Now considered one of Springsteen’s most important albums, Nebraska initially played as a direct affront to Columbia Records label executives, who were eager for him to continue churning out mainstream radio anthems. They didn’t know how to market his haunting poetry or his distorted music, which crackled and echoed without a producer’s touch, nor did he have any desire to promote it himself. (Despite the label execs’ misgivings, Nebraska would outperform expectations and become a treasured classic.) As the movie details in two distinct timelines, the album evokes all of Springsteen’s inner turmoil and complicated relationships—with himself, his father, his romantic interests, and his loyal manager—and packages them into something raw and authentic.