Editing Born to Run (section)

==Artwork and packaging==
[[File:SpringsteenMadison.jpg|thumb|left|alt=A black-and-white photograph of a man holding a saxophone with another man peering from behind him, singing into a microphone.|The cover art of ''Born to Run'' features Springsteen (right) leaning on the shoulder of [[E Street Band]] saxophonist [[Clarence Clemons]] (left).]]
The [[cover art]] of ''Born to Run'' was taken by the photographer [[Eric Meola]] at his personal studio on June 20, 1975. Springsteen's busy recording schedule meant he kept missing shooting dates.<ref name="Louder">{{cite web |title=The story behind Bruce Springsteen's Born To Run album artwork |url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/bruce-springsteen-born-to-run-album-artwork-interview |website=Louder |access-date=August 10, 2023 |date=July 20, 2020 |archive-date=August 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810231428/https://www.loudersound.com/features/bruce-springsteen-born-to-run-album-artwork-interview |url-status=live }}</ref>{{sfn|Masur|2010|p=100}} When he finally showed up, he brought Clemons,{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|p=72}} whom he wanted on the cover.<ref name="Louder" />{{sfn|Masur|2010|p=102}} Meola shot 900 frames in the three-hour session,{{efn|These photos were compiled and published in Meola's book ''Born to Run: The Unseen Photos'' (2006).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Meola |first1=Eric |last2=Springsteen |first2=Bruce |title=Born to Run: The Unseen Photos |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jFO9PAAACAAJ |publisher=Insight Editions |access-date=April 21, 2024 |date=2006 |isbn=978-1-93378-409-0 |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref>}}{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|p=72}} some of which showed Springsteen under a fire escape, tuning a radio, and with a guitar;<ref name="Louder" /> unused shots were used by Columbia for advertising.{{efn|Another shot was later used for the 2024 compilation album ''[[Best of Bruce Springsteen]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/bruce-springsteen-announces-new-greatest-hits-album/|title=Bruce Springsteen Announces New Greatest Hits Album|last=Strauss|first=Matthew|website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|date=March 1, 2024|access-date=March 2, 2024|archive-date=March 2, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240302003201/https://pitchfork.com/news/bruce-springsteen-announces-new-greatest-hits-album/|url-status=live}}</ref>}}{{sfn|Masur|2010|p=102}}

In the chosen black-and-white shot,{{sfn|Carlin|2012|pp=200–201}}{{sfn|Masur|2010|p=102}} Springsteen is holding a guitar while leaning against Clemons.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|p=72}} Springsteen is wearing a black leather jacket, and Clemons is in a white shirt with a striped pattern and wearing a black hat.{{sfn|Carlin|2012|pp=200–201}} Meola said the shot was a clear standout:<ref name="Louder" /> "I wanted something that was nearly impossible to print, but beautiful to look at if printed perfectly—somehow innocent yet street-smart."{{sfn|Masur|2010|p=102}} An Elvis Presley pin appears on Springsteen's guitar strap, which he wore to display Presley's inspiration on him as a musician.{{sfn|Masur|2010|pp=106–107}} His guitar, a [[Fender Telecaster]] with an [[Fender Esquire|Esquire]] neck,<ref>{{cite web |last=Lewis |first=Randy |date=February 13, 2014 |title=Bruce Springsteen on the Stratocaster |url=https://documents.latimes.com/bruce-springsteen-stratocaster/ |work=Los Angeles Times |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140220035220/http://documents.latimes.com/bruce-springsteen-stratocaster/ |archive-date=February 20, 2014 }}</ref> later appeared on the covers of ''[[Live 1975–85]]'' (1986), ''[[Human Touch]]'' (1992), and ''[[Greatest Hits (Bruce Springsteen album)|Greatest Hits]]'' (1995).{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|p=72}} The ''Born to Run'' cover was included in a ''Rolling Stone'' readers' poll of the best album covers of all time in 2011.<ref name="ReadersPoll">{{cite magazine |date=June 15, 2011 |title=Readers Poll: The Best Album Covers of All Time |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/pictures/readers-poll-the-best-album-covers-of-all-time-20110615/bruce-sprignsteen-born-to-run-0822949 |url-status=live |magazine=Rolling Stone |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161129090940/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/pictures/readers-poll-the-best-album-covers-of-all-time-20110615/bruce-sprignsteen-born-to-run-0822949 |archive-date=November 29, 2016 |access-date=June 19, 2017}}</ref> Masur called it "classic" and "one of the most iconic images in rock history".{{sfn|Masur|2010|p=100}}

The image covers both sides of the LP sleeve; the inside features lyrics and a portrait of Springsteen.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|p=72}} Columbia's art director [[John Berg (art director)|John Berg]] created the fold-over sleeve, and Andy Engel was responsible for the typography.<ref name="Louder" /> Berg stated that "it probably took a week of negotiating" with the label to create the fold-over cover because "it was breaking the code; we didn't do that unless we had two records".<ref name="Louder" /> Landau's name was misspelled as "John" instead of "Jon" on the initial pressings; Columbia printed stickers to cover up the error—reportedly up to 400,000.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|p=70}} A few original pressings have "Meeting Across the River" billed under its initial title "The Heist", and the original album cover has the title handwritten with a broad-nib pen. These copies, known as the "script cover", are very rare and among the most sought after of Springsteen memorabilia.{{sfn|Kaye|Brewer|2008|p=xii}}

Springsteen and Clemons occasionally remade the cover pose onstage during their concerts.<ref name="CoS45Reasons" /> The pose has since been imitated by other singers and musicians, including [[Cheap Trick]] on the 1983 album ''[[Next Position Please]]'', [[Mai Kuraki]] on the cover of her 2001 single "[[Stand Up (Mai Kuraki song)|Stand Up]]", [[Tom and Ray Magliozzi]] on the cover of the 2003 ''[[Car Talk]]'' compilation ''Born Not to Run: More Disrespectful Car Songs'', and [[Los Secretos]] for their 2015 album ''Algo prestado''.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2020|p=70}}<ref name="UCRCovers">{{cite web |last=Irwin |first=Corey |title=Bruce Springsteen 'Born to Run' Album Cover Copycats |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/bruce-springsteen-born-to-run-album-cover-copycats/ |website=Ultimate Classic Rock |access-date=January 19, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230607015054/https://ultimateclassicrock.com/bruce-springsteen-born-to-run-album-cover-copycats/ |archive-date=June 7, 2023 |date=August 24, 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> Outside of music, the [[webcomic]] strip ''[[Kevin and Kell]]'' imitated the pose on a Sunday strip entitled "Born to Migrate", featuring Kevin Dewclaw as Springsteen with a carrot and Kell Dewclaw as Clemons with a pile of bones, and the ''[[Sesame Street]]'' characters [[Bert (Sesame Street)|Bert]] and the [[Cookie Monster]] imitated the pose on the cover of the ''Sesame Street'' album ''Born to Add''.<ref name="UCRCovers" />{{sfn|Masur|2010|p=148}}