Seger’s early years are a study in great lost rock albums. Of his first 7 albums, six fell out of print and were never reissued as CDs. I have a vinyl copy of Tales of Lucy Blue, which I just learned from the internet was re-titled Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man.He had a lot of disputes with Capital and bad distribution deals with other labels, which many people blamed on Punch Andrews. But he was always loyal to his manager and stuck with him. I *think* Seven was the first Silver Bullet album. All I know is they really hit their stride with Beautiful Loser, and Live Bullet is one of my all time favorite concert albums (I generally don’t like live albums.)
I distinctly remember my sister returning home from a year studying abroad I felt compelled to excitedly tell her in the airport how wildly popular he had become because of Night Moves. As often happened at that stage of life, I became disinterested in any release after that. Same thing with Genesis until The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, Kansas through Masque, Supertramp up to Even in the Quietest Moments, et al - I loved their songwriting until they found commercial success; once they started charting, I moved on to the next discovery.
Seger seems relatively formulaic after the tenth album. I still enjoyed him and he puts on a great show, but by then I was more into other bands.
Springsteen was a mythical figure in my junior high years, someone rumored to be wildly popular on the East Coast. Listening to the first two albums I didn’t really understand why, but Born to Run changed my mind.
Saw them live four times and for a time in the late 80s / early 90s I was deeply immersed in listening to every album in his catalogue, to the point of obsession. He released a couple albums - maybe simultaneously? - without E Street around 1992 and I completely lost interest in any release he did after that.
Both are great rockers, I think Brice is a better lyricist but as a guilty pleasure I just enjoy rocking out to Seeger more, especially the early stuff.
Not really part of the equation but ESB dominates SBB:
Lead guitar - Drew Abbot v Steven Van Zandt
Sax - Alto Reed v Clarence Clemons
Drums - Charlie Martin v Max Weinberg
As personas, I think Seger is pretty laid back, earthy, not especially pretentious. He lives on a lake in NW Oakland County near some friends of mine, and while they don’t know him, everyone out that way says he’s a pretty normal. The Boss is a little extra, a little too intense, highly opinionated, arrogant.
Just my take, isn’t really part of the OP’s Q but just saying that I listen to Seger & easily identify with his music thematically. Springsteen stirs something altogether different, and whereas Seger’s lyrics feel familiar and soothing, Bruce’s lyrics are more incisive. I appreciate the depth he presents, but at the same time, it almost feels misplaced. Man, sometimes you really don’t want a song that makes you think too much. But that’s what great art does - it makes you a bit uncomfortable, and confronting that, you learn something from a perspective you hadn’t considered before.