7 The 100 Most Influential Musicians of All Time 7

means to elevate qawwali to a new level of aesthetic and
spiritual resonance with contemporary—and international—
audiences. In 1985 he gave a concert in the United Kingdom,
and word of his talent began to spread. He was soon per-
forming regularly throughout Europe. He first toured the
United States in 1989, and in the 1990s he contributed to
the sound tracks of several popular films. Nusrat also
worked with a number of internationally recognized fig-
ures in popular and art music. Popular musician Peter
Gabriel promoted Nusrat on the world music circuit
through his WOMAD (World of Music, Arts and Dance)
festivals and through recordings on his Real World Records
label. Meanwhile, composer Michael Brook helped increase
the accessibility of Nusrat’s vocalizations by recasting
them within Western rhythmic frameworks. Nusrat
believed in the universality of the musical message and
strove throughout his career to make his music transcend
religious and cultural boundaries. When he died suddenly
in 1997, Nusrat was mourned by fans across the globe.

Bruce Springsteen

(b. Sept. 23, 1949, Freehold, N.J., U.S.)

A

merican singer, songwriter, and bandleader Bruce
Springsteen became the archetypal rock performer
of the 1970s and ’80s.
Springsteen grew up in Freehold, a mill town where his
father worked as a labourer. His rebellious and artistic side
led him to the nearby Jersey shore, where his imagination
was sparked by the rock band scene and the boardwalk
life, high and low. After an apprenticeship in bar bands on
the mid-Atlantic coast, Springsteen turned himself into a
solo singer-songwriter in 1972 and auditioned for talent
scout John Hammond, Sr., who immediately signed him to
Columbia Records. His first two albums, released in 1973,