How the Oscars helped Bruce Springsteen make the ultimate comeback with 'Streets of Philadelphia'

26 February 2025, 12:39

Bruce Springsteen was already rising back to the top, but the Oscars helped seal the deal.

Bruce Springsteen has enjoyed an absolutely remarkable career.

From his early wordy works on Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. through to his heartland rock era, he's managed to stay pretty much at the top for half a century and counting.

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After he cemented his position with Born to Run in 1975, the only time when it felt like Bruce might have slipped from his perch was in the aftermath of Tunnel of Love.

The slick sound of that record belied the heartbreak that inspired it, and while it was critically acclaimed and a number one hit on both sides of the Atlantic, it seemed to mark an end for Springsteen.

It was a long, five years till his next album(s), the odd double-header of Human Touch and Lucky Town, both released on the same day in 1992.

Philadelphia - Trailer

They're decent records and did well, but there was a sense that Bruce's position as the rock star of the age might be over.

His massive 1992-93 tour felt more like a victory lap for a heritage artist than someone still at the peak of their powers.

But then filmmaker Jonathan Demme, on the heels of his own Oscar-winning Silence of the Lambs, asked Bruce if he could write him a song for his upcoming movie Philadelphia.

Bruce Springsteen - Streets of Philadelphia (Official Video)

"Well, I'm interested, so I'd like to come up with a song for you. If you give me some time, I'll see, but I can't promise." Springsteen said. "I'm not very good at scores."

Too modest.

Springsteen laid down a demo for the song at Thrill Hill Recording in Beverly Hills, California, in August 1993 after wrapping his world tour.

"My wife and I sat down and listened to it, and we were literally weeping by the end," said Demme.

Another version was recorded at A&M Studios in Los Angeles with Sims, Ornette Coleman and 'Little' Jimmy Scott, though the recording was twiddled a bit and the final take that opened the film featured The Boss playing everything and just some Sims on backing vocals.

'Streets of Philadelphia' wasn't just a crucial part of the movie but became a bona fide chart hit.

At number two it was his biggest in the UK, and while it only got to number 9 in the US, it's remained the last song of his to ever go top ten there.

"Streets Of Philadelphia" winning Best Original Song - Bruce Springsteen | 66th Oscars (1994)

At the 66th Academy Awards, it was nominated for Best Original Song and it had some serious competition.

It was up against Janet Jackson's 'Again' from Poetic Justice, 'The Day I Fall in Love' from Beethoven's 2nd, 'A Wink and a Smile' from Sleepless in Seattle and even another song from the same movie - Neil Young's 'Philadelphia'.

It won, and Springsteen capped off the achievement with an absolutely stunning performance of the track on the Oscars stage, introduced by one of the movie's star's Antonio Banderas.

Bruce Springsteen - Streets of Philadelphia Oscars 1994 4K*

After he picked up that little gold statue, Bruce Springsteen's status as a still-viable artist was made clear.

'Streets of Philadelphia' would feature on most of Bruce's best-ofs after that, though he didn't immediately look to capitalise, taking things down a notch with 1995's understated The Ghost of Tom Joad.

Seven long years followed till his next record, but by the time he released The Rising in 2002, he had reunited with the E Street Band and would kick off two decades of non-stop stadium touring punctuated by hit albums.

Would the comeback have happened without 'Streets of Philadelphia' and its emotional performance at the Oscars? Quite possibly, but we're sure it didn't hurt.