On this day in 1995, Bruce Springsteen took home Song of the Year at the Grammy Awards for “Streets of Philadelphia,” recorded for the Tom Hanks movie Philadelphia. He also performed the song live at the ceremony.
The song also won Grammys for Best Male Vocal Performance and Best Rock Song.
The single was the obvious high point of an up-and-down decade for Bruce in the ’90s. He did release three albums that decade, but none between this performance and 2002’s comeback record The Rising.
Basically he put this song out to prove he can still create transcendent music, whether it’s for a movie or one of his studio albums. It shows that even with a down decade for albums, he can still produce something great, even if it’s just a stand-alone single. The Grammy Awards recognized that in rewarding him and giving him a slot to perform.
Check out “Streets of Philadelphia” live at the 1995 Grammy Awards in the video below. What’s your favorite Springsteen song from the ’90s?
Trivia Answer: TOMHANKS
