The Essential Bruce Springsteen
| Untitled | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [1] |
| Pitchfork Media | (8.6/10)[2] |
| Entertainment Weekly | (A-)[3] |
| PopMatters | (positive)[4] |
The Essential Bruce Springsteen is a compilation album by Bruce Springsteen, released on 11 November 2003. The collection is part of a series of Essential sets released by Sony BMG (previously Sony Music Entertainment). It includes songs from various Springsteen albums and concerts up to the year 2003.
The 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.
The album debuted on the Billboard 200 albums chart on November 29, 2003 at number 14, with sales of 90,000 copies. It spent 13 weeks on the chart. The album was awarded gold and platinum records on December 16, 2003 by the RIAA, and has sold 1,079,000 copies in the U.S. as of August 2013.[5] The Essential Bruce Springsteen also reached #15 on the UK Albums Chart in 2013. The album was re-released with an updated track list in October 2015.
Critical reception
The album received general acclaim from fans and music critics, who appreciated its captivation of Springsteen's most recognizable hits throughout his career and called it "a better compilation album than Greatest Hits", which was released in 1995.[2][1]
Track listings
| 2003 | Title | Original album | Length | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | Growin' Up | Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ, 1973 | 3:05 | disc 1, track 1 |
| disc 1, track 1 | Blinded by the Light | Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ | 5:04 | - |
| disc 1, track 2 | For You | Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ | 4:40 | - |
| disc 1, track 3 | Spirit in the Night | Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ | 5:00 | - |
| disc 1, track 4 | 4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy) | The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle, 1973 | 5:37 | disc 1, track 3 |
| disc 1, track 5 | Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) | The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle | 7:04 | disc 1, track 2 |
| disc 1, track 6 | Thunder Road | Born to Run, 1975 | 4:51 | disc 1, track 4 |
| disc 1, track 7 | Born to Run | Born to Run | 4:33 | disc 1, track 5 |
| disc 1, track 8 | Jungleland | Born to Run | 9:36 | - |
| - | Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out | Born to Run | 3:11 | disc 1, track 6 |
| disc 1, track 9 | Badlands | Darkness on the Edge of Town, 1978 | 4:05 | disc 1, track 7 |
| disc 1, track 10 | Darkness on the Edge of Town | Darkness on the Edge of Town | 4:31 | - |
| disc 1, track 11 | The Promised Land | Darkness on the Edge of Town | 4:31 | disc 1, track 8 |
| - | Prove It All Night | Darkness On The Edge Of Town | 3:56 | disc 1, track 9 |
| disc 1, track 12 | The River | The River, 1980 | 5:01 | disc 1, track 10 |
| disc 1, track 13 | Hungry Heart | The River | 3:21 | disc 1, track 11 |
| - | The Ties That Bind | The River | 3:34 | disc 1, track 12 |
| - | Out in the Street | The River | 4:17 | disc 1, track 13 |
| disc 1, track 14 | Nebraska | Nebraska, 1982 | 4:30 | - |
| disc 1, track 15 | Atlantic City | Nebraska | 3:57 | disc 1, track 14 |
| - | Johnny 99 | Nebraska | 3:44 | disc 1, track 15 |
| disc 2, track 1 | Born in the U.S.A. | Born in the U.S.A., 1984 | 4:42 | disc 1, track 17 |
| disc 2, track 2 | Glory Days | Born in the U.S.A. | 4:17 | disc 1, track 16 |
| disc 2, track 3 | Dancing in the Dark | Born in the U.S.A. | 4:04 | disc 1, track 18 |
| disc 2, track 4 | Tunnel of Love | Tunnel of Love, 1987 | 5:13 | - |
| - | Tougher Than The Rest | Tunnel of Love | 4:16 | disc 2, track 1 |
| disc 2, track 5 | Brilliant Disguise | Tunnel of Love | 4:16 | disc 2, track 2 |
| - | One Step Up | Tunnel of Love | 4:22 | disc 2, track 3 |
| disc 2, track 6 | Human Touch | Human Touch, 1992 | 6:31 | disc 2, track 4 |
| disc 2, track 7 | Living Proof | Lucky Town, 1992 | 4:48 | - |
| disc 2, track 8 | Lucky Town | Lucky Town | 3:29 | - |
| - | Better Days | Lucky Town | 4:08 | disc 2, track 5 |
| - | If I Should Fall Behind | Lucky Town | 2:57 | disc 2, track 6 |
| disc 2, track 9 | Streets of Philadelphia | Philadelphia soundtrack and Greatest Hits, 1994/1995 | 3:18 | disc 2, track 7 |
| - | Murder Incorporated | Greatest Hits | 3:18 | disc 2, track 8 |
| disc 2, track 10 | The Ghost of Tom Joad | The Ghost of Tom Joad, 1995 | 4:24 | disc 2, track 9 |
| disc 2, track 11 | The Rising | The Rising, 2002 | 4:47 | disc 2, track 10 |
| disc 2, track 12 | Mary's Place | The Rising | 6:01 | - |
| disc 2, track 13 | Lonesome Day | The Rising | 4:05 | disc 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 City | 9:22 | - |
| - | Devils and Dust | Devils and Dust, 2005 | 4:58 | disc 2, track 12 |
| - | Long Time Comin' | Devils and Dust | 4:17 | disc 2, track 13 |
| - | Radio Nowhere | Magic, 2007 | 3:19 | disc 2, track 14 |
| - | Working On A Dream | Working On A Dream, 2009 | 3:30 | disc 2, track 15 |
| - | My Lucky Day | Working On A Dream | 4:10 | disc 2, track 16 |
| - | The Wrestler | Working On A Dream | 3:50 | disc 2, track 17 |
| - | We Take Care of Our Own | Wrecking Ball, 2012 | 3:54 | disc 2, track 18 |
| - | Hunter of Invisible Game | High Hopes, 2014 | 4:42 | disc 2, track 19 |
2003 bonus disc
| No. | Title | Notes | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come)" | The River outtake | 2:42 |
| 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) | Live version of song which was the B-side of "Hungry Heart" single | 1:21 |
| 4. | "Trapped" (Live at Meadowlands Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey, August 6, 1984) | We Are the World, 1985 | 5:10 |
| 5. | "None But the Brave" | Born in the U.S.A. outtake | 5:35 |
| 6. | "Missing" | The Crossing Guard soundtrack, 1995 | 5:04 |
| 7. | "Lift Me Up" | Limbo soundtrack, 1999 | 5:16 |
| 8. | "Viva Las Vegas" | The Last Temptation of Elvis, 1993 | 3:10 |
| 9. | "County Fair" | Born in the U.S.A. outtake | 4:51 |
| 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, 1996 | 2:44 |
| 12. | "Countin' on a Miracle" (Acoustic version) | Originally from The Rising | 5:01 |
| Total length: | 47:26 | ||
Charts
| Chart (2003) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Top 50 Albums[6] | 43 |
| Austrian Top 75 Albums[7] | 12 |
| Belgium (Flanders) 100 Albums[8] | 19 |
| Finnish Top 50 Albums[9] | 14 |
| French Compilations[10] | 21 |
| Irish Top 75 Albums[11] | 5 |
| Italian Top 20 Albums[12] | 8 |
| Netherlands Top 100 Albums[13] | 22 |
| Norwegian Top 40 Albums[14] | 4 |
| Portuguese Top 30 Albums[15] | 13 |
| Swedish Top 60 Albums[16] | 2 |
| Swiss Top 100 Albums[17] | 35 |
| UK Albums Chart[18] | 28 |
| US Billboard 200[19] | 14 |
| Chart (2004) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Wallonia) 100 Albums[20] | 84 |
| Danish Top 40 Albums[21] | 17 |
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Spanish Top 100 Albums[22] | 77 |
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Catalog Albums[19] | 13 |
| Chart (2013) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart[23] | 15 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Norway (IFPI Norway)[24] | Platinum | 40,000* |
| Sweden (GLF)[25] | Gold | 30,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[26] | Platinum | 300,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[27] | Platinum | 1,079,000[5] |
|
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- ^ a b c The Essential Bruce Springsteen at AllMusic
- ^ a b Richardson, Mark (6 January 2004). "Bruce Springsteen - The Essential Bruce Springsteen". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2004-01-06.
- ^ Browne, David (21 November 2003). "Bruce Springsteen - The Essential Bruce Springsteen". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2003-11-21.
- ^ Kalet, Hank (13 January 2003). "Bruce Springsteen : The Essential Bruce Springsteen". PopMatters. Retrieved 2003-01-13.
- ^ a b Paul Grein (August 7, 2013). "Week Ending Aug. 4, 2013. Albums: Robin Thicke, Call Katy Perry". Yahoo Chart Watch.
- ^ "Bruce Springsteen – The Essential (Album)" (ASP). Australian Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
- ^ "Bruce Springsteen – The Essential (Album)" (ASP). Austrian Charts (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
- ^ "Bruce Springsteen – The Essential (Album)" (ASP). Ultratop (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
- ^ "Bruce Springsteen – The Essential (Album)" (ASP). Finnish Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
- ^ "Les "Charts Runs" de chaque Album Classé" (PHP). InfoDisc (in French). Search for "Bruce SPRINGSTEEN" on the drop-down menu to see results.
- ^ "Top 75 Artist Album, Week Ending 13 November 2003" (JSP). GfK Chart-Track. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
- ^ "Bruce Springsteen – The Essential (Album)" (ASP). Italian Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
- ^ "Bruce Springsteen – The Essential (Album)" (ASP). Dutch Charts (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
- ^ "Bruce Springsteen – The Essential (Album)" (ASP). Norwegian Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
- ^ "Bruce Springsteen – The Essential (Album)" (ASP). Portuguese Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
- ^ "Bruce Springsteen – The Essential (Album)" (ASP). Swedish Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
- ^ "Bruce Springsteen – The Essential (Album)" (ASP). Swiss Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
- ^ "Chart Archive: Top 40 Official UK Albums Archive – 22nd November 2003". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
- ^ a b "The Essential Bruce Springsteen – Bruce Springsteen". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
- ^ "Bruce Springsteen – The Essential (Album)" (ASP). Ultratop (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
- ^ "Bruce Springsteen – The Essential (Album)" (ASP). Danish Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
- ^ "Bruce Springsteen – The Essential (Album)" (ASP). Spanish Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
- ^ "Chart Archive: Top 40 Official UK Albums Archive – 22nd June 2013". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 16, 2013.
- ^ "Norwegian album certifications – Bruce Springsteen – The Essential" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway.
- ^ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 2003" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-17.
- ^ "British album certifications – Bruce Springsteen – The Essential Bruce Springsteen". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved January 14, 2013. Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type The Essential Bruce Springsteen in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
- ^ "American album certifications – Springsteen, Bruce – The Essential Bruce Springsteen". Recording Industry Association of America.
