Artist of the Decade

I know as a huge fan of his I am biased, but I cannot list anybody above Bruce Springsteen for "Artist of the Decade," but by virtue of the quality of his work and his sheer omnipresence. Since turning 50 ten years ago, he has released THE 9/11 album (The Rising), an acoustic-y shuffling album that lent itself to playing things such as accordions and pump organs along with having THE Iraq War song (Devils & Dust), an album of dust bowl covers that saw him on the road with about 400 other players and looked and felt like a carnival in 1932 (The Seeger Sessions), and the best Big Star/Beach Boys album in 30+ years (Magic.) The only "meh" album being his last one, Working on a Dream; all the others are stunning not only in their quality, but their diversity in taste/sound/concept.

And along the way he played about 2000 shows, stumped tirelessly for Kerry and Obama, played at the most historical inaugaration in 200 years, and you seemingly couldn't enter the rock hall of fame without Bruce giving the speech for you. And he won 913 Grammys. Whatever that means. AND while having a songbook that goes back 35+ years, he has released two songs this decade that are in my Bruce Hall of Fame (The Rising, Girls in their Summer Clothes.) Which I see as pretty amazing.

And I won't even mention when me & Op met him, cause that's just not the kind of shit I talk about. That's private, I just don't do that kinda thing.