The Wild One, Forever: In Appreciation of Tom Petty
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers represented what we strive for across so many aspects of our lives: consistency, dependability, and longevity.
Articles by: Dylan Sevey
Into the Great Wide Open: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, “You’re Gonna Get It” (1978)
Petty began to take control of his vocal gifts on the second Heartbreakers album.
Into the Great Wide Open: Tom Petty , “When The Time Comes” from You’re Gonna Get It! (1978)
Did Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers fall into “the second-album dilemma”?
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, “American Girl” (1976): Into the Great Wide Open
Decades later, this is still one of the absolute best songs Tom Petty ever wrote, and one of the best tracks that the Heartbreakers ever recorded.
Into the Great Wide Open: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, “Luna” (1976)
The story of “Luna” begins in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Shelter Records, with whom the Heartbreakers were signed when their eponymous debut was released, was founded and run by Denny Cordell (who produced the album) and Leon Russell You May Also Like: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ gritty Mojo was more thanRead More
Into the Great Wide Open: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, “Mystery Man” (1976)
Tom Petty sets the record straight with Paul Zollo in Conversations With Tom Petty, concerning a very particular label that is often cast upon the Heartbreakers: “We’re always referred to as a Southern band,” he says. You May Also Like: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ gritty Mojo was more thanRead More
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, “Fooled Again [I Don’t Like It]” (1976): Into the Great Wide Open
“Fooled Again,” with Tom Petty’s snarling vocals and the band’s equally intense performance, sets up a successful blueprint for later hits.
Into the Great Wide Open: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, “Strangered In The Night” (1976)
“Strangered In The Night” is the second and final song on Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers that is a leftover from Petty’s solo record sessions, therefore not technically qualifying as a Heartbreakers song. You May Also Like: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ gritty Mojo was more than just the blues
Into the Great Wide Open: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, “Anything That’s Rock ‘N’ Roll” (1976)
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
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, “The Wild One, Forever” (1976)”: Into the Great Wide Open
“The Wild One, Forever” is one of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ best early songs. It’s unfortunate that it has somewhat fallen through the cracks.
