Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

Enjoyed this WAY more than I thought I was going to. Admittedly Tom's voice has always kind of rubbed me the wrong way. Can't explain it. Like I've heard him my whole life and you know how there's just a few artists that for whatever reason - do that to you? That was Tom. Because of that, I've obviously never given a full album the time of the day. Just knew him from the big singles. Speaking of singles, I recently saw a thread asking - "biggest song that closes out an album?" and surely ending this album with American Girl has got to be up there. Anyways. Really really enjoyed this record and look forward to exploring his solo stuff in contrast to with "the heartbreakers" as I don't know if there's a consensus on which is better.

A few real gems on this album, but is otherwise just a solid album with good, basic, American rock & roll. Wanna give it a 4 for nostalgia sake, but it's really a 3.

Stripped-down old-school rock. I like Tom Petty’s whole thing on paper but I’ve always had a hard time getting into it outside of the big hits. It’s a very decent short-and-sweet album with no particular flaws but not much that thrills me. Best song: American Girl

Cool to know this is the debut album for Tom petty and the Heartbreakers. Definitely not my favourite but had a lot of good songs on it. Felt like a super quick listen which made me go back and look and it was 10 songs only 30 minutes total which feels crazy but all in all the guitar was nice and the classic Tom Petty voice most people recognize made it quite enjoyable.

Quiet boring. Nice Songs but something you would listen to of you need something for the background noises.

short and sweet. nothing mind blowing but nothing bad. American Girl easy stand out. high 3

Good

listened to wont back down - good song

Mega!!!!!!

I like Tom Petty but was bit blown away by this album

4 - just a great solid album for me

4.2 - very solid album. Not familiar with any of these tracks, but all round very clean crisp catchy sound, not what I would’ve expected from their debut.

Second album I had to skip a song and actively disliked almost every minute.

There were most certainly better albums coming out in ‘76 but this still holds up as classic Americana. This in spite of the cover art. Looks like something a 13yo boy of the era would conceive with an album cover generator. “Holy shit, a bandolier! Hell yeah!”

Wonderful debut. American girl still an all time favorite.

Just bad

Geriatrically inspired…

Good sounding classic rock but a little more subdued and plenty of substance.

A good album with multiple hits.

Great Debut album by an icon musician and band. Not my favorite Tom Petty album but I have a feeling Dam the Torpedos, Full Moon Fever and of course the epic Wildflowers will be on the list….I hope

3.7

Loved Tom Petty. Really good listening music.

At times sounding ahead of its time, other times like a throw back. More raw and less polished than their later works. This seems to be a moment of time of a band starting to find their own unique style.

can picture myself driving around windows down jamming

Bumped it up to a 3 thanks to Breakdown and American Girl. Otherwise it feels very meh

Great album. American Girl is a perfect song.

Some good moments here & there, but pretty average overall. Not bad, but not top-shelf shit either.

Solid, American blues rock. Not the greatest thing I’ve ever heard but certainly listenable.

Du rock un peu soft, la voix me semble affectée. Pas pour moi

Animadinho, parece uma banda bem vibes anos 60. Álbum curtinho, show de bola. Bicho estileira na capa, já tava a frente do seu tempo, antes dos anos 80. Ele passa por vários estilos interessantes, pior que é gostosinho mesmo, mas nada que me fez adicionar na playlist. American Girl já ouvi em algum lugar, mas nunca tinha ouvido da banda. Foi uma boa meia hora, 3*

1. Rockin' Around (With You): tem um clima divertido, não entrega tanto, mas gera uma expectativa pro resto do álbum, de que parece que vai ser divertido de ouvir. 2. Breakdown: guitarrinha gostosinha, vibe tranquila, tem até um tecladinho tímido, boa de ouvir até, refrão daóra, gostei. 3. Hometown Blues: segue a vibe bem divertida que o álbum vem ditando até aqui, gostei também. 4. The Wild One, Forever: essa já achei mais melosa, meio Bon Jovi, não me agradou tanto quanto as outras. Daqui pra frente, todas elas voltam pra vibe mais divertida, são um pouco genéricas, mas são bacanas. A última fecha com uma música não muito diferente das outras, mas um pouco mais intensa. É um bom encerramento. Músicas curtinhas, bem divertidas, curti. Álbum bem ok, simples, porém legal.

Never enjoyed Tom’s later period stuff, but this is pretty good. Like an American Elvis Costello with hints of Fleetwood Mac (but way better than FM).

It's ok, a couple hits, I guess I don't really like Tom Petty s singing voice.

Some interesting riffs and moments. Not a huge fan of the vocals.

I don't really think Tom Petty is for me. I didn't love the album, but it wasn't terrible. Some fun songs but overall not a favorite.

It's so much better than I was expecting. Kinda bluesy and a little bit of an Allman brothers vibe. It's definitely easy listening - good music to work to.

"American Girl" and "Breakdown" were the singles that I previously knew. The rest was serviceable and decent Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers tracks that were a bit slow and not memorable.

This album has a very unique and nice sound that makes me want to give it four stars, but the short length and the slight repetitiveness keeps it at a three for me, a good one, but a three.

This was decent, a little rough around the edges but that is to be expected for a debut album.

Had some good moments but nothing special otherwise.

3.75

This was a very forgettable album. I like the genre. I like classic rock. But there was nothing special. If I heard it on the radio I wouldn’t think twice about it, but I would look it up. 2.5 stars

I do not like Tom petty

A little underwhelming. Quite bluesy and dated. But American Girl is worth waiting for!

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

Became a fan after this album had been & gone - happy to rediscover it !

Not Tom’s best album but has some real gems on here. Obviously Breakdown and American Girl are the hits but The Wild One, Strangerwd in the Night, and Fooled Again are really good songs too. We lost this one way too early. RIP

I've never been a huge fan of Tom Petty, just doesn't hit the right spot for some reason. This is the first whole album of him I hear, but it didn't really do much in favour of changing my mind. Even the supposed hits just fly over my head. It's hard to give a fair rating, but I think reasonable a weak 3 might be appropriate.

This was a nice album. None of the songs were bad and at it's worst it was a bit bland with the same sound through a lot of the songs. Then there are a few great songs such as "American Girl" and "Breakdown". This is one of the better albums of late for me but I still think it falls just short of a 4 star as I still feel I could just listen to the hits and be content.

A classic.

Hard to understand him sometimes, but the instrumentals are generally enjoyable. Had a hard time deciding between a 3 and 4, but Mystery Man convinced me.

Soso little short. Some well known songs

I was going to make an argument about how there are 2 or 3 better Tom Petty albums than this one, despite the fact that it's an amazing debut album by one of classic rock's essential artists. Then I re-listened to it, and marveled about how well it holds up. Is it as good of a debut album that you'll ever listen to? Probably. It's got the two ubiquitous hits (Breakdown, American Girl), and any other song could have been released as a single and been a hit. There ain't any filler here, and it's sort of insane how this broke through big in England but not the States. I'd still put "Damn The Torpedoes" on this list over this album.

this music is so normal

Barely noticed this as it passed me by, except American Girl which is a great track

American 80s rock and roll. Not very interesting, but some catchy songs such as the second song of the album, Breakdown.

Great, but I will save my five star rating for Full Moon Fever.

Grew up on tom petty

It's straight forward 70s rock, but it's absolutely brilliant. I really like some of the less known tracks and of course American Girl is sublime. Great album all round.

2 recognizable songs, not really my cup of tea

Some classic songs on here but overall, did not love it. It’s good for a debut but the songwriting is not 100% there yet.

good but not my thing. bit boring

I like Tom petty but this album was fine not very memorable.

It's absolutely fine, middle of the road heartland rock, with the huge exception of American Girl. That songs is fantastic, and the best known song from this album for a damn good reason. It can't save the record from mediocrity however. 08/11/23

Very generic, cookie cutter 80s rock. Very good for a debut album, but mediocre by itself.

Cute album. A little fun, his vocal gimmicks are kind of annoying. Feels like standard 70s pop rock.

Good. A bit Jackson Browne-y

Always enjoy Tom Petty, though I’ve never searched out his albums. Happy this lean, mean, fighting machine of a debut album is included on this list. At just 30 minutes, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers pack in lot of style, fun, and heart. The harmonies throughout are beautifully rendered, the grooves tight and fun, and the little additions of modern sounds never over done or distracting. Will be returning to this for sure.

Great album, haven’t listened to it in a long time.

Solid rock, enjoyable, nothing revolutionary

Great

Some good classic rock. It's crazy how much more complex and high energy American Girl is than the rest of the album. For sure worth having on a 1,001 albums list even if it isn't my personal favourite.

First listen, it did nothing for me. Second listen, ok I like some of the instrumentals. Third listen, okay I guess I can live with his vocal choices.

7/10 Tom Petty is always appreciated. He makes me feel cool.

Brani Preferiti: - "Breakdown" Note: L'album è abbastanza corto quindi da questo aspetto c'è da dire che nessuna canzone sta più del dovuto. Un disco che è stato ascoltato, ma ad un bilancio finale non mi lascia nulla, inizia forte ma è come se mi dimenticassi del contenuto in mezzo per quanto non sia memorabile. Non sono un fan di questa band, Tom Petty come solista però... quella è altra storia.

“god it’s so painful, something that’s so close is still so far out of reach” Top Tracks: 1) AMERICAN GIRL (SO GOOD) 2) Breakdown 3) The Wild One, Forever 4) Fooled Again (I Don’t Like It) 5) Luna

It was good ... classic. Not something I'd likely turn on, but not necessarily something I was skipping through

Rock de pai

Took a couple of rotations before I could start to appreciate it. I like Mystery Man and Luna besides the hits Breakdown and American Girl.

Dude had to be on a lot of drugs. Some great songs. Probably slightly overrated.

It was fun listening to this album, the first by the group, which is much more rock n roll, less heartland, than what I had come to expect, more Stones, less Mellencamp. Tho, the latter is undeniably there. Petty’s voice is a little more raw and then on his more popular tracks which gives the album this feeling of edginess that I really liked. While this is a technically impressive album without any real low points, I can’t quite put my finger on why I don’t LOVE it. It simply doesn’t really inspire any awe or make me need to dance. I probably won’t listen again.

What a sick album

Glad to have listened to this. Like hearing how he is trying out new things to find his own sound. Thought he sounded a bit like Van Morrison on some of these tracks.

I mean, I love Tom Petty, but his debut is probably the weakest of his albums. Probably included for American Girl, which still sounds fantastic. 5* for that, 3.5* for the album.

love it. didn’t know this was 1976!

Classic American rock, all songs you have heard before, the soundtrack of your life, yet actually so good when you deeply listen. Easy to see why this has stood the test of time. Not something I’d seek out to listen to, but I do enjoy it.

The platonic ideal of American classic rock. "American Girl" is an all-time great.

Classic songs: “American Girl”, “Breakdown”.

Solid Tom Petty, but not really my true genre. Mad respect for his contributions to songwriting and marijuana advocacy...

Ik begon na de eerste twee tracks wat teleurgesteld aan dit album, omdat het wel heel braaf en veilig overkwam. Het schreeuwde debuutalbum. Maar het album groeide daarna toch wel een beetje naar me toe. De tracks zijn redelijk gevarieerd en dat houdt het leuk. Ik hoor wat Stones, Bowie kwam langs, Aerosmith en een soort minder grumpy Bob Dylan ook. En dan ook nog volbloed koiboy muziek. 31 minuten is perfect gedoseerd en het eindigt met een vrolijke noot, ook al gaat het gerucht dat de tekst over een 113tje gaat.

Ain’t no way I’m listening to Tom Petty

Fine

Solid debut

A few good songs here

- instrumental not half bad, sort of calm - lyrics and melody nothing to write home about - almost like country, old American bar music - at least the songs are short - his voice is actually pretty annoying - American girl was the best song, at least the most memorable

I feel pretty indifferent towards this album. And kind of this type of music in general. I have never had much of a connection to this sound. And so I see this as just kind of decent. I still enjoy some songs, but nothing sticks out to me as an excellent piece of music. For the positives, Tom has a somewhat unique voice, that is kind of rough and phlegmy. And the album is pretty short, which means no song is really overstaying its welcome. But because of that same positive, it does mean most of the songs just kind of fade out when they could probably keep going. Some songs don't get to do much because they are cut so short. Again, not a record that I really think excels in any one department, but something that I can see other people enjoying much more than I did. Rating: 5/10

Couple of good songs but meh on the rest. It's no Damn the Torpedoes

Buenas progresiones armonicas y grandes puentes. También me gusta la combinación de generos que se usan: rock, country, blues, heartlandrock, hardrock, pop, etc. Usan el fade out, que no es un elemento de producción que me guste mucho pero en este disco es muy sutil y se siente planeado y no como una forma floja de acabar las canciones. Las guitarras se rifan. Shoutout a Breakdown y Hometown Blues como grandes rolas y a las guitarras de Strangered in the Night. En general un buen album.

9/10

1 • ça bouge j'aime bien 2 • belle voix 3 • ça groove 4 • meh 5 • meh 6 • stylé 7 • meh 8 • meh 9 • meh 10 • mouais

good

Pretty decent rock

Forgettable

Hoopla! I thought this would basically be dross, but actually it's dead good. It was quite a bit more interesting than I thought it would be, and a lot more varied. Breakdown was definitely the standout song for me.

easy listening, not favorite from them

Aika tylsä kokonaisuus, sopii kyllä tempon puolesta lenkkimusiikiksi. Ei jatkoon.

the only thing im not forgeting about this album is the absolute shit ass cover, like what the fuck is that the songs are good, its just that ill never remember them except for the ones i already knew: american girl and breakdown.

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.

Ok but pretty bland, milquetoast on white bread.

Okay, let me preface this with the fact that I will always rock out to 'American Girl'. It's a certified banger. But, unfortunately, Tom Petty is one of those vocalists that I can't enjoy. His style has never really jived with me. I'm saying that subjectively because I understand the importance of this album, but I really don't have fun with him as a frontman. He lacks energy and prescence.

Wasn’t really my jam.

Some stone cold classics and general jamming throughout.

Heard before: No Favourites: Breakdown, Hometown blues, American girl Never listened to a Tom Petty album, but the songs I've heard from him are so good. However, the album as a whole slightly disappointed me, though it's still a decent album. It just isn't on the level of his best songs I've heard like last dance with Mary Jane, running down a dream etc.

American Girl and Breakdown are the highlights

3.6

Great debut, love me some Tom petty, not too long either

3.5

There wasn't a single good song. Now don't get me wrong, they weren't atrocious, but goddamn not a single song here was worth remembering. As I finished the album I realized none had left just the slightest impression on me. Couldn't hum a single one. Couldn't remember a single lyrics. Nothing.

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.

Eh not me but i get the appeal. Best song: American Girl

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.

Some classics, hidden gems and a little filler

Other than American Girl and Breakdown, this album is somewhat generic and boring.

Solid 5 stars. All songs are great!

Not quite Damn the torpedoes, but pretty solid. If you don't mind a time when the Heartbreakers could also sound like other bands of their day.

Didn't like any of it.

Always a 5.

This album will always be good. Tom petty was brilliant

Slaba 3. Ocena bi bila viša da ima više dobrih pesama jer u nekim pesmama fr uživam (Hometown Blues, Anything thats rock n roll, Luna) ali ima previše iscrpljujućih mrtvih numera. Jbg

Not bad. Just boring.

10/6/23. Never was huge on Tom Petty, but this is solid rock and roll. Won’t revisit this one often but still a decent listen.

Not really my thing

Added album to Library after 15 seconds. Flawless technical recording so far above a 50% hit rate, Pretty good album

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

Really enjoyed it. Just a fun listen.

Good album but not the best Tom Petty

never noticed how mumbly tom petty is at times

mehi

Tom Petty got lucky with having a naturally unique voice so he didn’t need to do too much to distinguish himself from other artists of his day, he just naturally stood out. However, he does have a style which hasn’t quite been formed yet on his debut album, although, you can hear hints of it throughout the project. I enjoy all the songs and there are a couple bops on it. I have no big complaints, but his deep cuts can get pretty bland on this one. 4/5

3.5 stars. "Breakdown" and "American Girl" are great, super catchy. Rest of it is more filler and harder to really get into.

This was surprisingly good. Never heard an album from this guy, but I've heard of this guy before. Had some really good production/instrumentation. Was surprised this was an album from the 70's. A light 4/5

Funny that this came up as the album of the day; I had just been talking about Tom Petty a few days ago.

Tom petty makes good rock music. Not many classics but a few I liked!

This is a pleasant surprise. 30 minutes of clean but energetic rock n roll. The first three tracks have a sparse punchiness, a kind of stripped back sound - and I was a bit disappointed that didn't continue. I also have a viscerally negative reaction to the idea of rock ballads - but the more I listened to the slower tracks, the more I could appreciate them as good examples of the format. Every track is more or less well executed and the running of the album is good. I'm not going to rush out to hear more in this style, but this is a solid record for sure. 4*

It’s Tom Petty

quite lean (31 minutes!) and straightforward. "Breakdown" & "American Girl" rule.

American girl is a classic. Not much interesting beyond it. 2nd half is stronger than the first.

Classic

Quite nice

Good straightforward rock n roll album

I like Tom Petty’s voice. This is a short album so it keeps a good pace and doesn’t overstay its welcome, very fun.

Huh I’ve already heard this one. Pretty solid but ends on a 10/10

I have listened to Tom Petty my whole life due to my dad (I'm 33M). Have always loved the singles and know most of the words, but for some reason I have never explored the non-radio hits. Listening to them now is like my own personal nostalgia machine!

Oli parempi ku odotin, vähä lattee kuiteski

Not bad, kind of monotonous for me

sympa sans plus.

This is super fun and funny. I guess I don’t know Mr Perry’s deep cuts coz this totally sounds like a dude trying to find his voice. Am I Elvis Costello? Steely Dan? Leonard Cohen? And then, out of nowhere American Girl. 100% his own voice. Pretty fuckin cool. Miss you Tom.

Heard before: some A classic beer and beach record, chockablock with chugga-luggas, disposable tunes to get your toes tapping and fill the conversation during awkward pauses. Old Tom loved a pop song, and despite the rock and roll trappings, he has some some pleasant, if slightly under done, tunes here. It feels a little slight… until you get to the two big hit singles, which are totally iconic. Top tracks: American Girl, Breakdown, Mystery Man

Didn't do a heap for me

Straightforwardly decent but decidedly sub-transcendent. A very strange cover – what a sour smile from what looks to be a reluctant subject – and a strange choice to put the best and hookiest cut ("American Girl") at the end of the record.

meh

cool vibe but not my likin

Okay for background music, nothing really stood out.

downloaded the first song the rest was not really up my alley

Was never a big Tom Petty fan but this album is OK. American Girl is a banger. The rest is fine. He tries real hard to sound like Bruce Springsteen but I prefer the Boss more.

Vaya pelaaaaaso...a mi sólo me gusta Free fallin y no está en este disco(PS)

"Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers" is the debut album by American rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Tom Petty moved to Hollywood from Gainsville, FL with his band Mudcrutch as they signed with Shelter Records. Shelter ended up dropping Mudcrutch but kept Tom Petty who formed the Heartbreakers after that. Besides Petty on vocals and guitars, the Heartbreakers include Mike Campbell (guitars), Benmont Tench (piano, keys, synths), Ron Blair (bass) and Stan Lynch (drums). Commercially, the band initially did much better in Europe after a tour and this debut hit #24 in the UK. It took a year after its release to reach #55 in the US. Their success would obviously change in the near future. A Bo Diddley drum beat and guitar begin "Rockin' Around (With You)." A long drawn-out pyschedelic guitar. Petty's typical nasally vocals. This is pretty raw knowing what'd they become. Well, then comes "Breakdown." A slow drum beat. The guitar riff and organ ooze in and out throughout the song. A bluesy vibe. Great backing vocals including Dwight Tilley. My favorite memory of "Breakdown" is when the Replacements covered and destroyed it in at a 1989 concert in which they opened for Petty. Before beginning the song, the Replacements' Paul Westerberg asked the crowd if they're all here to hear the Tom Petty shit and then said "We'll, here's a song we actually like." The closing band did a much better job. A pretty good rockin' song "Anything That's Rock 'n' Roll" closes the side. Speaking of Dwight Twilley, the guitar riff here is a dead ringer for his. "Strangered in the Night" has a cool and unique guitar riff throughout. Mike Campbell introduces us to the classic Heartbreaker sound. Maybe the most interesting thing here is the decision to close the album with "American Girl." Obviously, one of Petty's best songs. That guitar twang, the bouncey beat, the bass drop. A great guitar outro. And some of Petty's best lyrics as he describes a girl dreaming and comparing the sounds of the highway to that of being by the ocean. A stone cold rock classic. This album is a curious choice for the top 1,001 albums since it is Petty's only album in the challenge. Obviously selections should have been "Damn the Torpedoes" or "Long After Dark." Heck, even one of his first two solo albums. But, here we are. The majority of songs shows signs and the structure of what the songs would be in the future where they would be more fully formed and flushed with a band in more of a full-throttled mode. However, this album does have two of his best songs and best songs of that style and time. That alone makes this worth at least a listen.

Breakdown is one of my all time favorite songs.

Surprisingly entertaining classic rock album. From the cover and the track names I was expecting some boring, sloppy heartland rock. Well, the lyrics were cringe-y at times, but the songs were all catchy and their sound actually felt authentic and full of passion. I can't say I'll come back to this very often, but I'm positively surprised. Best song: American Girl

Couldn't find the album, played The Greatest Hits.

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

A staple of rock and roll albums. Absolute classic. Favorite Songs: American Girl, Breakdown, Hometown Blues Least Favorite Songs: Luna

I recalled this being a better album

A good americana record.7/10

I don't think anyone is rushing to put Tom Petty at the top of their "Greatest Guitar Players of All Time" list, but it is very interesting to listen to his first album. It's sweet, carries a nice breezy feel to it, and is definitely tied to the heartland of America.

I had heard Breakout and American Girl previously. Pretty solid album especially for a debut, no bad songs. I listened twice in a row.

Ladies and gentlemen, the formation of a Chad right here. Heard this all the time growing up. And yet,.......not a complete 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.

Honestly didn't think I liked Tom petty as much as I do. Solid 3.7 album for me. The Wild One, Forever got saved. So did Anything That's Rock n Roll

This album was fun to jam to. Lots of upbeat songs with quality drums. I'm not sure, but one of the songs seemed to have racist lyrics. For that reason a low rating.

nothing to excited, but not terrible just not my cup of tea.

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 thought most of this was fairly unremarkable rock and roll, with the exception of standout track American Girl.

Definitely some classics here. I like how earnest a young Tom Petty was. He certainly has a unique voice. The arrangements are nice and I could happily play this in the background of some kind of gathering. I don’t think it’s by any stretch of the imagination a masterpiece, but I was pleasantly surprised by its consistency.

Good album, it never really blew me away like Full Moon Fever did though. Pretty standard radio-friendly dad rock, Some good songs on here though.

Description mentioned singer/songwriter influence, which I think is a good way to distinguish Tom's rock sounds

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

I should come back

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

TP is goat!

very "of its genre" and like indistinct to me, nothing unique. but fun

I liked it - easy to get through with some quality bangers, a little generic in spots though

Breakdown is a classic and one of Petty’s best. I always thought American Girl is an overrated song. The rest of the album is pretty good, but not really any standouts.

The only real banger is american girl and its last :/

It's alright. Got a song two here I'd listen to again, but not really a whole lot to have on repeat.

Breakdown Rockin' Around (With You) American Girl Strangered in the Night Luna Fooled Again (I Don't Like It) Hometown Blues Anything That's Rock 'n' Roll The Wild One, Forever Mystery Man A lot of these are just really mid

A nice listen. Likely won't revisit this one much.

Good!

meh

There is definitely something underwhelming in the straightforward nature of this record which explains why it didn't take hold initially in the US. There's a professionally polished and hand-crafted feel to the music, even if some songs are simplistic (e.g., "Hometown Blues") and Petty's voice has always been an acquired taste and must've seemed even more so upon its market debut. One questions if this really sounded all that diferent from everything else on the radio in 1976 (it's the midpoint between Thin Lizzy, say, and Hotel California). "Mystery Man" is a nice find. It is weird that "American Girl," a little gem of a pop song closes, rather than opens, the record. And one can't quite fathom why this band had to first be recognized in the UK before achieving some chart success here. This is likable and competent, not a masterpiece but a few memorable cuts and solid playing throughout. Better was to come.

not bad

It’s aight. 3/5

A bit pedestrian

Pretty good! I’d only ever listened to Damn the Torpedoes in the past, and I think I liked this a bit more. I’ll be saving some of these songs onto my 1001 highlights playlist.

Nice and solid, but not exceptional.

I’ve always considered my 70s and 80s music knowledge pretty decent thanks to my parents but Tom Petty was an apparent blindspot. After looking at the review I was expecting a decent album and was presently surprised when almost every song stood out. The instrumentals throughout were brilliant and the range in songs was great. ‘Breakdown’ and ‘Hometown Blues’ were 2 favs.

Classic. Never listened all the way through.

About as straight down the middle as it gets, but you know what? That’s what Tom was best at, and he might be the best that ever did it.

The hits hit just hard enough to elevate the more conventional rock tracks peppering Petty’s debut.

fun fact: Rolling Stone put 3 Tom Petty albums on their greatest 500 list, not including this. This is the only Tom Petty album in a book of 1001 albums Oh I'm not bitter Jokes aside, I don't really know the Heartbreakers from their albums, just the radio hits- but this is a worthwhile entry in my eyes. It shows where American rock was headed in the 80's, mixing some power pop, punky attitude and even some synths to the southern rock formula. That sounds more complicated than it is- basically, that \"make it last- MAKE IT LAST ALL NIGHT\" hook in \"American Girl\" encapsulates the sense of fun and breeziness throughout the entire album. HL: \"American Girl\", \"Hometown Blues\", \"Breakdown\", \"Anything That's Rock 'n' Roll\", \"Luna\" July 19, 2023

I have listened to a lot of Tom Petty. Two of his albums are some of my all-time favorites and his 1995 Wildflowers concert is in my top three concert experiences of all time. But this debut album was mostly new music to me. I only knew 2 of the 10 tracks. There were some older sounding tracks (e.g., "Rockin' Around (With You)") reaching back towards sounds from the 60s that were an unfamiliar sound to me to hear coming from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. "American Girl", with the energy and distinct driving guitar sounds is my favorite track, but all the tracks were "okay" or better. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers is not my new favorite from the band, but I could listen to this again. I'll round up to 4 stars.

I expected more from Tom, this album felt pretty bland

let me start out by saying that i love tom petty. hit after hit. going in, i was really looking forward to listening to this as i had never heard this entire album. that being said, to be honest i was a little underwhelmed. other than the two hits “breakdown” and “american girl”, the rest of the album was kind of average.

Tom Petty is one of those guys who does not have a great voice but the emotion that he puts into his music more than makes up for it. This album has a couple of just fantastic songs and a few pretty all right songs.

Gotta love Tom Petty. Who doesn’t?

The late and great Tom Petty. This one is where it all started, and from here this guy skyrocketed. Although it's the lowest one to chart, it still shows what Tom Petty had in store. Great catchy songs with hooks for days. And the playing is just great, even on this debut record, you feel the band is quite gelled. This is a great starting point to dive into his career, but he had a lot of good still to come, rest in peace Tom Petty, you're music was a gift to this world and will be cherished for years to come! 8,5 out of 10

Nice

I'll always remember the first time Tom Petty showed up on my radar. I was 13 and staying up late to watch Saturday Night Live. He performed Refugee and I thought, "This guy is just ripping off Bob Dylan!" I was outraged because to my young mind it seemed like that's all he was - a cheap Bob Dylan impersonator. It took me a few years but I eventually realized I was wrong about that. Sure, his voice had some resemblance to Bobby D., but Tom was his own person and a true rock 'n' roll talent. I ended up being a fan and later had a full circle moment when I saw him in concert opening for Bob Dylan. Anyway, this is a great debut album, with flashes of brilliance and hints as to what was to come. 4 stars.

Great stuff

Standaard rock & roll uit de jaren 70 voor mijn gevoel. Vond het niet heel boeiend.

Pretty decent debut Favourite tracks: Breakdown, Luna, American Girl

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

Fooled Again I don't like it.... kinda sums up how I felt about this album. OK, so it's mid 70s, music was on a burst of change and Tom Petty churned out some alternative pop rock easy listening sounds, that were OK for the time, probably over endorsed by radio and movie soundtrack inclusions, but for me I just don't get it, I just don't see or rather hear anything special here.

Good album, Breakdown probably my favourite from the album.

4/10, 40%

Pretty good!

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

I've listened to plenty of Tom Petty songs in my life (it's no fault of Tom Petty's, but "Free Fallin'" and "Mary Jane's Last Dance" are two of the most overplayed songs in the history of music), but I've never listened to one of his albums from start to finish before. I didn't have particularly high hopes for this one, because I don't think of Tom Petty as having made great albums, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this. Frankly, the thing that makes this album work is its uniqueness. I think of Tom Petty as southern rock, and there were already quite a few established bands that were utilizing that sound when this album came out. But Tom Petty's balance of smooth guitar playing, tight drum fills, and his unique slow vocals kept him from sounding like other acts. There wasn't the keyboard-heavy sound of Lynyrd Skynyrd, nor the finger picking licks of The Allman Brothers, nor the country-adjacent sound of The Eagles. This was a really good album, and I'm glad I finally listened to an entire Tom Petty album. Best track: "American Girl," by a landslide.

Rockin’ Around, Hometown Blues, Strangered in the Night, Fooled Again (me too) and American Girl. Kind of boring and only a few songs stand out but I don’t hate it. Good length as Chadbutt would say.

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

Enjoyable classic rock, pleasantly short. 3.5/5 FS: Rockin Around, Fooled Again, American Girl.

Not all that groundbreaking for me

Really not my thing, but at least it's tolerable.

Not their best album....but, American Girl is an all time classic...and you could really see what was coming! Classic rock and roll!

Liked the 2 big hits Breakdown and American Girl but didn’t care much for the rest of the album.

Highlights: American Girl, Breakdown, Anything That's Rock 'n' Roll Leave Em's: Strangered in the Night, The Wild One, Forever Overall Thoughts: This album falls into a genre that I have dubbed "Classic Car Rock," which growing up hearing and being around has made me very fond of. I gravitate much more to the rock sound of the 1970's as opposed to some other genres in the same decade. American Girl is a song that has served my generation as something of a flagship or earmark of the time it comes from, and it has been in my music library for quite a while. As a whole album, it could have been better in the middle section but the hit songs and recognizability went a long way for my appreciation of it. The choruses of most every song had something interesting that provided an ear worm, which makes listening nice and easy. Score Breakdown: 3.600 & 4 -> 3.800

Classic rock that could benefit greatly from going off the beaten track every once in a while.

да пойдет алкоальбом: дешевое вино

Есть залипательные моменты, но в остальном база. Спасибо за 30 минут

Just wasn’t my cup of tea.

Solid rock record. Also, the Spotify playing recommended songs for you that followed this was excellent.

A couple radio staples and solid songs all around. This just isn't 5 star level for me. Some of Tom's other albums are 5 stars for sure, and I really hope they made the cut considering some of the shit that made it in. A rock solid 4.

Fun/quick little listen

Some okay standard American classic rock, pretty forgettable really but no real complaints. I thought I would like it more, as I'm a fan of Springsteen. My top pick is 'American Girl'

They're all in, every track. Love it.

Pretty good, better to come. 5/10

Nothing to write home about. Just typical 70s rock.

This was quite petty and my heart was broken :(

I am not a huge Tom Petty fan, but this album wasn't horrible.

Unpretenious, likeable 70s rock. The guitar lines are the highlight, but you really do get a sense of it being a full band effort and not just Tom and some hangers on.

Rock & roll canónico. Un megahit. Un 4, porque el resto de canciones no me han entusiasmado.

Era bueno el Petty éste. No sé porqué nunca me gustó cuando estaba vivo. Creo que porque salió en la banda sonora de la película ñoña She is the one. Prejuicios míos.

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

Theres really not that much to it. Bang average

I really liked this album

This is not very good. Extra point for American girl

Uncomfortably American. Not his best work.

A cracking listen - punchy 36m of a great artist, and tagging one of his biggest tracks just at the end there, classic TP

This started well. The opening track had a spring in its step, but the rocky ballads didn't grab me so much. Looking down the tracks I was willing the player to get to the end, as I know and quite like American Girl as a tune. So the album starts and ends well, it's just the middle bit that wasn't so engaging. I have to say I much prefer Johnny Thunders' Heartbreakers.

This reminds me of Van Morrison in places. It's positioned on the threshold of punk in'76. Tom Petty could never be placed within this scene, but it did influence his future direction. What we have here then is the Like Punk Never Happened version of Tom. It's very twangy. The pace picks up finally with American Girl at the end. The album is short on melodies. A useful starting point, but nothing great.

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)

Generic, mid-tier classic rock. With the exception of "American Girl", this album feels unfinished and forgettable, more like a series of jams than meaningful songs. There's some good music in Tom Petty's catalog, but this ain't it.

Era bueno el Petty éste. No sé porqué nunca me gustó cuando estaba vivo. Creo que porque salió en la banda sonora de la película ñoña She is the one. Prejuicios míos.

Pretty great album with some fantastic songs.

2.5

Not a bit TP fan, but I do like a few of his songs. Besides, "Breakdown" and "American Girl" this record is just ok.

American Girl is good, the rest is bland and grating. It’s like if Springsteen was worse in every single way - vocals, songwriting, instrumentation, etc.

Highlights: "Breakdown," "Strangered in the Night," "Luna" The main things that set this apart from where the Eagles were at, and all that that implies, are the vanishing glissando synth accents, splashes of glam like on the opener, shorter average runtimes, and Petty's voice. Petty's voice is beyond parody, an amorphous combination of every word-chewing pseudo-accent ever discovered. To today's listener, it's Adam Sandler, Counting Crows, The Cars, Billy Corgan, Dire Straits, Bob Dylan, etc. The songs are well-studied and tight syntheses of Bowie, Springsteen, punk, and pop country, with every space in the mix stuffed with some kind of flair, but in one of the greatest years pop music ever had, this album is beneath notice.

sweet

A nice 70s listen

It’s ok. I prefer the later albums. Breakdown is all I’ve kept in my library.

Was going to go 4 stars, but Breakdown and American Girl are stand out gems on a pretty run of the mill album beyond those tracks. A mishmash of country and slow rock showcasing a band trying to find their style. Also, why is Tom Petty wearing a bandolier with bullets on this album cover?

"Breakdown" is one of the ten songs that randomly pop into my head at any moment. It's a standout here, but the rest of the tunes feel like they are trying to be the Rolling Stones trying to be honky tonk heroes.

Listenable, not memorable.

An excellent, straight-ahead rock and roll album. So much more raw and fun than his later career stuff.

Based on the spotify stats, we can very clearly see that there are exactly two (2) hits here in this album, no more, no less: "Breakdown" and "American Girl". (Both of which I very much liked, American Girl was a strong song to end the album on) I also liked Fooled again and Hometown Blues. Overall the album felt very easy-listening, usually slower and more melancholy tracks. I thought it was decent, 4/5.

Decent listen with a couple bangers Rating: 3.3

Ok

Småtrevligt. American girl är ju ett riktigt örhänge.

Enjoyed listening to this album. Mix of punk / blues / rock. I had only heard Tom Petty's famous songs before this, and think this album shows more talent than free falling, etc.

bro tries to have rizz on the cover but fails misserably. I only know him as a JoJo reference which is good cause that albums kinda boring. Songs like Luna would have been better as an instrumental. He's not a good singer. Side 1 is quite passable Side 2 is mid (except American Girl) 6/10

American Girl is such a classic it makes me like the whole album in retrospect.

A brilliant start to this band's output. Very solid, straight forward rock with the stand out track being American Girl. I did find it dull in places but overall it was a great soundtrack to my afternoon

I happen to be a Tom Petty fan but they definitely have better albums.

Not Petty’s best, that was still to come, but this is just so much fun. A pure unadulterated adrenaline rush. I can’t listen to this without humming along with a big smile on my face. 3.5/5 rounded up.

Enjoyed it, especially Breakdown, American Girl, and Anything that's Rock & Roll. 3/5

This is a solid album by one of the most consistent bands in American music. I mean Power Pop wasn’t even really a thing yet but you had Petty, Big Star and Dwight Twilley making it a thing. This album is a concoction of southern sensibilities and Punk aesthetic. They made better albums for sure but the sneer was never the same & there was never the same sense of urgency. Sure, almost 50 years later this sounds like classic rock radio but this was fresh and new and slightly dangerous in its day. If nothing else, it has Breakdown and American Girl which are stone cold classics. It’s amazing to think they were this fully realized from the get go.

Is 'American Girl' *that* 'American Girl'? WE SHALL SEE! (I really don't know Tom Petty, at all!) Yes it is. (I'm sure I have heard a cover that's about 10000000 times better than this.) That's about it, really. I can't see myself lying back in bed, knowing I have listened to this album, and feeling ready to die. 2 / 5 stars.

day 4. hmmm. I’m tempted to rate this higher because it is Tom Petty, but I don’t feel like there is much on this album worth listening to beyond the 2 songs I already knew. Gimme the first two and the last two, nix the stuff in the middle and I’d be good. I quite like the Luna->American Girl ending though. that being said, it’s not bad, just a bit samey-same. short songs and an easy listen. 2.5/5 rounded up to 3 faves - Breakdown, American Girl

Is never listened to this whole album, but it was good.

Fine

Rara avis entre els artistes, els seus primers dos discos disten d'estar entre els millors de la seva discografia. En aquesta estrena ja deixava mostres de classe amb un dels seus millors temes, 'American Girl', però també amb altres joies menys conegudes com 'Breakout', 'Mystery Girl' o 'Luna'

Nothing outstanding with this record, it's just meh. Nothing stands out, very stock standard basic rock

Has all the hits and is just an AWESOME album!

Fun heartland rock album. Some tracks better than others. If it didn’t have the Petty charm and personality I probably wouldn’t think much of it.

Classic Tom, classic 70's rock sound. Several hits

Pretty pedestrian rock and roll. I bought a vinyl copy in the '70s after seeing TP live supporting Genesis at Knebworth in 1978, but it didn't get many outings. I was sadly disappointed.

Tom Petty is known for his hits, and you can clearly see the reason why. "Breakdown" and "American Woman" knock you away but nothing lives up to that energy and catchiness. I like his riffs, and his riffs wail like bluesy contemporaries Bad Company and ZZ Top. It's exemplary roots rock of its time with power pop influence in the chords and harmonic vocals from the likes of Badfinger. Much of it is forgettable, and some of it is pretty good, but they have so much potential if they could live up to their hits.

Heard it before?: No Enjoy it?: Yeah it was quite good! Deffo worth exploring Toms music more! Favourite song: Track 2 - Breakdown