"...an offer they couldn't refuse" - How Paul Rappaport got '82 rock-radio to give NEBRASKA its due
- Paul Rappaport
- 5 minutes ago
- 6 min read
October 24, 2025
Editor's note: As promised, here's more great stuff from Columbia Records' former Senior Vice-President of Rock Promotion Paul "Rap" Rappaport, author of the excellent new book Gliders Over Hollywood: Airships, Airplay and the Art of Rock Promotion, which includes many Springsteen-related gems in its contents, not surprisingly. With both Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska '82: Expanded Edition box-set and Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere officially arriving today, Paul has been kind enough to share with us his personal feelings about Nebraska, as well as a great memory of how he went to bat and played hardball to help Springsteen's offbeat album get its fair share of rock-radio airplay. (Incidentally, everything that "Rap" has written for us this week is distinct additional Springsteen-related content that is not included in Gliders Over Hollywood.) Yet again, Paul Rappaport reveals himself to be not only a master promoter, but also a true believer when it comes to the artistry of Bruce Springsteen, and once more we're honored to publish his writing here. Take it away, Paul...
For me, the Nebraska album contains some of Bruce’s best songs, and the rawness of the recordings rings their truth. I suppose that releasing the versions that “didn’t work” for Bruce initially is worthwhile for fans who want to hear the process of creation. I have a tape of “Born To Run” with orchestral strings that were added to see if they enhanced the recording. It’s awful, but it’s interesting to hear, because it gives a glimpse into Bruce’s creative process, working every angle in search of what was best for the song.
But I remember once having a conversation with Leonard Cohen about a "Greatest Hits" or "Essential" package that Columbia was releasing. They had talked him into adding an a previously unreleased track. Leonard was none too happy about it. “Paul,” he began frustratingly, “if I thought this track was good enough, I would have included it on one of my albums. But it’s not up to my standard, so I never released it. Now, they are calling it a 'bonus' track!” I’m a music guy, so I understand the curiosity of such things, and I also own my fair share of bootleg recordings. I also know that many Bruce fans have been dying to hear this mystery album for years. I guess it makes sense to release it finally, especially on this date, as it ties so much into the movie that also officially hits theaters today. But for me, sometimes mystery is best.
Which brings me to Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere. I am very skeptical of any biopic that is made while an artist is still alive—seems very weird to me. We still have Jon and Bruce and many of the people this film depicts in our lives. We have books, articles, and interviews, so we get a good sense of who these people are and know the parts they played in Bruce’s life and career.
To be fair, after seeing Bruce’s heartfelt response to the film and the way his family is portrayed, I think this is good for him and probably good for history. I want the film to be good; I want it to be great. It should be very interesting, as supposedly it is not hagiography. Just the opposite, it seems, because it chronicles a very down part of Bruce’s life, and hopefully will let folks know that even superstars have human hurdles they must clear to live healthy, fulfilled lives. So far I've seen only the trailer, so I don’t really know yet. I just don’t want it to be too "Hollywood." Like everyone else, I’m looking forward to seeing the film.
But let’s talk about the original Nebraska. This is one of the most moving albums in rock history. Some would argue that statement, but that’s my belief. When I first listened to Nebraska, I was chilled to the bone. I could feel these characters come to life as real people. I could see them right in front of me like movies playing in my head. Sometimes you don’t need a big band or a big sound to make a statement. Bob Dylan’s world-changing “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “The Times They Are A-Changin’” are just guitar and harmonica. B.B. King can say in one single note what it takes other players twenty notes to say. So, there’s a lot to be said for being frugal when it’s called for.
In 1982, I was two years into having been promoted to serve as the new head of album rock promotion for Columbia Records, based in New York. I was having a blast, swinging a big bat, and accomplishing a lot for artists like Bruce, Bob Dylan, Pink Floyd, Aerosmith, Billy Joel, Journey, Loverboy, Men At Work, and many more. I was really feeling my oats and establishing myself as a major player in the world of rock promotion.
At the time, I had two major goals in front of me. One was to get Nebraska played in a meaningful way at mainstream rock radio, and the other was to convince album rock programmers who had been shy to play Billy Joel that Billy was a rocker, even though his big hits had been sing-song ballads.
Billy Joel is a very cool guy, so I thought I’d take Billy out to dinner on separate nights with the three biggest rock radio consultants. If they met him, I knew they’d fall in love with the guy, who indeed, is a complete rocker, and also refreshingly down-to-earth. Billy said, “I have a better idea. Bring them to my house in Lloyd Neck (Long Island) and I’ll make dinner for them.” Very cool, indeed. He went on to say, “I’ll-a make-a the pasta.” I found this hysterical, yet very cute, because Billy is Jewish, but liked to pretend he was Italian, seeing as how most of the musicians he worked with were of that family.
At any rate, enter my lightbulb idea for my other plan to get rock-radio onboard for Nebraska. The ride to Billy’s from New York City was at least an hour. What better place to play Nebraska individually for each of these three big-time radio consultants than in a quiet, dark limousine, completely private with no distractions? It would be a powerful presentation. I could accomplish both my goals in three successive evenings.
One consultant was in charge of sixty rock radio stations, one in charge of thirty, and the other in charge of twenty. Even though the stations they consulted had individual program and music directors, they were highly influenced by what the consultants told them to play and what not to play. Radio folks are always worried that a new sound might cause their listeners to tune out and switch stations.
After hearing the entire album, I got the same exact type of response from each of them. “Rap (my nickname,) uh…” stammering, “you know this is a very different sound, and we’re going to have to be very careful about how much we play this on our airwaves.”
I was incensed. After hearing Nebraska, that’s all you can tell me?!
As I write in my book, I view promotion as an art form, and I have a specific, organic, and creative style of how I turn people on to new music, and accomplish my goals. But every once in a while, I've had to get heavy, and this was the very first time in my career where I had to change my approach. I had to make these guys an offer they couldn’t refuse.
Each time I heard that same "very different sound... very careful" kind of comment, I replied in the same exact way. “Are you kidding me?! After what Bruce Springsteen has accomplished with Born to Run, Darkness..., The River, selling millions of albums, having a huge hit single with 'Hungry Heart,' doing four encores a night, and being a core heavy-rotation superstar on your airwaves, you don’t have enough respect to give him the benefit of the doubt?! To have his back on this?!”
I was getting madder by the second. “No, no, no, no, no, no. This is Bruce Springsteen; we’re gonna start it off in heavy rotation (minimum four times a day.) And after three or more weeks, then we’ll let the people decide, by requests, how much more they want to hear. And if you don’t do that…you can lose my phone number. Bruce Springsteen has earned the right to this kind of support.”
“Rap, Rap, Rap…” Each was shocked. “This isn’t like you.” They knew losing my phone number meant losing Bob Dylan’s phone number, Pink Floyd’s phone number, Aerosmith’s, etc., etc. No more promotions, no more free tickets for their listeners, no more backstage meet and greets. Each one asked the exact same thing: “Are you gonna hold me up?!”
“Not for just anyone, but for Bruce Springsteen I will.”
They saw the seriousness in my face. Each one knew it was quite unlike me to pull a power play like this. But all three realized how important it was to me, and for Bruce. And each one acquiesced. Nebraska was heard quite clearly on 150 rock radio stations across the country. We sold over one million records.
-----
Click here to purchase a copy of Paul Rappaport's excellent book Gliders Over Hollywood: Airships, Airplay and the Art of Rock Promotion.
