Bruce Springsteen released his landmark album, Born to Run, 45 years ago tomorrow, Tuesday -- August 25th, 1975.
It was the pivotal album in his career, coming after two albums that hardly sold, despite great reviews. The feeling was that if his third album wasn't successful, it might spell the end of Springsteen as a recording artist. He says there was definitely pressure on him.
Springsteen says he spent an enormous amount of time composing the album's title track, which became his first Top 40 hit and was a huge breakthrough for him on album rock radio.
Although he co-produced the song "Born to Run" with his then-manager, Mike Appel, Springsteen ended up bringing in onetime music critic and his future manager Jon Landau to finish the rest of the album with him, which took 14 months to complete.
Springsteen says there are recurrent themes throughout the album.
Born to Run was the first album to feature E Street Band members Max Weinberg on drums and Roy Bittan on keyboards, and the last with keyboardist David Sancious and drummer Ernest "Boom" Carter, who left during its sessions.
With Columbia Records spending $250,000 to market the album,Born to Run went to number-three on the Billboard 200, and received great reviews from Rolling Stone,The New York Times and The Village Voice.
Three of the album's eight songs are among his most played in concert with the title track having been performed 1,747 times -- his most-played song -- followed by "Thunder Road" at number-two with 1,431. "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" is fifth with 1,081.
The remaining five songs are "Night," "Backstreets," "She's the One," "Meeting Across the River" and "Jungleland."