The hottest ticket in pop this year will be the same as it was in 2017: Bruce Springsteen’s Broadway residency, which, after doubling its original run, has extended for a further four months — and still can’t clear a waiting list that closed last September. The residency has bolstered his reputation as a cultural icon, rather than a mere rock star, though his most recent tour was also the highest-grossing of 2016. At New York’s 975-seat Walter Kerr Theatre, he reminisces, often speaks unamplified and performs both solo and with his wife, Patti Scialfa. Fans have described being intimate with the Boss as a spiritual experience.

The show’s phenomenal success could prove catnip to other A-listers hoping to refresh their reputations and, crucially, exploit their