The 1975 Bruce Springsteen deep-cut that Billy Joel calls his favourite
Musically, Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen are cut from a different cloth, but there is a deep mutual respect between the pair, who share many commonalities that have infiltrated their respective artistries.
Born just four months apart in 1949 in post-World War II America, Joel and Springsteen have lived through the exact same circumstances, which have made them the people they are today. Both came from similar humble beginnings, albeit in different areas, with Joel growing up in a suburb of New York and Springsteen hailing from a similar district near New Jersey.
As much as they’ve gone on to accrue wealth and status that was beyond their wildest dreams, both artists were given a sense of grounding in their upbringing that has never left them.
Joel and Springsteen have shared the stage on numerous occasions over the years, usually at charitable functions, such as a benefit for homeless children organised by Paul Simon, which took place in 1987 at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
In recent years, Joel and Springsteen’s friendship has continued to blossom. In 2018, Springsteen’s peer presented him with a Tony Award for Springsteen On Broadway, and later that year, when Joel was celebrating his historic 100th show at Madison Square Garden, he was joined by ‘The Boss’ to perform ‘Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out’ and ‘Born to Run’.
However, neither of those songs is Joel’s favourite by Springsteen, although his selection does also feature on 1975’s Born to Run, just like the title track and ‘Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out’.
Joel made the revelation during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2017, after they discussed both being in attendance at Springsteen on Broadway the previous night.
After they waxed lyrical about the incredible show they had witnessed on Broadway, Kimmel then asked Joel about his favourite Springsteen song, eliciting a surprising response.
Rather than electing to name one of Springsteen’s biggest hits, he instead chose a deeper cut from Born to Run, which proves he is a true fan, sharing, “Probably ‘Meeting Across The River’. It’s a very atmospheric Springsteen song.”
Hilariously, the singer-songwriter then attempted to teach the house band how to perform the track before delivering an impromptu impression of ‘The Boss’.
While ‘Meeting Across The River’ appeared on Springsteen’s seminal 1975 Born To Run, one of the most celebrated and best-selling albums in rock history, it was never released as a single. Instead, it was shared as the B-side to the title track and has lived in its shadow for the last 50 years.
As the New Jersey native often does through his work, the song offers up a vignette starring an unsavoury criminal character, who Springsteen manages to make the listener empathise with and understand why they’ve decided to take their chosen path.
While it’s not as explosive as other tracks on Born to Run, seeing Springsteen drop the tempo, it remains a masterclass in storytelling that plays a crucial role in the album and sets the scene for the triumphant closing track, ‘Jungleland‘.
Even though it’s a song of the highest calibre, it makes complete sense why Springsteen saw it as an album track and a B-side. It’s for his true fans, who want to take Born to Run in as an entire body of work rather than for the casuals who seek a cheap three-minute sing-along on the radio.
Despite being a true fan-favourite, ‘Meeting Across The River’ is hardly a stadium-ready anthem, which means that it has rarely been performed live by Springsteen in recent years. However, he did bust it out on three occasions in 2024 after placing it on the shelf for eight years. Fingers crossed, one day, Joel gets to live his dream and duet with his old friend on the classic track.
