Bruce Springsteen's 'Hello Sunshine' makes Barack Obama's 'Favorite Music of 2019' list

Chris Jordan | Asbury Park Press

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“Hello Sunshine,” you’ve got a famous fan.

President Barack Obama cited “Hello Sunshine,” a track from Bruce Springsteen’s 2019 solo album “Western Stars,” on his “Favorite Music of 2019” list, which he revealed on Monday, Dec. 30.

The song is one of 35 on the list.

“From hip-hop to country to The Boss, here are my songs of the year,” said Obama on social media. “If you’re looking for something to keep you company on a long drive or help you turn up a workout, I hope there’s a track or two in here that does the trick.”

The song, released in April, was the first single from “Western Stars,” and it was emblematic of the late ‘60s, early ‘70s Southern California musical vibe that informed the album.

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Obama’s list is an eclectic mix, from superstars like Beyonce, Lizzo, Frank Ocean, and Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Old Town Road (Remix)” to relatively unknowns, like Angelica Garcia. Her “Jicama,” included on the list, speaks to assimilation in the U.S. of the children of immigrants.

From hip-hop to country to The Boss, here are my songs of the year. If you’re looking for something to keep you company on a long drive or help you turn up a workout, I hope there’s a track or two in here that does the trick. pic.twitter.com/mQ2VssyDwt — Barack Obama (@BarackObama) December 30, 2019

There is one other Jersey performer on the list. “Seventeen” is by Sharon Van Etten, who grew up in Clinton.

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As for Springsteen, it’s no surprise. Obama has been a fan for years, bestowed upon him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Boss has campaigned for Obama. Springsteen and wife Patti Scialfa gave a private performance in the Obama White House in 2016.

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The performance became the basis for the hit “Springsteen on Broadway.”

“I was asked by President Obama the last couple of weeks he was in office, ‘Gee, you never played in Washington, love to have you come down and play at the White House,’ " said Springsteen previously to the USA Today Network. “So the last few weeks he was in the White House, Patti said, ‘Yeah, you should go down and do it.’ I don’t know, I don’t want to bring the band, it’s too big of a job. Well maybe I’ll just go down and play some acoustic songs. I said maybe I’ll introduce some of the acoustic songs with some of the things I’ve written in the book and I spent about two afternoons in my studio, ended with … 90 minutes of what the Broadway show became.

“I went down there, I had the spoken pieces and I had the music pieces, at the end of the night he came up on stage and said, ‘Gee, I know you only did that for us, but it should be a show,’ ” Springsteen said.

“Springsteen on Broadway” played 236 performances from 2017 to 2018 at the Walter Kerr Theatre.

Obama also released lists of his favorite books, movies and TV shows. No, Springsteen's "Western Stars" movie did not make Obama's list.

Chris Jordan, a Jersey Shore native, covers entertainment and features for the USA Today Network New Jersey. His multiple awards include recognition for stories on Bruce Springsteen and Snooki. Contact him at @chrisfhjordan; cjordan@app.com.