Jackson Browne is the quintessential sensitive Californian singer/songwriter of the early ’70s. Only Joni Mitchell and James Taylor rank alongside him in terms of influence. With his first four albums, Browne built a loyal following that helped him break into the mainstream with 1976’s The Pretender. The record climbed into the Top Ten upon its release. In the summer, Browne launched an extensive tour, recording a new album while he was on the road. The resulting record, Running On Empty, peaked at number three and launched the hit singles “Running On Empty” and “Stay/The Load-Out.” In the summer of 1982, “Somebody’s Baby,” became Browne’s biggest hit, climbing to number seven on the U.S. charts. Lawyers in Love was another hit due to success of the hit singles “Lawyers in Love,” “Tender Is the Night,” and “For a Rocker.” Nevertheless, the album also showcased a newly-found social consciousness, which dominated 1986’s Lives in the Balance and 1989’s World in Motion. Browne returned in 1993 with I’m Alive. The Naked Ride Home came in 2002. A two-disc collection, The Very Best of Jackson Browne was released in 2004, and Browne was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Bruce Springsteen that same year. In the fall of 2008, he released Time the Conqueror, his first proper studio album in six years, Time featured some savage indictments of the Bush administration, though the sound was still largely subdued folk-rock. Browne released Standing in the Breach in 2014. He continues to tour the world.
