The cover of Bruce Springsteen’s 1980 single, “Hungry Heart.”
The River — the 1980 Bruce Springsteen double album that will be re-released Dec. 4 as a deluxe, 4-CD/3-DVD boxed set, The Ties That Bind: The River Collection — was a landmark for The Boss in many ways. Perhaps most obviously, it contained his first Top 10 single, “Hungry Heart,” a song that was originally written for The Ramones to cover (but then deemed too good to give away) and that has become one of his most covered songs.
Here is an assortment of takes on “Hungry Heart,” in styles ranging from country to punk, and by artists ranging from Rock and Roll Hall of Famers (Rod Stewart, Mike Love of The Beach Boys) to virtual unknowns. Some are concert versions; some were recorded in studios. None became a hit in its own right. But all, I think, offer a slightly different approach to one of Springsteen’s most immediately likable tunes, and are worth hearing. Enjoy!
MY MORNING JACKET
ROD STEWART
JESSE MALIN
MINNIE DRIVER
RIVER CITY EXTENSION
BODEGA GIRLS
KENNY CHESNEY
JENNIFER BROWN
PAUL YOUNG
RICHIE SAMBORA
AUDREY ASSAD
BOO HOO AND THE BURNING HELL
BOUNCING SOULS
MIKE LOVE
TEENAGE FRAMES
SEXTON BLAKE
LUCY WAINWRIGHT ROCHE WITH OVER THE RHINE
WOLFGANG NIEDECKEN AND WERNER SCHMIDBAUER
BROWDERSISTER
PAJARO SUNRISE
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