Born to Run

Born to Run is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on August 25, 1975, by Columbia Records. As his effort to break into the mainstream, the album was a commercial success, peaking at number three on the Billboard 200 and eventually selling seven million copies in the United States. Two singles were released from the album: "Born to Run" and "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out"; the former helped Springsteen achieve mainstream popularity. The tracks "Thunder Road", "Backstreets", "She's the One", and "Jungleland" became staples of album-oriented rock radio and Springsteen concert high points. Born to Run garnered widespread acclaim upon release, and is considered by many critics to be one of the greatest albums of all time. On November 14, 2005, a 30th anniversary remaster of the album was released as a box set including two DVDs: a production diary film and a concert movie. The album was remastered again in 2014 by veteran mastering engineer Bob Ludwig, who has worked on much of Springsteen's audio output since 1982, for release as part of The Album Collection Vol. 1 1973–1984, a boxed set composed of remastered editions of his first seven albums. It was later released in remastered form as a single disc as well. Recording Springsteen began work on the album in May 1974. Having been given an enormous budget in a last-ditch effort at a commercially viable record, Springsteen became bogged down in the recording process while striving for a wall of sound production. Fed by the release of an early mix of "Born to Run" to nearly a dozen radio stations, anticipation built toward the album's release. Springsteen has noted a progression in his songwriting compared to his previous work. Unlike Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. and The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle, Born to Run includes few specific references to places in New Jersey, in an attempt to make the songs more identifiable to a wider audience. Springsteen has also referred to a maturation in his lyrics, calling Born to Run "the album where I left behind my adolescent definitions of love and freedom—it was the dividing line." In addition, Springsteen spent more time in the studio refining songs than he had on the previous two albums.