"Streets of Philadelphia" is a song written and performed by American rock musician Bruce Springsteen for the 1993 film Philadelphia, starring Tom Hanks, an early mainstream film dealing with HIV/AIDS. Released as a single by Columbia Records in February 1994, the song was a hit in many countries, topping the singles charts of Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, and Norway. In the United States, the single peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Springsteen's 12th and most recent top-10 hit as of . Its music video depicted Springsteen walking along desolate city streets and was directed by Jonathan Demme, who directed Philadelphia, with his nephew Ted Demme.
The song received critical acclaim, including the Academy Award for Best Original Song and four Grammy Awards for Song of the Year, Best Rock Song, Best Male Rock Vocal Performance, and Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television. In 2004, it finished at number 68 on AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs survey of top songs in American cinema. The song is listed among the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
Background and release In early 1993, Philadelphia director Jonathan Demme asked Springsteen to write a song for his film, adding "I want it to play in the malls." Springsteen replied, "Well, I'm interested, so I'd like to come up with a song for you. If you give me some time, I'll see, but I can't promise." Springsteen recalled adding, "I'm not very good at scores."
In late August 1993, following the conclusion of his 1992-93 world tour, Springsteen recorded a demo of his completed song at Thrill Hill, his home recording studio in Beverly Hills, California, including all the song's instrumentation. He mailed the tape to Demme, who later said, "my wife and I sat down and listened to it, and we were literally weeping by the end". Meanwhile, background vocals were added by Tommy Sims, who played bass on Springsteen's 1992-93 tour.
In October 1993, Springsteen recorded the song at A&M Studios in Los Angeles, with Sims, Ornette Coleman on saxophone, and vocals by "Little" Jimmy Scott. It was mixed by Bob Clearmountain, included in the soundtrack, and the video was recorded. In mid-December, Springsteen replaced the video with his home demo from August, re-shooting some video scenes to eliminate Scott. The four-man combo version can be heard in a brief scene in the film when Tom Hanks exits Denzel Washington's office, but it was Springsteen alone playing over the opening credits.
"Streets of Philadelphia" was released on February 11, 1994. It is the first single from the film's original soundtrack, with Springsteen singing and playing all the instruments with Sims on background vocal.
The song became a worldwide chart success. "Streets of Philadelphia" achieved greater popularity in Europe than in the United States. It peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, but became a number-one single in Germany, France, and Austria. It peaked at number two in the United Kingdom, becoming Springsteen's highest charting hit in the UK. The song reached number four in Australia, and spent five weeks at number one in Ireland.
, "Streets of Philadelphia" is Springsteen's most recent top ten hit in the United States. The song has been included in many subsequent Springsteen compilation albums, including Greatest Hits (1995), The Essential Bruce Springsteen (2003), and Best of Bruce Springsteen (2024). It was also included on the album All Time Greatest Movie Songs, released by Sony in 1999.
Critical reception Larry Flick from Billboard magazine wrote, "Springsteen's empathetic lyrics and performance zoom straight for the heart, traveling atop a slow and sturdy beat and pillowy synths. A powerful song with or without the image of the film to support it." Troy J. Augusto from Cash Box named it Pick of the Week, describing it as an "appropriately somber song," writing, "Written in the first person, this slow-moving ballad documents the struggle of a downtrodden and forgotten soul left to wander the dark streets, out of sight of an uncaring society. Like Hanks' character in the film, Springsteen's unfortunate draws on our sympathy, not because he asks for help but because he appears unable to help himself, an important distinction. One of The Boss’ best." Kent Zimmerman from the Gavin Report concluded, "Bruce Springsteen's custom-written theme is as scary a portrait of AIDS as you're likely to hear all year long. Combining the gruesome fears of urban abandonment coupled with the tragedy of a fatal disease in just one song is surely a miracle of subtlety." Robert Hilburn from the Los Angeles Times deemed it "a moving ballad about a man whose body is being destroyed by AIDS", and "a work that shows Springsteen, despite all the questions raised by changes in his life in recent years, can still write purposeful songs that connect on a deeply emotional level." He added, "Springsteen sings in a voice that expresses the helplessness and heartache of someone dying of AIDS as convincingly as Springsteen once conveyed the dreams and aspirations of youth."Hilburn, Robert (July 7, 1994). "Calendar > Comment On Entertainment > Today's Top 10 List From Our Home Office". p. B8. Los Angeles Times.
In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton said, "However good it may be the brooding ballad is hardly classic Bruce and can be expected to shuttle rapidly out next week". A reviewer from Music & Media commented, "The man who used to walk upon E-Street, now roams the Philly lanes. This synth-dominated track from the OST Philadelphia revives the "etherealism" of Tunnel Of Love." Stephen Dalton from NME wrote, "The Boss fights through eerie ambient mists and prowls in a buried, snaking backbeat as he pleads for human warmth in a freezing world. It's a heartbreaker, surpassing most of Brucie's recent chest-beating in its soulful understatement." Neil Spencer from The Observer felt Springsteen's "sombre" "Streets of Philadelphia" "reflects a dark night of the soul as the disease takes hold".Spencer, Neil (March 6, 1994). "Pop Releases". The Observer. Pete Stanton of Smash Hits gave the song a score of four out of five, writing, "This is far gentler, far lovelier and far nicer than anything he's done for ages. Taken from the excellent film [...], this should see Bruce back in the charts."
Music video The accompanying music video for the song, directed by Jonathan Demme and his nephew Ted Demme in December 1993, begins by showing Springsteen walking along desolate city streets, followed by a bustling park and schoolyard, interspersed with footage from the film. After a quick shot of Rittenhouse Square, it ends with Springsteen walking along the Delaware River, with the Benjamin Franklin Bridge in the background. Tom Hanks is also visible as Andrew Beckett, the lead character he plays in the film, looking on as Springsteen begins the final verse. One newspaper review called it "the saddest track cut this decade".
The vocal track for the video was recorded live with a hidden microphone, to a pre-recorded instrumental track. This technique, appropriate for emotionally intense songs for which conventional video lip-syncing would seem especially false, was used by John Mellencamp in parts of the video for his 1985 song "Rain on the Scarecrow", and by Springsteen himself in the video for his 1987 single "Brilliant Disguise", singing the song directly into the camera as he sits on the edge of his chair on a Sandy Hook, New Jersey sound stage.
Live performances Because of the song's many award nominations, Springsteen played the song live in three high-visibility, prime-time awards show broadcasts: at the 66th Academy Awards in March 1994, at the MTV Video Music Awards in September 1994, and at the 37th Annual Grammy Awards in March 1995. Between this, Philadelphias strong box office performance, and the single being a top 10 pop hit, "Streets of Philadelphia" became one of Springsteen's best-known songs to the general music audience.
Springsteen went on to perform the song only sparingly in his concerts. In solo guitar form and missing the song's trademark synthesizers-and-drums feel, it was performed semi-regularly on the solo and stark Ghost of Tom Joad Tour between 1995 and 1997. After that, the song was performed only appearing a dozen times on the E Street Band Reunion Tour in 1999 and 2000. As of January 2016, the song has been played only a few times across the nine tours since then.
Accolades Award Category Result Academy Awards Best Original Song ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures Golden Globe Awards Best Original Song Grammy Awards Record of the Year Song of the Year Best Male Rock Vocal Performance Best Rock Song Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television MTV Movie Awards Best Song from a Movie MTV Video Music Awards Best Male Video Best Video from a Film
Track listings CD, 7-inch, and cassette single "Streets of Philadelphia" – 3:15 "If I Should Fall Behind" – 4:43
CD maxi and maxi cassette "Streets of Philadelphia" – 3:15 "If I Should Fall Behind" – 4:43 "Growin' Up" – 3:13 "The Big Muddy" – 4:11
The B-sides were selected from the previous year's live album In Concert/MTV Plugged.
Personnel According to authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon:
Bruce Springsteen – vocals, keyboards, bass, drum machine, tambourine Tommy Sims, Jimmy Scott – background vocalsTechnical''' Bruce Springsteen – producer Chuck Plotkin – producer Toby Scott – engineer Bob Clearmountain – mixer
Charts
Weekly charts +Weekly chart performance for "Streets of Philadelphia"Chart (1994)PeakpositionCanada Retail Singles (The Record) 1Denmark (IFPI) 3Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) 1Europe (European AC Radio) 1Europe (European Hit Radio) 1Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) 3Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40) 1Israel (Israeli Singles Chart) Search "Streets of Philadelphia" for Israeli chart history. 7Italy (Musica e dischi) 1Quebec (ADISQ) 1UK Airplay (Music Week) 3US Dance Singles Sales (Billboard) 43US Cash Box Top 100 6
Year-end charts +Year-end chart performance for "Streets of Philadelphia"Chart (1994)PositionAustralia (ARIA) 39Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) 4Belgium (Ultratop) 8Canada Top Singles (RPM) 4Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM) 30Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) 3Europe (European Hit Radio) 4France (SNEP) 5Germany (Media Control) 3Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40) 2Italy (Musica e dischi) 2Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) 13Netherlands (Single Top 100) 31New Zealand (RIANZ) 50Sweden (Topplistan) 13Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) 12UK Singles (OCC) 22UK Airplay (Music Week) 10US Billboard Hot 100 54US Adult Contemporary (Billboard) 18US Cash Box Top 100 49
Decade-end charts +Decade-end chart performance for "Streets of Philadelphia"Chart (1990–1999)PositionCanada (Nielsen SoundScan) 52
Certifications and sales
Release history +Release dates and formats for "Streets of Philadelphia"RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)United StatesFebruary 11, 1994ColumbiaAustraliaFebruary 28, 1994United KingdomMarch 7, 1994JapanMarch 10, 1994CDSony
Cover versions The song has been covered live by Jack Folland, Tori Amos, Melissa Etheridge, David Gray, Waxahatchee and Lonely the Brave. Recorded covers have been released by Ray Conniff (on his 1997 album, I Love Movies), Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, Marah, Liv Kristine, Molly Johnson, Bettye LaVette, SALEM, Gregorian and I Muvrini with Anggun. Philadelphia rappers, Cassidy & the Larsiny Family have made a cover of this song on the Put Ya L in the Sky mixtape, in an effort to stop crime in the city. French artist Patrick Bruel and U2 covered the song, translating the lyrics into French while retaining the music.