=October 2, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> Reaching a settlement with Appel in May 1977,{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=102–109}} Springsteen returned to the studio, and the subsequent nine-month recording sessions with the E Street Band produced ''[[Darkness on the Edge of Town]]''.{{sfn|Carlin|2012|p=345}} The record stripped the "Wall of Sound" production of ''Born to Run''{{sfn|Dolan|2012|pp=149–152}}{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=114–115}} for a rawer [[hard rock]] sound.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=102–109}}{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|pp=56–61}} Its lyrics focus on ill-fortuned people who fight back against overwhelming odds.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=102–109}}{{sfn|Springsteen|2016|p=262}}

Released in June 1978,{{sfn|Gaar|2016|p=71}} ''Darkness on the Edge of Town'' sold fewer copies than its predecessor,<ref>{{cite web |last=Ruhlmann |first=William |title=''Darkness on the Edge of Town'' – Bruce Springsteen |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/darkness-on-the-edge-of-town-mw0000191913 |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=January 31, 2023 |archive-date=January 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117033315/https://www.allmusic.com/album/darkness-on-the-edge-of-town-mw0000191913 |url-status=live}}</ref> but remained on the ''Billboard'' chart for 167 weeks, selling three million copies in the U.S.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=102–109}}{{sfn|Gaar|2016|pp=68–70}} Its three singles—"[[Prove It All Night]]", "[[Badlands (song)|Badlands]]", and "[[The Promised Land (Bruce Springsteen song)|The Promised Land]]"—performed modestly.{{sfn|Gaar|2016|pp=68–70}} The supporting [[Darkness Tour]] was Springsteen's largest up to that point and featured shows that lasted upwards of three hours in length.{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|pp=61–64}}{{sfn|Gaar|2016|pp=72–75}} The staff of ''[[Ultimate Classic Rock]]'' said the tour solidified Springsteen and the E Street Band as "one of the most exciting live acts in rock 'n' roll".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gallucci |first1=Michael |last2=DeRiso |first2=Nick |last3=Lifton |first3=Dave |last4=Filcman |first4=Debra |last5=Smith |first5=Rob |date=June 1, 2018 |title='Darkness on the Edge of Town' at 40: Our Writers Answer Five Important Questions |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/darkness-on-the-edge-of-town-roundtable/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204162955/https://ultimateclassicrock.com/darkness-on-the-edge-of-town-roundtable/ |archive-date=February 4, 2023 |access-date=January 31, 2023 |website=Ultimate Classic Rock}}</ref>

[[File:Bruce Springsteen at the New Haven Coliseum (7238976872).jpg|thumb|left|Springsteen performing in [[New Haven, Connecticut]], {{Circa|1977–1978}}]]
By the late 1970s, Springsteen earned a reputation as a songwriter whose material could provide hits for other bands. [[Manfred Mann's Earth Band]] had achieved a U.S. No. 1 pop hit with a heavily rearranged version of ''Greetings''{{'}} "Blinded by the Light" in early 1977. [[Patti Smith]] reached No. 13 with her version of Springsteen's unreleased "[[Because the Night]]" with revised lyrics by Smith in 1978. [[The Pointer Sisters]] hit No. 2 in 1979 with Springsteen's then unreleased "[[Fire (Bruce Springsteen song)|Fire]]".{{sfn|Kirkpatrick|2007|pp=52–54}} Between 1976 and 1978, Springsteen provided four compositions to [[Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes]], including "[[The Fever (Bruce Springsteen song)|The Fever]]" and "Hearts of Stone", and collaborated on four more with [[Steven Van Zandt]], producer of their first three albums.{{sfn|Carlin|2012|pp=}}

In September 1979, Springsteen and the E Street Band joined the [[Musicians United for Safe Energy]] [[Anti-nuclear movement|anti-nuclear power]] collective at [[Madison Square Garden]] for two nights, playing an abbreviated set while premiering two songs from his upcoming album. The subsequent ''[[No Nukes (album)|No Nukes]]'' live album, as well as the following summer's ''[[No Nukes (film)|No Nukes]]'' documentary film, represented the first official recordings and footage of Springsteen's fabled live act and Springsteen's first tentative dip into political involvement.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Kreps |first=Daniel |date=December 26, 2018 |title=Bruce Springsteen Releases Complete 'No Nukes 1979' Concert |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/bruce-springsteen-no-nukes-1979-concerts-772755/ |url-status=live |magazine=Rolling Stone |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116183304/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/bruce-springsteen-no-nukes-1979-concerts-772755/ |archive-date=January 16, 2021 |access-date=January 8, 2021}}</ref>

The recording sessions for Springsteen's fifth album, ''[[The River (Bruce Springsteen album)|The River]]'', lasted 18 months.{{sfn|Carlin|2012|p=270}} The 20-track [[double album]]{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=144–146}} was an attempt at capturing the energy and feel of the E Street Band playing live on stage<ref>{{cite web |last=Rose |first=Caryn |title=Springsteen's new ties that bind box set |url=https://www.salon.com/2015/12/07/springsteens_new_ties_that_bind_box_set_chronicles_the_fascinating_and_frustrating_road_to_the_river/ |website=[[Salon.com]] |date=December 7, 2015 |access-date=February 6, 2024 |archive-date=February 6, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240206193756/https://www.salon.com/2015/12/07/springsteens_new_ties_that_bind_box_set_chronicles_the_fascinating_and_frustrating_road_to_the_river/ |url-status=live}}</ref> and featured a mix of party songs and introspective ballads.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Smith |first1=Larry David |last2=Rutter |first2=Jon |year=2008 |title=There's a Reckoning on the Edge of Town: Bruce Springsteen's Darkness on The River |journal=Journal of Popular Music Studies |location=[[Ball State University]] |publisher=Wiley Online Library |volume=20 |issue=2 |pages=109–128 |doi=10.1111/j.1533-1598.2008.00153.x | issn=1524-2226}}</ref> Released in October 1980, ''The River'' became Springsteen's biggest and fastest-selling album yet, topping the U.S. ''Billboard'' chart.{{sfn|Dolan|2012|pp=167–181}} The single "[[Hungry Heart]]" became his first top ten single as a performer, reaching number five,{{sfn|Dolan|2012|pp=167–181}} while "[[Fade Away (Bruce Springsteen song)|Fade Away]]" reached No. 20.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=186–187}}

[[File:Springsteen 05051981 01 200.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|Springsteen performing in [[Oslo]], Norway, in May 1981]]
Several songs on ''The River'' foreshadowed the direction of Springsteen's next record,{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=142–144}} the [[Minimal music|minimalist]], folk-inspired solo effort ''[[Nebraska (album)|Nebraska]]'', released in September 1982.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=192–193}} Springsteen recorded the songs on the album as [[Demo (music)|demo]] recordings at his home in [[Colts Neck, New Jersey]], intending to re-record them with the E Street Band, but after poor test sessions he decided to release the recordings as is.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=HHauser|title=Dusting 'Em Off: Bruce Springsteen – Nebraska|url=https://consequenceofsound.net/2013/07/dusting-em-off-bruce-springsteen-nebraska/|access-date=April 25, 2017|magazine=[[Consequence of Sound]]|date=July 20, 2013|archive-date=April 26, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170426153200/https://consequenceofsound.net/2013/07/dusting-em-off-bruce-springsteen-nebraska/|url-status=live}}</ref>{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=194–195}} The album chronicled dark hardships felt by everyday blue-collar workers, as well as bleak tales of criminals, cops, and gang wars.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|pp=192–193}}{{sfn|Carlin|2012|p=292}} ''Nebraska'' sold minimally compared to Springsteen's three previous albums, but reached No. 3 on the ''Billboard'' chart.{{sfn|Gaar|2016|pp=82–83}} Nevertheless, it surprised critics, who praised it as a brave artistic statement.{{sfn|Gaar|2016|pp=82–83}}