Jackson Browne, The #83 Artist of the Rock Era, Part Two

We continue with Part Two of The #83 Artist*, Jackson Browne. 

 

In 1977, while on tour, Browne recorded tracks that would make up the album Running on Empty, which represented his commercial breakthrough.  The title song rose to #4 in Canada and #11 in the U.S.

 

The great album has gone over seven million in sales in the United States alone.  Jackson's remake of "Stay", a hit for Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs, also included his composition of "The Load Out", which is included here.

 

"Love Needs A Heart" features another great line from Browne: 

"Love won't come near me,

 she don't even hear me; 

She walks past my vacancy sign."

 

"You Love The Thunder" was released as a single but was overlooked.

Browne (seen above in the middle of Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty) saw the proliferation of nuclear weapons and trend towards nuclear power to be one of the greatest concerns of the time and performed free concerts in Barnwell, South Carolina and in New Hampshire to protest the spread of nuclear power.  After the Three Mile Island nuclear disaster in 1979, Browne and several other musicians formed the antinuclear group Musicians United for Safe Energy.  

 

In 1980, Browne released one of his greatest career albums, Hold Out, great not because of the single "Boulevard", #4 in Canada and #19 in the United States, but because of its album tracks.

 

The title song is a far better song.

 

The single "That Girl Could Sing" stalled at #22.

 

"Hold On, Hold Out" was a Top Track* at the time and remains so to this day.  

Although the album has sold over two million units, it is still vastly underrated, and should be one of Browne's top-selling albums of his career. 

 

"Of Missing Persons" is a song addressed to Inara George, Jackson's goddaughter and daughter of his good friend Lowell George of Little Feat.

 Browne recorded "Somebody's Baby" for the movie soundtrack to Fast Times at Ridgemont High.  Although it was one of his biggest career hits at #7, it is far from one of his best songs.

 

In 1983, Browne released the album Lawyers in Love, which ran his amazing streak to seven consecutive Platinum albums.  The title song stalled at #13.

Be sure to catch up on Part One above and Part Three below!