Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers is one of my favorite bands, so I was sad to see that one of history's great musicians passed away this week. Coincidentally, I have been blasting the Greatest Hits cd found below in my car for the last three weeks. Petty is one of those artists that some may forget about, as he was less iconic than Bob Dylan, less monetarily successful (slightly) than the Eagles. But he fits somewhere in between, a songwriter who churned out a remarkable number of hits, yet remained grounded, productive, and relevant into his 60s. He was still joyfully performing packed three-hour concerts just this year.
The Heartbreakers helped him craft a sound that was the perfect mix of bluesy guitar hooks, jangly southern rockabilly, and chorus-driven anthems. Avoiding the self-indulgent guitar solos and jam band time-wasting of so many bands of the late '70s and early '80s, the band followed a strict musical code: "Don't bore us, get to the chorus." That's why even those not familiar with the music of that era can easily identify "American Girl," "Learning to Fly," "Free Fallin," "Won't Back Down," and many more. My favorites, among so many, might be "Into the Great Wide Open," a delightful ballad about youth chasing success, and "Don't Do Me Like That," a poppy, energetic loss of love. But then again, "You Got Lucky" may have one of my all-time favorite lines in rock music: You got lucky, babe / when I found you. The final A-minor is an ominous dare for a girl to try to find someone better than him. Awesome.
To learn more about the group, be sure to watch the excellent documentary on Amazon Prime, Runnin' Down a Dream, to understand how Petty and his band influenced the rock and roll world for over 40 years. It's four hours long and worth every minute.
Take a listen, tap your foot, and sing along. His songs will continue to be part of the soundtrack of America for many years to come.
The Heartbreakers helped him craft a sound that was the perfect mix of bluesy guitar hooks, jangly southern rockabilly, and chorus-driven anthems. Avoiding the self-indulgent guitar solos and jam band time-wasting of so many bands of the late '70s and early '80s, the band followed a strict musical code: "Don't bore us, get to the chorus." That's why even those not familiar with the music of that era can easily identify "American Girl," "Learning to Fly," "Free Fallin," "Won't Back Down," and many more. My favorites, among so many, might be "Into the Great Wide Open," a delightful ballad about youth chasing success, and "Don't Do Me Like That," a poppy, energetic loss of love. But then again, "You Got Lucky" may have one of my all-time favorite lines in rock music: You got lucky, babe / when I found you. The final A-minor is an ominous dare for a girl to try to find someone better than him. Awesome.
To learn more about the group, be sure to watch the excellent documentary on Amazon Prime, Runnin' Down a Dream, to understand how Petty and his band influenced the rock and roll world for over 40 years. It's four hours long and worth every minute.
Take a listen, tap your foot, and sing along. His songs will continue to be part of the soundtrack of America for many years to come.