Streets of Philadelphia

"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 2025. 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.

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.

As of 2024^[update], "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.