Bruce Springsteen Reveals Which 8 Songs He’d Bring to a Desert Island
"The Boss" chose tracks ranging from Elvis Presley's “Hound Dog” to Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On"
December 21, 2016
Bruce Springsteen superfans should consider adding certain Elvis Presley, Rolling Stones, and Marvin Gaye tracks to their portable music devices because — if they ever find themselves stranded with the rock icon on a desert island — it could score them some serious points.
The Boss spoke to BBC Radio 4 recently and revealed his eight “desert island discs.” Included on the list are well known records from the aforementioned artists, as well selections from the Beatles, Van Morrison, James Brown, the Four Tops, and recent Nobel Prize winner Bob Dylan.
“It’s songs that a lot of people are going to be familiar with and affected many others,” Bruce explained. “But this was the music that electrified me and galvanized me into changing my life in some way.”
The oldest song on his list is “Hound Dog,” recorded by Elvis in 1956. “When I heard it, it just shot straight through to my brain. And I realized, suddenly, that there was more to life than what I’d been living,” Bruce said. “I was so very young but it still hit me like a thunderbolt.”
The most recent is Marvin Gaye’s 1971 “masterpiece” of a record “What’s Going On.” “It was sultry and sexual while at the same time dealing with street level politics. That had a big influence on me,” Bruce said.
Check out all eight of his desert island songs (below):
- Elvis Presley – “Hound Dog”
- The Beatles – “I Want to Hold Your Hand”
- The Rolling Stones – “It’s All Over Now”
- Van Morrison – “Madame George”
- Marvin Gaye – “What’s Going On”
- James Brown – “Out of Sight”
- The Four Tops – “Baby I Need Your Loving”
- Bob Dylan – “Like a Rolling Stone”
Click here for more from Bruce’s interview.
