Tom Petty

Tom is the absolute best. He is somehow able to write songs that are equal parts pop and rock without being pop-rock. There is no doubt that Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers is a rock band. At the same time, though, I'm not sure that there is an artist with a wider appeal than Tom Petty. If you're at a party, you can throw Petty on and nobody will complain.

From Fischman 01/31/2019 05:28

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R.I.P. Tom Petty. American girl is one of the all time great rock'n'roll songs. Thanks Tom.

From AAL2014 10/02/2017 22:46

The way I initially discovered music was through the radio and specifically classic rock radio. Tom Petty was a staple on classic rock radio. Hit after hit after hit.

RIP.

From buzzdainer 02/15/2016 04:52

One of the all-time great rock songwriters. His track record of consistency over a period of decades is matched by only a handful of artists. Few artists can claim as many great singles as Tom Petty has recorded, and few have made albums as terrific as Wildflowers or Full Moon Fever. He's a treasure.

From junodog4 08/03/2012 16:46

It's hard to dislike Tom Petty. He consistently produces quality, catchy, memorable pop-rock. His sound is earnest, his melodies flow, and the hooks memorable. He is the epitome of the understated, overlooked artist. Good ol' reliable Tom Petty. However - he lacks the brilliant albums that would earn him greater acclaim - Full Moon and Damn come close. He's a Chevy artist. Solid, but unspectacular.

From RoundTheBend 01/11/2012 21:19

Agreed with the singles artist, not an album artist. But, so were the Rolling Stones in my opinion. He is great at what he does, but doesn't have a solid cover to cover awesome album. This was however my first CD when I was 10 years old- Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers Greatest Hits- too bad a greatest hits can't count as a cover to cover great album :)

I'd cosider Tom Petty a very good artist, but not a great artist. His albums always seem to have a few great songs weighed down by filler tracks. I guess he's more of a singles artist than an album artist.