Born to strum: Bruce Springsteen’s five favourite guitarists
He’s called The Boss for a reason. When you listen to Bruce Springsteen, when you see him live, when you see the way he interacts with his band and other musicians, you can see just how much of a love and mastery he has over the art form that he adores the most. He is such a force in music that it is hard to think of him as anything other than The Boss, but before he was a musician, he was simply a music fan.
Arguably, one of the reasons he has continued to make music and perform for as long as he has is because that inner fan remains even after he has found fame. The way he talks about fellow songwriters and singers is always exciting, as he clearly feels just as inclined towards music as when he first saw it.
As a fan of rock music, the guitar has always been at the forefront of his inclination towards the genre. Though he’s not often cited as the greatest when it comes to solos and riff-making, there is no denying that he adores the guitar and has an affinity towards artists who have perfected the art of playing it.
He has previously spoken about various guitar artists and complemented their ability to write riffs, solos, and intertwine melodies throughout songs. Here, we will look at his five favourite guitarists and why he holds them in such high regard.
Bruce Springsteen’s favourite guitarists:
Chuck Berry
When you trace rock music back to its roots, you find Chuck Berry. He was so instrumental in developing the genre that John Lennon once said, “If you had to give rock and roll another name, you might call it Chuck Berry.” Bruce Springsteen shared Lennon’s praise, saying that he believed the rock icon was one of the greatest guitarists ever.
Following Berry’s death, Springsteen spoke about his influence, saying, “Chuck Berry was rock’s greatest practitioner, guitarist, and the greatest pure rock n roll writer who ever lived,” he said, “This is a tremendous loss of a giant for the ages.”
Pete Townshend
Though Springsteen does the occasional solo here and there, he isn’t a renowned soloist. This is out of choice, as he knows just how influential a rhythm guitarist can be when they play with melody as the focal point. It’s for this reason that he is such a big fan of Pete Townshend and what he brought to The Who.
“As I grew older, the Who’s music seemed to grow with me,” he said, “Pete is the greatest rhythm guitarist of all time. He plays such incredible rhythm, and he showed you don’t have to play any lead. It’s a fantastic thing to behold.”
Joe Strummer
Many people might have thought initially that rock arena acts like Bruce Springsteen would have been taken down by bands like The Clash; however, it turns out it was the opposite. Joe Strummer was a huge fan of Springsteen, and Springsteen reciprocated that admiration, being a fan of the raw energy that Strummer could play with.
“Bruce is great,” said the Clash frontman, “If you don’t agree you’re a pretentious Martian from Venus.” Springsteen returned these feelings to the point that he played a cover of ‘London Calling’ with Elvis Costello and Dave Grohl at the Grammy’s after Strummer passed.
John Lennon
It could be argued that John Lennon was the artist who got Bruce Springsteen into the guitar. He recalled the first time that he heard ‘I Wanna Hold Your Hand’ by The Beatles and said that seemed to ignite his love of rock. “[I] immediately called my girl and asked, ‘Have you heard this band called The Beatles?’” he said, “After that, it was nothing but rock n roll and guitars.”
Springsteen admired all of the members of the Beatles, but John Lennon was one he held in the highest regard. Historian Tim English recalled, “Bruce said, ‘You know, if it wasn’t for John Lennon, a lot of us wouldn’t be here tonight’, and he said ‘Twist and Shout’ was the first song he ever played on guitar…”
Prince
Prince is often overlooked for his guitar playing skills, but Bruce knew just how much talent was on display every time he went to go and see Prince. Recognising him not just for his guitar but his vocals, songwriting and ability to put on a show. Springsteen had nothing but praise for Prince.
“I felt a great kinship with Prince,” he said, “And he was a guy, when I’d go to see him, I’d say, ‘Oh, man, okay, back to the drawing board’. There was a film of him on the Arsenio Hall Show, where he plays a series of songs in a row. It’s just some of the greatest showmanship I’ve ever seen…he’s one of the greatest showmen to come along.”
