“Fooled Again,” with Tom Petty’s snarling vocals and the band’s equally intense performance, sets up a successful blueprint for later hits.

Tom Petty says he had one main goal in putting together his first album in four years with the Heartbreakers: Getting back to basics. You May Also Like: The Wild One, Forever: In Appreciation of Tom Petty Tom Petty, Bob Dylan and Joe Strummer: The Singers and the Songs

Benmont Tench had seen success with Tom Petty, had been part of several hits. Then came a memorable session with Bob Dylan.

For as long as rock ‘n’ roll has been around, there have been songs celebrating the genre. In the ’50s, there was “Rock And Roll Music,” “Twenty Flight Rock,” “Rock And Roll Is Here To Stay,” “Seven Nights To Rock,” and “Rock Around The Clock,” among many others. You MayRead More

The songs, after a long time away, just started floating to the surface for Benmont Tench. He’d been a member of Tom Petty’s staggeringly underrated band the Heartbreakers forever, had even had a Nashville writing gig for a time. You May Also Like: The Wild One, Forever: In Appreciation ofRead More

It’s interesting that “Hometown Blues” is featured on two Heartbreakers best-of compilations — 1995’s five-disc, career-spanning box set Playback and 2000’s double-disc Anthology: Through The Years. Firstly, there are arguably better songs from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers that didn’t make the cut You May Also Like: Mudcrutch’s belated self-titledRead More

“Breakdown” is both Tom Petty’s first exceptional lyrical effort, and also his first really strong vocal performance.