The number one single doesn’t carry the same weight that it used to. Sure, it’s a great triumph for any artist to achieve a number one, but given the different means by which we listen to music, as well as the fact that it is easy for people to garner fanbases away from the public eye, a lack of number ones no longer means a lack of success. The question is, has that always been the case?
The dismissal of the number one as a form of validation might be a new concept, but there is evidence to suggest that it might apply to some artists who were making and releasing music when the charts were the cultural epicentre of good tunes. This is because some of the most prominent artists in the world, ones who are still filling out stadiums and headlining festivals decades after bringing out their first single, have never had a number one hit. One of those artists is Bruce Springsteen.
Yes, it might be hard to digest, but the fact remains that The Boss has never had a number one single. ‘Dancing in the Dark’, peaked at number two in the charts, ‘Born to Run’, did well in America but initially failed to garner success outside of the US, so it peaked at number 23, while the hit ‘Born in the USA’ only managed to make it to number nine.
Springsteen isn’t the only famous artist to never have a number one single. The likes of AC/DC, The Clash, Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix, despite all being considered musical royalty in their own right, never actually managed to climb to the top of the charts.
Does this revelation mean that the charts have always been irrelevant? Their importance is difficult to put into words, given the subjectivity of music; whoever is selling the best shouldn’t matter to anyone, so long as you like to listen to it. That being said, before streaming services were around, the charts reflected what was doing well in popular culture and gave people a better insight into what they should spend their money on.
However, just because an artist has never entirely made the top spot of the charts doesn’t in any way invalidate them as an artist. Springsteen is the perfect reflection of this, as even though he still has that number one plaque missing from a cabinet of accolades, his influence on music is tough to ignore.
So, how many albums has Bruce Springsteen sold?
It is worth noting that just because Bruce Springsteen has never had a number one single doesn’t mean he has never had a number one album. In fact, with his records over the years, The Boss has managed to get 11 number one records. The River, Born in the USA and Tunnel of Love are all Springsteen albums that made it to number one.
With 21 records in total making up his entire studio discography, alongside another 23 live albums and eight compilations, it won’t surprise you to hear that Springsteen has managed to sell a decent number of LPs in his time. In total, The Boss has managed to sell over 150 million albums worldwide, and with his new tour imminent and more fans being added to his roster every day, that number will only go up.
