While giving the keynote at SXSW in Austin on March 15, Springsteen spoke of the influence of the Animals and sang a verse and chorus of their hit, ‘We Gotta Get Out of This Place.’ Springsteen admitted that its tale of working class desperation was responsible for “every song I’ve ever written.”

Unbeknownst to Springsteen, Eric Burdon happened to be in Austin at the time. He heard what Springsteen said (through the “Tweeterverse,” as Bruce said) and made his way down to the Moody Theater, where Springsteen was performing that night. It takes a while for Burdon to find the key, and his voice is nowhere near what it was in the 1960s, but the impromptu nature of this “punk meets the godfather” moment warrants its high spot on our list.

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