The ultimate Bruce Springsteen playlist has arrived! Iconic hits, live recordings, and deep cuts all in one place. Listen free on Amazon Music. | Bruce Springsteen

“The River” became a two-record set, crafted to feel “like life or an E Street Band show,” as Bruce said. On the upbeat rock of “Sherry Darling,” “Hungry Heart” and “I’m a Rocker,” the group fully came into its own as studio musicians. Meanwhile, ballads like “The River” and “Stolen Car” explored emotional terrain that would later inform "Nebraska" and "Tunnel of Love." Released 45 years ago tomorrow, "The River" still sounds like what Bruce was searching for: a record big enough to hold it all.

This week in 1980, as “The River” tour rolled into New York for its legendary New Year’s run at Nassau Coliseum, Bruce had another reason to celebrate: “Hungry Heart” had climbed to No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. Written overnight after Joey Ramone asked him for a song, and kept at Jon Landau’s urging, it became his “first real top 10 smash” (in Bruce’s words) — introducing new audiences to “The River” and cementing his pop sensibility. | Bruce Springsteen