On This Day, Oct. 17, 1980: Bruce Springsteen released his fifth album, ‘The River’

On This Day, Oct. 17, 1980 …

Bruce Springsteen released his fifth studio album, The River – his only double album to date.

The project was originally intended as a single album called The Ties That Bind, but Springsteen canceled its release at the last minute and wrote more songs. Retitled The River, the album’s 20 tracks featured a deliberate mix of fun, upbeat tunes and darker material.

The River went on to become Bruce’s first #1 album and contained his first top 10 hit, “Hungry Heart.” It has since been certified quintuple Platinum by the RIAA.

Many songs on the album became fan favorites, including “Out in the Street,” “Sherry Darling,” the title track and “You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch),” with many becoming staples of The Boss’ live shows. 

In 2015, Springsteen released the box set The Ties That Bind: The River collection and celebrated the original album’s 35th anniversary with a tour in which he performed the double album in its entirety.