Bruce Springsteen Reveals His “Desert Island Discs”; Picks Include Classic Tunes by Dylan, Elvis, Beatles

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Credit: Henry Ruggeri, Milan, Italy, July 3, 2016Bruce Springsteen recently shared his list of eight “Desert Island Discs” during an interview with the U.K.’s BBC Radio 4, and among the recordings are memorable tunes by some of the most beloved rock and soul artists of the 1950s and 1960s. Appearing on the Boss’ lists are songs by such legends as Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, Marvin Gaye, James Brown and The Four Tops.

On the program, Springsteen notes that most people will be familiar with his picks, while explaining that he chose the songs because “this was the music that electrified me and…galvanized me into changing my life in some way.”

At the top of Springsteen’s essential-tunes tally is Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone,” which Bruce says “feels like a torrent that comes rushing towards you, floods your soul, floods your mind, alerts and wakes you up instantaneously to other worlds, other lives, other ways of being.” He adds, “It’s perhaps one of the most powerful records ever made.”

Springsteen says Presley’s “Hound Dog” was the recording that helped ignite his passion for rock ‘n’ roll, noting, “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.”

Another pick was The Beatles’ “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” which Bruce says, “changed the course of my life,” and “was the song that inspired me to play rock and roll music.”

Rounding out Springsteen’s list of “Desert Island Discs” are The Rolling Stones’ “It’s All Over Now,” Morrison’s “Madame George,” Gaye’s “What’s Going On,” Brown’s “Out of Sight” and The Four Tops’ “Baby I Need Your Loving.” Check out the full hourlong interview for a limited time at BBC.co.uk.

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