Tom Petty History (1973-)

Tom Petty - a musical icon - has enjoyed a lucrative career that has spanned nearly four decades.

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Tom Petty History (1973-) and Event Information

Tom Petty: Modest Beginnings

Born October 20, 1950 in Gainesville, Florida, Tom Petty took an interest in music at an early age. At the tender age of 11, Tom Petty met rock star Elvis Presley while receiving guitar instruction from Dan Felder. It was then that Tom Petty’s interest in music was solidified. Tom Petty began his musical career working with a number of bands, most notably Mudcrutch. In 1975, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were formed and in 1976 they released their debut album Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers came to prominence in the UK following their British tour and charted on the US charts following a year of promotion. The first single released off of the album “Breakdown” reached the US Top 40. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers also released the tracks “Anything That’s Rock ‘n’ Roll” and “American Girl”.

Tom Petty: Rise to Fame

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers released their second album You’re Gonna Get It! on May 2, 1978. You’re Gonna Get It! faired better on the charts than its predecessor and featured the songs “I Need to Know”, “Listen to Her Heart”, and the title track “You’re Gonna Get It”. The following year, on October 19, 1979, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers released their third album Damn the Torpedoes, which sold almost two million copies and landed at No. 2 on the Pop Albums chart for seven weeks becoming one of the greatest albums of all time. Damn the Torpedoes boasted the hit tracks “Don’t Do Me Like That” and “Refugee”.

Tom Petty: ‘80s Releases

Hard Promises was released in 1981 and featured the hit “The Waiting” and “Insider” a duet with Stevie Nicks. Hard Promises like its predecessor, was met with commercial success also reaching the platinum mark. Bass player Ron Blair quit The Heartbreakers and was replaced by Howie Epstein for the 1982 album Long After Dark. Long After Dark featured the MTV staple “You Got Lucky”. Southern Accents released in 1985 was Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers’ next studio album. The track “Don’t Come Around Here No More” reached No. 13 on the Billboard charts. “Don’t Come Around Here No More” featured allusions to the book Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland where Tom Petty portrayed the Mad Hatter. Southern Accents also featured the song “Rebels”. In 1986 and 1987, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers toured with Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead and in 1987 released the album Let Me Up (I’ve Had Enough).

Tom Petty: The Supergroup

Tom Petty founded the group the Traveling Wilburys in 1988, which featured the members Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, and Roy Orbison. The Traveling Wilburys were coined a supergroup due to their all-star lineup. The Traveling Wilburys were responsible for the albums Traveling Wilburys Vol.1 and Traveling Wilburys Vol.3, the former which produced the track “Handle With Care”.

Tom Petty embarked on a solo career, void of The Heartbreakers and the members of the supergroup Traveling Wilburys with the release of Full Moon Fever in 1989. Full Moon Fever boasted the hit songs “I Won’t Back Down”, “Free Fallin”, and “Runnin’ Down A Dream”. The video for “I Won’t Back Down” features Ringo Starr on the drums.

Tom Petty: Mends the Heart

Into the Great Wide Open released in 1991, marked the beginning of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers reunited status. Into the Great Wide Open featured the hit singles “Learning to Fly” and the hit track “Into the Great Wide Open” which featured a slew of famous actors in the music video.

In 1994, Tom Petty went on a second solo venture with the release of his next album Wildflowers. Wildflowers sold over three million albums and featured the song “You Don’t Know How It Feels” which reached No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. Two years later in 1996, Tom Petty teamed up with The Heartbreakers again to work on the soundtrack for the movie She’s the One. The soundtrack features the songs “Climb the Hill” and “Change the Locks”.

Tom Petty: The Last Record

In 1999, Tom Petty released his final album entitled Echo. Echo reached No. 10 on the US album charts and released the tracks “Room at the Top” and “Free Girl Now”. The Last DJ was released in 2002 by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers as a criticism of the greed that runs thick in the recording industry. The Last DJ which boasted the songs “The Last DJ”, “Money Becomes King”, and “Joe” went to No. 9 on the album charts. In January 2008, Tom Petty announced that he and The Heartbreakers would set out on a North American tour.

Tom Petty: Discography