Rolling Stone: 100 Greatest Singers of All-Time

36 Bruce Springsteen


Born
September 23rd, 1949

Key Tracks
"Thunder Road," "Born in the U.S.A.," "Girls in Their Summer Clothes"

Influenced
Eddie Vedder, Jon Bon Jovi, Brandon Flowers, Win Butler

"When Bruce Springsteen does those wordless wails, like at the end of 'Jungleland,' that's the definition of rock & roll to me," says Melissa Etheridge. "He uses his whole body when he sings, and he puts out this enormous amount of force and emotion and passion." Springsteen has used numerous vocal approaches over the past four decades: soul shouting, Roy Orbison belting, Elvis-style crooning, country-folk drawling, garage-rock hollering. "He finds the emotional drama in the characters in his songs," says Etheridge. "When he sings 'The River,' he's going to break your heart." When Bono inducted Springsteen into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1999, he said Springsteen's voice sounded as "if Van Morrison could ride a Harley-Davidson."

• View List: The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time

• Listen: The Ultimate Singers Playlist

• The Ballots: View Handwritten Votes

• Legends at Work: In the Studio Photos

• Voters & Methodology