A rumor that Pete Townshend of English rock band The Who, said American singer Bruce Springsteen was "a bit overrated" circulated online in May 2025. For example, Facebook account America's Last Line of Defense posted the claim (archived) on May 19, gaining more than 8,900 reactions as of this writing:
Rock Legend Pete Townsend of The Who says Bruce Springsteen ruined everyone's night when he brought politics to the stage. "He's a bit overrated to begin with. He's the kind of bloke who should just shut up and play."
Variations of the rumor spread on Instagram (archived) and X (archived), and Snopes readers also inquired as to the authenticity of the claim.
Some readers seemed to interpret the rumor as a factual recounting of real-life events. However, there was no evidence Townshend said Springsteen was "overrated."
Rather, the rumor about the musicians originated with America's Last Line of Defense — a social media account that describes its output as being humorous or satirical in nature. Aside from including a watermark indicating "nothing on this page is real," its About Page (archived) states:
Everything on this website is fiction. It is not a lie and it is not fake news because it is not real. If you believe that it is real, you should have your head examined. Any similarities between this site's pure fantasy and actual people, places, and events are purely coincidental and all images should be considered altered and satirical. See above if you're still having an issue with that satire thing.
The Facebook account's bio also clarifies that "nothing on this page is real."
The fictional story spread as Springsteen has drawn U.S. President Donald Trump's attention for disparaging comments he made about Trump's administration.
In a 2016 article for Rolling Stone India, when asked whether he was a fan of Springsteen and had seen him perform, Townshend said, "I did in the early days, but not anymore. It's a bit of blood and glory for me now."
America's Last Line of Defense has a history of making up stories for shares and comments.
Snopes has addressed similar satirical claims about Springsteen in the past, including the assertion that George Strait canceled a show with Springsteen over his comments on Trump and a rumor that Springsteen lost an advertising contract with Jeep for the same reason.
For background, here is why we alert readers to rumors created by sources that call their output humorous or satirical.