The artist Prince admired for his ability to capture an audience
Like the music industry itself, the concept of fandom has evolved massively over the last half a century or so. Now, the term is often associated with huge social media communities gathered digitally around their common interest, who turn their devotion into memes and mutuals. But the concept of fandom existed long before One Direction or BTS captured the hearts of millions.
The rock and pop stars of the 1970s and 1980s were just as subject to fanaticism as the boy bands of today. Before there were ‘Directioners’ and ‘Swifties’, there were ‘Beatlemaniacs’ and ‘Apple scruffs’, each of them just as devoted as those fans who trawl Twitter hashtags and Instagram comments today, just with a slightly different set of tools.
One star who attracted a particularly loyal and large audience was The Boss himself, Bruce Springsteen. His tales of the American everyman and his bright take on rock and roll won over the masses, and soon enough, he was taking his E Street Band out on the road for world tours. As he played to crowds of thousands of screaming fans, he straddled the role of everyman and entertainer perfectly.
Springsteen’s audience was so devoted that even Prince once commented on his fandom. During a chat with Rolling Stone in 1990, the star acknowledged that while he wasn’t “real into” Springsteen’s sound, he had a “lot of respect for his talent” and particularly admired the way he held his audience.
“There’s one man whose fans I could never take away,” he said of Springsteen, recalling the experience of watching him perform from backstage, “at one point, his band started going off somewhere. Springsteen turned around and shot the band one terrifying look. You know they got right back on it!”
Prince had amassed a loyal fanbase of his own by this point, with his ambitious, genre-blending hits and equally stunning style, but he knew that even he couldn’t draw Springsteen enthusiasts away from his music. His statement about Springsteen’s ability to captivate fans remains true even now. 60 years into his career, Springsteen still boasts one of the most devoted fanbases around.
Audiences still flock to his shows, many of them committing to several dates or travelling far and wide to see him as he continues to play arenas around the world. Just this week, he’s playing two shows at London’s Wembley Stadium, a venue with a capacity of 90,000. Anticipation is already building for a new biopic about The Boss, which is sure to have fans flocking to the cinemas.
There’s no doubting that Springsteen has secured the fidelity of his fans, but how did he do it? Perhaps it’s the very nature of Springsteen’s sound and persona that breeds such devotional fanaticism. It was his image as the everyman that initially won audiences over, with tunes like ‘Thunder Road’ and ‘Born To Run’ telling tales of love and life in suburban Americana.
As he progressed and gained popularity, Springsteen expanded his songwriting on records like Nebraska, pushing further into deeper and darker lyrical realms and further endearing himself to audiences. Between his anthemic, country-infused rock and roll hits and the more tender entries into his catalogue, alongside his undeniable talent as an on-stage entertainer, Springsteen secured a fandom that shows no sign of dwindling.
