When our favourite musicians leave this world - musicians whose work has had such an incredible impact on our lives - it can easily create a hole in the hearts of the fans who are left behind. For millions of people, the recent loss of Tom Petty, the all-American rock legend, has left such a void. The deaths of icons like Petty, Bowie and Prince have sent the world into shock - somehow it seemed as though they might live forever. It is through their music that their memory will live on. Join us as we pay tribute to Tom Petty by taking a look at some of his most important songs and we recall why this artist was such an iconic songwriter worthy of remembering and celebrating.
In collaboration with Jeroen Hamelink - Records / Vinyl expert at Catawiki
Tom Petty’s Musical Gifts to the World
Undeniably, Tom Petty was a songwriting legend. He released 13 studio albums as the lead singer of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and 3 solo albums. During his career spanning 5 decades, he sold over 80 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. With such an extensive back catalogue, it was difficult to pick just 5 of his songs. But here we go, in no particular order, we’ve selected 5 of his incredible hits which we think best demonstrate Petty's timeless musical genius…
1. I Won't Back Down
Following a vicious arsonist attack on Petty’s house while he and his family were still inside, Tom and his loved ones were forced to spend several months of their lives moving around temporary accommodations. Understandably, Tom was extremely shaken by this death-defying incident, but channeled these feelings into writing his first solo album ‘Full Moon Fever’, released in 1989. Much like a phoenix rises from the flames, Petty wrote 'I Won’t Back Down' as a way to get through the torment of this traumatic experience and rebuild his life once again.
Copywright: billboard
2. Free Fallin'
Petty was born and raised in Gainesville, Florida, but moved to LA with The Heartbreakers in 1974. An outsider to the Los Angeles lifestyle, Tom co-wrote ‘Free Fallin’ with Jeff Lynne (lead singer of Electric Light Orchestra) depicting what he considered to be a typically superficial and selfish LA culture. The story goes that Petty and Lynne were playing around with three simple chords and some more elaborate melodies, when Lynne suggested that Tom cut back all the excess and just sing some words to those three chords. That’s when he came up with the lines "She's a good girl... loves her mama..." and they just kept going from there.
I'm just trying to make good quality music, 'cause I do realise this music is going to be around much longer than me. I want it to be something that does feel timeless and honest.
- Tom Petty, 2005
3. Learning to Fly
Petty said he got the idea for this song when he saw a pilot being interviewed on TV. The pilot commented on how learning to fly wasn’t a challenge... the hardest part was coming down again. Although it’s commonly believed that this song is referring to drugs, it’s actually a reflection of the political climate of the time. Written in 1991, the song’s thickly-layered acoustic guitars and simple, poignant lyrics, "The sea may burn" allude to the just-ended Gulf War. Speaking to Billboard, Tom said "I wanted that song to be a kind of redemptive song, only in the vaguest way, certainly not literally."
4. Mary Jane's Last Dance
Mary Jane’s Last Dance took on several shapes before it became the upbeat but haunting hit we now know it to be. Originally called 'Indiana Girl', it was written during a jam session in a garage where the lyrics to the chorus were at first going to be "Hey, Indiana Girl, go out and find the world." Petty and the band liked the song but it wasn’t until they abandoned the track and then picked it up again a few times that inspiration hit and the lyrics were changed. Mike Campbell, The Heartbreakers' guitarist, commented on Tom’s decision saying “In the verse there is still the thing about an Indiana girl on an Indiana night, just when it gets to the chorus he had the presence of mind to give it a deeper meaning."
5. Handle With Care
'Handle with Care' was the first single released by The Traveling Wilburys, a supergroup fusion between Roy Orbison, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Bob Dylan and Tom Petty. Recorded at Bob Dylan's California studio, this song was planned as a a B-side track for Harrison's latest release, 'This is Love,' but the record company quickly realised it was too good to just be a ‘filler’. At the same recording session, they also recorded 'You Got It', which helped convince them to record an album together. And so, The Traveling Wilburys were born. Described as a ‘happy accident’ this megastar mix produced 2 studio albums in total and indeed, made many fans very happy with their music.
True to his intentions, Tom Petty’s music is timeless. To celebrate and commemorate his music for yourself, head to our Vinyl auctions and perhaps you'll discover one of his albums or vinyl from other greats to enhance your music library. You can also register here to sell records from your collection with us and start offering them up for auction straight away.