Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
A photo of Petty smiling at the camera
Studio album by
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
ReleasedNovember 9, 1976 (1976-11-09)[1]
Recorded1976
StudioShelter (Hollywood)
GenreRock and roll[2]
Length30:38
LabelShelter
ProducerDenny Cordell
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers chronology
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
(1976) 		Official Live 'Leg
(1977)
Singles from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
  1. "Breakdown"
    Released: November 1976
  2. "American Girl"
    Released: February 1977
  3. "Anything That's Rock 'n' Roll"
    Released: April 1977 (UK only)
  4. "Rockin' Around (With You)"
    Released: August 1977 (Germany only)

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers is the debut album by the band of the same name, released on November 9, 1976, by Shelter Records. The album was recorded and mixed at the Shelter Studio in Hollywood, California.

Release and promotion

Initially following its release, the album received little attention in the United States. Following a British tour, it climbed to No. 24 on the UK albums chart and the single "Anything That's Rock 'n' Roll" became a hit in the UK. After nearly a year and many positive reviews, the album reached the U.S. charts, where it peaked at No. 55 in 1978 and eventually went Gold.

"Breakdown" was released as the lead single and cracked the Top 40 in the U.S. and "American Girl" became one of the band's signature songs.[3]

Critical reception

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2023)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
Blender[5]
Chicago Tribune[6]
Christgau's Record GuideB+[2]
The Essential Rock Discography6/10[7]
MusicHound[8]
Pitchfork7.0/10[9]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[10]
Sounds[11]
The Daily VaultA−[12]

Reviewing in Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981), Robert Christgau said, "Addicts of updated nostalgia and rock and roll readymades should find this a sly and authentic commentary on the evolving dilemma of Harold Teen. The songs are cute, the riffs executed with more dynamism than usual, and the singing attractively phlegmy. And like they say at the end of other cartoons, that's all, folks."[2] The album was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[13]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Tom Petty, except "Rockin' Around (With You)" co-written by Mike Campbell

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Rockin' Around (With You)"2:28
2."Breakdown"2:42
3."Hometown Blues"2:13
4."The Wild One, Forever"3:01
5."Anything That's Rock 'n' Roll"2:23
Side two
No.TitleLength
6."Strangered in the Night"3:32
7."Fooled Again (I Don't Like It)"3:48
8."Mystery Man"3:01
9."Luna"3:57
10."American Girl"3:33

Personnel

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Additional musicians

Charts

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2023)
Chart performance for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Chart (1976–77) Peak
Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[14] 57

References

  1. ^ "Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers". tompetty.com. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: P". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 10, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  3. ^ Whitburn, Joel. Rock Tracks (2002): 331
  4. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at AllMusic. Retrieved January 3, 2005.
  5. ^ Blender review Archived June 15, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ Kot, Greg (September 1, 1991). "Through The Years With Tom Petty". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
  7. ^ Strong, Martin C. (2006). The Essential Rock Discography. Edinburgh, UK: Canongate. p. 816. ISBN 978-1-84195-827-9.
  8. ^ Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel, eds. (1999). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Farmington Hills, MI: Visible Ink Press. p. 870. ISBN 1-57859-061-2.
  9. ^ Kandell, Steve (October 10, 2017). "Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 22, 2018.
  10. ^ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian, eds. (2004). "Tom Petty > Album Guide". The Rolling Stone Album Guide. London: Fireside. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved September 13, 2011.((cite book)): CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  11. ^ Dadomo, Giovanni (January 1, 1977). "Tom Petty: 'Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers'". Sounds. p. 16.
  12. ^ Warburg, Jason (2019). "The Daily Vault Music Reviews : Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers". dailyvault.com. Retrieved January 29, 2019.
  13. ^ Dimery, Robert; Lydon, Michael (February 7, 2006). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe. ISBN 0-7893-1371-5.
  14. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 232/233. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.

External links

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Authority control databases
Categories