Today’s classic song from the early ’80s is Bruce Springsteen’s “Hungry Heart.” Released as a single in October of 1980, it shot to #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #6 on the Cash Box Top 100.
Springsteen initially wrote “Hungry Heart” for the Ramones but decided to keep it for himself. Here’s how the Boss remembers it:
“I saw the Ramones in Asbury Park and we were talking for a while and I was like, ‘Man I’ve got to write the Ramones a song.’ So I went home and I sat at my table and I wrote it in about the time it took me to sing it.”
Springsteen recorded “Hungry Heart” with the E Street Band, of course, with Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan (Flo and Eddie) from the Turtles singing backup. It was track one on side two of the first disc of Springsteen’s two-disc album, The River. It was also the Boss’ first single to hit the top ten. (The iconic “Born to Run” didn’t even crack the top twenty, if you can believe that.)
In case you’re wondering, Springsteen’s other top ten singles were “Dancing in the Dark” (#2, 1984), “Cover Me” (#7, 1984), “Born in the USA” (#9, 1984), “I’m on Fire” (#6, 1985), “Glory Days” (#5, 1985), “I’m Goin’ Down” (#9, 1985), “My Hometown”/”Santa Claus is Coming to Town” (#6, 1985), “War” (a cover of the Edwin Starr song, #8, 1986), “Brilliant Disguise” (#5, 1987), “Tunnel of Love” (#9, 1987), and “Streets of Philadelphia” (#9, 1994).
And here’s your daily bonus video of the day, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band performing “Hungry Heart” live at Arizona State University on November 5, 1980. This was the Boss and his band live in their prime!
