The artist

Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (1949) is an American singer, songwriter and musician who is both a solo artist and the leader of the E Street Band. He received critical acclaim for his early 1970s albums and attained worldwide fame upon the release of Born to Run in 1975. During a career that has spanned five decades, Springsteen has become known for his poetic and socially conscious lyrics and lengthy, energetic stage performances, earning the nickname "The Boss".

My album

Born in the USA (1984). The album became his most commercially successful album and one of the highest-selling records ever, having sold 30 million copies by 2012. It has also been cited by critics as one of the greatest albums of all time. It includes one of my all-time favourite songs: Dancing in the dark.

My song

My hometwon (Born in the USA, 1984). Why? Because the song's lyrics begin with the memories of his father instilling pride in the family's hometown. While it first appears that the song will be a nostalgic look at the childhood, the song then goes on to describe the racial violence and economic depression that the speaker witnessed as an adolescent and a young adult. The song concludes with the reluctant proclamation that he plans to move his family out of the town, but not without first taking his own son on a drive and expressing the same community pride that was instilled in him by his father. You can listen to a live version here.

Did you know?

10 years after Born in the USA, Springsteen won an Academy Award for Best Original Song (Streets of Philadelphia, 1994) and was nominated for a second (but did not win) the following year (Dead man walkin).