On June 9, 1972, Bruce Springsteen Signed His First Record Deal with Columbia Records

For artists who dream of fame, notoriety and superstardom, obtaining a record deal is the first true sign that they've "made it." An organization has expressed interest in your art, and they're willing to pay you to create it.

Some artists sign a record deal in order to create financial security, while others do so in an effort to make sure their music is heard by as many people as possible.

Artists come and go from record labels all the time, but some artists become synonymous with a label, setting the standard for what's possible when a singer becomes a superstar.

One of the most influential and successful artists ever signed his very first record deal on this day in 1972, and the rest, as they say, is history.

How Bruce Springsteen Was Discovered

On June 9, 1972, a 22-year-old Bruce Springsteen signed a deal with Columbia Records. Springsteen was given an opportunity to try out for a record deal by talent scout John Hammond, and he played in front of the label for the first time in May of that year.

After being an instrumental figure in the career of artists like Aretha Franklin, Billie Holiday and Bob Dylan, Hammond developed a reputation as one of the best talent scouts in the music industry.

During an interview with Howard Stern, Springsteen said that he was initially nervous to play for Hammond, but talked himself into going through with it on his way to the scout's office.

"I would've been in a state of complete panic, except on the way up in the elevator, I performed a little mental jiu-jitsu on myself," Springsteen said of his audition day.

"I thought, ‘I've got nothing, so I've got nothing to lose...The worst thing that can happen is I come out of here exactly as I am...If nothing happens, I'm going to walk out of here the same person as when I walked in.'"

Springsteen confidently walked into Hammond's office and played "It's Hard to Be a Saint in the City." When he finished, he looked up to hear Hammond tell him "You've got to be on Columbia Records."

Springsteen's Success Sets the Blueprint

Hammond's ear for talent proved to be extremely beneficial for both Springsteen and Columbia. During his career, Springsteen has sold over 150 million records worldwide and over 65 million in the United States alone.

Springsteen would reach his peak in 1984 with "Born in the U.S.A.," and the album has sold over 30 million copies in its lifetime. "Born in the U.S.A." featured a staggering seven top-ten singles on its 12-song tracklist, tying it with Michael Jackson's "Thriller" and Janet Jackson's "Rhythm Nation 1814."

Springsteen is still signed to Columbia today, and he released his most recent album through the label last year. "Tracks II: The Lost Albums" features several previously-unreleased songs from Springsteen's career, giving fans more content to add to over 50 years of consistent releases.

We'll see what the future holds for Springsteen and Columbia Records, but it's clear that there haven't been many artist-label relationships that have worked this well for this many years.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 9, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published June 9, 2026 at 12:30 PM.