10 Artists to Listen to if You Like... Bruce Springsteen
These ten artists are worth checking out if you like The Boss!
Bruce Springsteen has stood as a rock and roll icon for over six decades! His blend of grit, heart, and soul has defined generations of listeners. His songwriting has earned him a reputation as a voice for the working class and the restless dreamer alike. His music is an equal part compassion and catharsis, built on empathy and faith, and carried by the power of storytelling.
If you’re drawn to his music, here are ten artists who walk a similar line.
Neil Young
A kindred soul in heart and honesty, whose songwriting captured both intimate emotion and sweeping political conscience. And, much like The Boss, Neil Young’s catalogue also moves seamlessly between quiet introspection and electric, full-band fury.
Tom Petty
Tom Petty’s heartland anthems tend to explore themes like class rebellion and personal heartbreak, and truly feel like chapters from the same American songbook. His work with The Heartbreakers, in particular, carries that same windswept restlessness of such Springsteen classics as “Born to Run.”
Billy Joel
Billy Joel’s tales of city life and working-class romance echo Springsteen’s everyman ethos, especially in albums like The Stranger and 52nd Street. Though set in New York’s streets rather than New Jersey’s highways, these records in particular capture struggle and longing with great depth and sentiment.
Elton John
The showmanship may differ, but the emotional sincerity of Elton John mirrors Springsteen’s own, turning personal confession into communal celebration on stage. Both legends also share a penchant for pairing unforgettable hooks with outsized charisma and cinematic storytelling.
The Clash
The most political of punks, The Clash, shared Bruce’s moral urgency and sense of justice. Their socially charged songs, from London Calling to Combat Rock and beyond, simply radiate the same belief in rock music as a powerful vehicle for change and solidarity.
The Animals
Before The Boss, there was Eric Bourdon and his gritty, blues-infused voice. The Animals may be one of the most underrated bands in rock history, but their R&B foundations and working-class authenticity helped lay the groundwork for the soulful energy that artists like Springsteen later channelled into their own sound.
The Rolling Stones
Simply put, The Rolling Stones embodied rock’s swagger and stamina, qualities that helped shape Springsteen’s own stagecraft. Their rawness and rhythmic sensibilities can be felt in the heart of Bruce’s most driving performances.
Bob Dylan
An inevitable entry on this list. Springsteen has often called Bob Dylan his greatest influence. The lineage is clear. Both tell America’s story through poetry and conscience. Indeed, Dylan opened the highway for artists like Springsteen to blend the personal and the political, the mythic and the real.
Dire Straits
Mark Knopfler’s cinematic guitar tone and narrative songwriting evoke similar landscapes of ambition and regret. Songs like “Telegraph Road” and “Brothers in Arms” capture that same sweeping, cinematic vibe that Springsteen made a signature trait of his.
John Mellencamp
Often dubbed “the heartland’s second son,” John Mellencamp’s anthems of small-town struggle and price (e.g. “Pink Houses,” “Jack & Diane”) truly echo Bruce’s empathy and fire. Both artists are also known for their celebrations of ordinary lives and for their extraordinary compassion.
Listen to a specially curated playlist below: