My Top Ten Tom Petty Songs

Tom Petty was cool. Effortlessly cool. He wasn't a pretty boy by any means, but he was the epitome of rock star chic, whatever he wore. The image above is one of my all-time favourite album covers... although sadly, the CD copy I own doesn't have the image on the front, just a rather bland black & white head and shoulders shot of a slightly younger Tom than the one pictured above. (He still looks cool on it.) He looked cool whether he wore leather, denim or a Mad Hatter's outfit. Whether he let his hair grow long or wore a hat because it was thinning away. The man was cool without ever having to try too hard. In that, he was destined to be a rock star.

I got my first Tom Petty album in 1993. I was working in the radio station record library, mainlining free CDs, and my slightly older & wiser friend, Dave, got very excited by the first ever Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Greatest Hits CD.

"I only really know a couple of his tunes," I told him. This was the cusp of Britpop, I was 21 years and though I'd grown up on Springsteen and Mellencamp, my tastes were turning back to spiky British indie. But Dave forced a copy into my hand and made me swear to take it home and listen to it.

I played that CD to death for years. It was the only Tom Petty album I needed. It was perfect. So many great singles, glorious 2 and 3 minute blasts of country-rock-pop with a slightly punky edge. (I'm not sure how many of the obit writers will credit Petty with any punk credentials, but for me, they were there. It was the cool, the attitude, the guitars. Particularly on those early albums with The Heartbreakers. There was a touch of the Ramones in there, I swear.)

It took me a long time to need anything else by Tom Petty, but eventually I started digging into his back catalogue too. There's not a bad record in there. They all had that voice (what a voice - like Dylan had inhaled a whole packet of Tunes), that guitar, that cool. I love a lot of those other songs now, but many of the choices below come straight from that first, peerless Greatest Hits album.

I mentioned here earlier this year how Tom Petty was top of my bucket list of artists I still hadn't seen live. He rarely played the UK though, and if he did, only that London. But one day... I mean, he was only 66.

Goodnight, Tom. Here's ten of your best. Thanks for being so cool.


10. Running Down A Dream

I'm a lyrics man first and foremost, but for this track I'll just say: check out that guitar.

9. I Won't Back Down

Probably the only Tom Petty song I knew before I got that Greatest Hits album. It's the one everybody knows, especially Sam Smith, who ripped off the melody shamelessly... and ended up paying for it.

Hey, baby - there ain't no easy way out!

8. Southern Accents

Tom does Neil Young... even better than Neil. And he puts that pesky Canadian right about The South in a way Lynyrd Skynyrd would have been proud of.

And then, of course, came Johnny Cash...

7. Don't Do Me Like That 

Apparently, Tom almost gave this to the J. Geils Band. Well, they could have used another hit.

Glad he kept it though.

6. Refugee

You want to see cool? Watch this video.

Somewhere, somehow somebody
Must have kicked you around some
Tell me why you want to lay there
And revel in your abandon
Honey, it don't make no difference to me baby
Everybody's had to fight to be free
You see you don't have to live like a refugee...

5. Don't Come Around Here No More

The Mad Hatter. Dave Stewart. Synths. Yet somehow, this has aged far better than most other records from 1985. And the video's so trippy, it could be from 1969.

4. Free Fallin'

Don't let Jerry Maguire put you off this one. It is a truly glorious song.

She's a good girl, loves her mama
Loves Jesus and America too
She's a good girl, crazy 'bout Elvis
Loves horses and her boyfriend too...

3. American Girl

See what I mean by punk rock? You try and tell me The Strokes didn't wear the grooves out of this night after night in their lonely teenage bedrooms...

And for one desperate moment there
He crept back in her memory
God it's so painful
Something that's so close
And still so far out of reach

2. The Last DJ

I've played this one here before, I'm sure I'll play it again. Everything you need to know about the radio industry is contained in this song.

1. Into The Great Wide Open

One of the greatest story songs ever written. And I know a LOT of great story songs.

Oh, and just listen to that opening chord. Man, that cuts right through you, doesn't it? In the very best way...

Their A&R man said, "I don't hear a single"

Well, it's done, and now I have to sign my name to it. And as soon as I press 'publish', I'll be kicking myself for not finding room for Learning To Fly, I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better, Breakdown, Even The Losers, Joe, Stop Dragging My Heart Around and The Wild One, Forever. Among many more...