"The Essential Bruce Springsteen" is a compilation album by American rock musician Bruce Springsteen, released on November 11, 2003. It is part of Sony Music's Essential series and features a comprehensive selection of songs from Springsteen's albums and concerts up until 2003. The collection spans a wide range of his career, showcasing his diverse body of work.
A limited-edition third disc includes previously unreleased tracks, B-sides, contributions to soundtracks and benefit albums, covers, and an alternate "country-blues" acoustic version of The Rising track "Countin' on a Miracle."
The album debuted at No. 14 on the Billboard 200 on November 29, 2003, selling 90,000 copies in its first week. It quickly achieved gold and platinum certifications by the RIAA. As of August 2013, The Essential Bruce Springsteen has sold over 1 million copies in the United States and reached No. 15 on the UK Albums Chart in 2013.
In 2015, the album was re-released with an updated track listing, further solidifying its place as a definitive collection of Springsteen's work.
