Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

I once met Tom Petty (without The Heartbreakers) in a greasey spoon just off Camden highstreet. He was tucking into a full English and unbeknown to him got a bit of egg was stuck on his face for about 35 mins. I smugly waited until I had finished my mug of coffee, stood up and announced to everyone in earshot that Tom Petty was an egg-faced sausage-lover and ran out. I watched from the window as he wiped the egg from his embarrassed red face and as he did I banged on the window and let out a fart so thunderous that the single glazed window shuddered. He looked on in horror. What a fuckin' loser Tom Petty was that day.

Not particularly exciting. Definitely listenable, but pretty forgettable rock that doesn't feel like it pushes the boundaries of what I'm now used to.

Surprisingly average. The known songs are absolute classics but the remainder of the album is just filler. Would never put on to listen to full album. 3/5

Sometimes a debut sounds like a debut. Full of promise with flashes of genius. Whilst there are quite a few tracks on here that are forgettable run of the mill rock n roll songs, the great tracks (Breakdown, Strangered in the Night, and American girl elevate this to well above average album. 4/5

One of the most unhateable figures of classic rock and I love him. The only good thing to come out of Gainesville FL

It’s one of those LPs that just seems pure and uncomplicated. Really loved this record. (8/10) Favourite Tracks: Breakdown, Hometown Blues, American Girl

Tom Petty is a legend. His songs are either outstanding, or pretty crappy.

For a debut, it's not bad but there sure is a whole lot of Springsteen-esque garbage in here. Not enough to tank the album but enough to take the score down significantly. I'm really glad Petty and his boys figured out their own thing and got better from here. "Breakdown" and "American Girl" are both great tracks, though.

Pretty good, little blah through the middle. Like Breakdown.

Ah. A classic. And I know it's basic to say American Girl is my favorite track, but it is. My only gripe is that the album is so short. Easily could have listened to Tom Petty for another half hour.

Qui aurait cru que Mickaël Vendetta avait sorti des albums de rock avec les Heartbreakers ? Certainement pas moi. Et pourtant j'ai beaucoup apprécié, tout au long de l'album, les nombreux moments où David Charvet lui demande d'arrêter de l'importuner ainsi que ceux au cours desquels Francky Vincent tente de le canaliser sous l'œil attentif de Greg le Millionnaire.

Cet album V pour Vendetta ne m'a fait ni chaud ni froid. Je trouve neammoins très sympa l'annonce d'une nouvelle saison de la Ferme Célébrité en fin d'album.

I am very familiar with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, as well as Tom's solo stuff. This is his only album included on this list. That's crazy, Full Moon Fever is his best album. Free Fallin', I Won't Back Down, Yer So Bad, Love Is a Long Road, Runnin' Down a Dream, The Apartment Song, Zombie Zoo..... That album is a fuckin hit machine. I don't understand this generator sometimes. Utter trash like Pere Ubu or The Jesus and Mary Chain get a couple albums, but someone as huge and influential as Tom Petty only gets one, and one of his weaker albums at that. Don't get me wrong, this album is fantastic (Breakdown, and American Girl are huge hits), but it just goes to show how hard this generator is skewed to obscure British garbage. Favourite songs: American Girl, Breakdown, Strangered In The Night, Hometown Blues, Anything That's Rock 'n' Roll Least favourite songs: Rockin' Around (With You) 5/5

Nearly perfect, and breakdown and American girl are huge. American girl is one of the best songs of all time. But the rest of the album hasn’t lasted in perpetuity in the same way.

Steady from beginning to end, definitely loved the back half of the album with Mystery man and Luna being favorites.

Hahaha he looks like such a dickhead. If it was a snooker player, it'd be Paul Hunter (RIP).

Not terrible, I just don’t think I’m ever gonna be a Tom Petty fan. 4/10

On 'Fooled Again', Petty sounds like he's doing an impression of Keith Richards doing an impression of Mick Jagger. The rest of the album is similarly ersatz, or nostalgic, depending on how amenable you are to watered down r'n'r.

Not really my cup of tea

Sensational 70’s guitar rock. 5 stars

I'm now listening to the debut album of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers from the year 1976. All I can think is how much I miss Tom Petty and everything about him. I'm not sure I can ever get tired of listening to Tom Petty. The songs sound fresh and it's a joy to hear these legendary hit songs within the context of the album as a whole. Listening to his voice, it's unique and I'm wondering how in the world it should work. I don't know what I'm trying to say. Sometimes you can look at something on paper and wonder how it could possibly work in real life. If I was building a rock star out of clay, I feel like I would end up with something very far away from Tom Petty. It doesn't make any sense the more I think about it. But it's all here to start in the first album. I'm enjoying this immensely. As we all know Tom became a legend, and one of the greatest rock musicians ever, he looms large even though he has passed. It's very simple and awesome. I'm very fucking excited to hear American Girl in it's original context at the end of the album.

Breakdown and American Girl on your first record, eh Tom? Not too shabby. The silence and space between the notes in Breakdown are striking. A lot of bands are afraid of the silence and Tom and the HBs use it to their advantage. Everything on this record sounds great. Most of the songs could have been hits and nothing is a "skip." Tom Petty is one of the best and this is such a great debut. The instruments all sound great. His voice is so unique and expertly produced. I really can't say enough. Oh, the Heartbreakers logo with the Flying V is also great. RIP Tom.

My awareness of Tom Petty is mostly from the most popular answer to the cruel question “who was the ugliest Traveling Wilbury?” Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ mission statement could well have been that evinced by Adhewood’s Nice Pete: “It will just be good music, played well by men.” The choruses, apart from “American Girl”, are polite and colloquial rather than compulsive and rapturous - and this is not a criticism. I can’t explain why “Anything That’s Rock ‘n’ Roll” made me weep a little as I drove across Burrard St Bridge in the rain tonight, but it did. This is music made for bars, American bars, played well by men, American men. Unisex in appeal, possibly sexless. Sometimes comfort is the most one is ready to accept from art. Nice Pete is a serial killer, I must add.

I’ve heard these songs 100 times but they are still fun. I love the riff in breakdown, and of course American Girl is a classic. Short but sweet at 30 minutes. 7/10

OK so under no pretences, this is a very straightforward rock and roll album. Petty and his band aren't aiming to re-invent the wheel here, but try and escape the positive energy, the enjoyment and enthusiasm that seems to spill over from these songs. One of the records greatest strengths is its pacing- none of it outstays its welcome. The songs are incredibly lean, straight to the point and the whole thing is over in 30 minutes. Finishing with "American Girl" is a masterstroke, because it immediately redeems the record's most forgettable tracks ("Mystery Man", "Luna") which come directly before it. It meant that when the album ended, all it left in its wake was me still tapping along, humming that irresistible refrain, salivating over playing it again. Of course that's the highlight, but I also found a lot to love in the forward propulsion of "Rockin' Around (With You)", those harmonies in "Hometown Blues", and the chugging guitars and chorus melody in "Anything That's Rock n Roll." An immensely enjoyable, tight album.

Saw the Heartbreakers at Leeds University - touring this album. Fan ever since.

Tom finding his own voice. Great heartland album, closer to Springsteen than what Tom was to later become. Great rock album.

best album of all time in the category of length. breakdown, american girl

I'm a fan of Tom Petty's brand of no-frills heartland rockers, but there aren't too many bangers on here, except for the grand daddy of all Petty bangers at the end. And maybe Breakdown.

It's fine, but it's not Damn the Torpedoes.

I’m not disappointed, but I expected more.

American Girl

First track very Byrdsy, decent, not what I expected. 2nd track onwards, very bar-room Americana, exactly what I expected. Not my thing.

Some real basic shit on here. You know where to go if you want some Tom Petty and it ain't this.

Tom Petty debut “new wave” album. You can really hear his R&B roots here on tracks like “Luna” & “Fooled Again”, but the classics “American Girl” and “Breakdown” are also present. The rest is sweet icing on this delicious cake.

9/10

Perfect in its simplicity

R.I.P. Great album

Solid 5 stars. All songs are great!

this was a great album. obviously knew the two big songs off of this one already but didn't know the rest. I mean, it's not like it was out of left field, if you know what tom petty sounds like, then you know what tom petty sounds like. but I appreciate his style and his influences, so overall, I really enjoyed this one

It’s Tom Petty

Oh fuck yeah!!!!! I love Tom Petty. This album is a debut that definitely feels like a debut, but I love Tom so much that everything he does is phenomenal to me. Listening to him gives my soul the sustenance it craves. I love his songwriting, I love his incredibly distinct nasal twang, and I fucking dig his guitar playing. And American Girl is one of my all-time most favourite songs ever written; it's my go-to karaoke number, it's the best song to belt out in the car when you're cruisin' along by yourself trying to escape the doldrums of life, it's everything. I love you, Tom! I was so incredibly sad the day I heard about his passing. He's an absolute gem and I wish I'd had the chance to see him live.

I. Love. Tom. Petty.

TP and the Hb will never not be great.

Amazing album

Great

9/10 amazing stuff — I’m really looking forward to hearing more of Petty’s discography

TP is goat!

Gotta love Tom Petty. Who doesn’t?

I really liked this album

You really can't go wrong with a Tom Petty album. His discography is the gift that keeps on giving, with treasures to be found on pretty much everything he ever made. This little gem was the band's debut, showing the band was still a work in progress, but with a level of quality that some bands strive for over years and never can match. It's wonderfully crafted, full of youthful energy but also moments of emotional honesty in the songwriting that would become central to all of Petty's work going forward. It reveals Petty's/the band's full understanding of songcraft and what makes a great album. And they were just getting started. Fave Songs (All songs, from most to least favorite): American Girl; Breakdown; Mystery Man; Hometown Blues; Anything That's Rock 'n' Roll; Strangered in the Night; Luna; Fooled Again (I Don't Like It); The Wild One, Forever; Rockin' Around (With You)

I could swing either way on this but considering how little I usually like "classic rock" suggestions on this list and how much I actually enjoy this one, I'll give it 5 stars. Three chords and a lot of energy, gotta love it.

Duh.

Un 5 bien mérité, un vrai bon album ! À réécouter !

FIVE

A fantastic album can’t believe I’ve never heard it before.

If the only two songs of worth were American Girl and Breakdown, the debut from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers would have been a classic. There is, however, so much more here. At the time this was released, Petty's brand of roots-oriented rock didn't really fit with most AOR or even Southern Rock stations. At least in the Metro NYC area, his music was heard on the emerging New Wave stations such as WNEW. As southern fried as he was, he appealed more to the punks and new wave crowd for his fresh sound.

Diverse tunes and arrangements, you can tell that they were still sharpening the Tom Petty sound and vibe at this time. That being said the song are well executed, well recorded and make for an enjoyable listen.

Tom and the boys debut finds them in perfect stones meets byrds meets rockabilly form. I especially love the spacious organ driven Luna.

Great album. TP’s deep cuts are better than his hits. 5/5

Tom Petty is so good!

This album will always be good. Tom petty was brilliant

Always a 5.

LOVE THIS ALBUM!! And the reminder to listen to more tom petty :-)

love it. didn’t know this was 1976!

Classic Tom - could not love more. He ranks in my top 10 (maybe 5) live performances.

TP is always 5 stars in my view. Breakdown is a favorite always.

I can easily see how Petty’s voice isn’t for everyone, but I personally love his simple, catchy music paired with his difficulty with pronouncing words

Who puts the best track last on the album?

One of the all time great albums

Outstanding first album!

Album 147 of 1001 Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Rating : 5 / 5 Favorite Track : American Girl Pretty good for a debut album. Carried, for the most part, by two hits. The remainder of the album is good but we know what was to come from him later. I am probably ranking this a little higher than I should, but it is Tom Petty's debut.

Classic. Never listened all the way through.

Very good classic rock

Love Tom petty and the heartbreakers! love american girl! and breakdown!

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers debut does not disappoint in any way. I’ll always have a soft spot for Tom Petty.

Has all the hits and is just an AWESOME album!

Massa massa

awesome

Good stuff. Petty is a legend.

I enjoyed every single song on the album, but none of them are giving me strong emotions just yet. I don't think this will ever reach 5 territory, but it is so solid I can't give it anything below a 4.

I ruddy love Tom Petty, he's wonderful. This is a fantastic album with some of his best.

Feel good tunes!!!

Brilliant, hard to believe it was their first album - it sounds so focused and complete. Breakdown and American Girl are stand outs, but it is all great!

Always love Tom! This is perhaps one of his best albums!

I was surprised by how much I liked this. Only knew a few of his songs before but I keep replaying this album.

Thoroughly enjoyed.

LOVE Tom Petty! I could listen to him all day

Grew up on tom petty

I've got plenty of Tom Patty's songs in a playllist, but ive never ever listen to whole album

a really great album. it has what a call a southern USA rock sound

When I was growing up I thought of Tom Petty as an old guy that got played on the classic rock stations with sleepy tunes like "Free Fallin" and "Mary Jane's Last Dance." But I'll be damned if these aren't bangers. My mind has been slowly changing about him over the years, and this album solidifies my fandom - I feel like I finally "get it." My favorite is probably "American Girl," that song is addicting.

Love love love it. All I need to say.

I never think of Tom Petty. I don't dislike him but I never feel the need to listen to a whole album. Seems I've been depriving myself. I knew the singles Breakdown and American Girl (the latter of which I love...except when I'm driving alone at night and it comes on the radio and I start to sing along and then I realize I've seen someone sing along to this song driving alone at night and I don't want to put the lotion in the basket and so I turn it off real quick) but I didn't know any of the others. From the first drum beat, I loved this great mix of songs. And at a scant 30 minutes, this album goes down super easy and is never boring.

I generally like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, but I didn’t know that I would love this album. So good, track after track!!

This is an American classic from a man who is an American classic. What a debut album for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers… What can I say. This is one of the great rock records of the 70s. Fantastic!

The frickin' best

Easy

Wonderful debut. American girl still an all time favorite.

had no idea this was such a fine album. 1976?!?