Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

This entire album is 30 minutes long, so I guess within the span of my life, I can find 30 minutes to listen to it. This isn't what I think about when I think of rock music, but I can imagine myself cruising down Route 66 with it on while i'm not really thinking about anything. It feels like default easy listening. Not threatening, not controversial, very safe, the kind of rock music your Christian grandmother probably likes because she saw it on Good Morning America. Nothing groundbreaking here. I think this album was included simply because the author thought people should know who Tom Petty was.

5/10 To me this all but confirmed that Tom Petty is best enjoyed by listening to the singles and not bothering with full albums, although I'll probably give some of his work another chance at some point. I've always absolutely loved 'Breakdown' - it oozes style and sex appeal in a way that few songs can - but beyond that the rest of this album was filled with disappointingly middle-of-the-road soft rock filler. Even American Girl, by the time I reached it, had me questioning whether I'd ever enjoyed the song at all – although I'm pretty sure that was just me being jaded by the rest of the album. Impossible for me to go higher than a 5 here despite the strength of the singles. Best songs: Breakdown, American Girl Listens: 1

OK but forgettable 🤷‍♀️

Too American for my taste

Kinda disappointed by this one because I always kinda liked most of Tom Petty's 80s/90s singles. At its worst, it sounds like anything else from the 70s. At its best, it sounds like if Elvis Costello was stupid

Moui. Du rock à papa, sympa mais sans plus. Je lui mets la moyenne avec le 1/2 point que je ne peux pas ajouter à l'étoile

Gonna preface this by saying that I was on a road trip with family when listening to this album so it was hard to fully pay attention (which likely affected my score so don’t take this review too seriously)… I don’t have much to say here I never really got too much into it and by the time it started to warm up for me, it was almost over already I don’t want to be too harsh because I found the album listenable but I didn’t really connect with any one song in particular Favorites: None

I was not expecting this genre - I genuinely thought Tom Petty was a crooner - I have no idea why I thought this and I even know some of the songs on this album. Completely forgettable, I will probably forget once again that Tom Petty is not a crooner Fav songs: Breakdown

Not for me, catchy, but I don't think I would listen again

Ja basic

So... when I opened the app yesterday I thought "Oh good, I like Tom Petty, this one will be an easy one." But... I guess I don't? This album just sucks outside of American Girl, which I don't believe is in the top 10 Tom Petty songs. I like a few of Tom Petty's hits well enough.. Free Fallin', You Don't Know How It Feels, Mary Jane's Last Dance, etc... but I really don't like this album.

Fav song: weirdly 'Luna' I don't know I needed to hear this album before death. I've never been a TP fan but I don't despise him. TP feels authentic. Still, I will listen to other Listers who advise there are better TP albums to choose. I feel this is likely correct but will not suggest it shouldn't be on the List either. It's pretty standard rock even for its time.

It kinda reminded me of the generic music you hear in a supermarket. Its not offensive, but not very interesting.

pretty dull

Not my vibe really. Classic rock and roll affair.

Not sure what to say about Tom Petty. I don’t dislike him, but I can’t say I really like him, either. I guess most of what I do like is on other albums.

honestly i was quite a bit bored while listening to this

Boring asf 2

It was fine. Nothing special stood out. I wouldn't complain if it was on but I wouldn't purposely listen to this album.

Wow, J'arrive pas à comprendre que ce gars là soit dans les légendes du rock.

A Tom Petty tribute band played at my bard three times a year for more than a decade. I know all the hits by heart at this point and honestly, they sound better live than this record. Aside from a few major hits, I found the record messy and short.

Biz a Petty das es dezwüsche doch so viel country element dinne het. Und das de Tom freud dran het all die Heart z breake. allgemein klassische biz unterdurchschnittlichs Album dasi nüme lose wird. Darum zwei Heartbreakdance ihlage uf de parkett

4 lieder glost, zum glück hani aber grad no rechtzitig d'fenster chönne schlüsse bevor alli wiisschopfseeadler inegfloge sind und mir mit eme bud light mundgruch d'vorteil vo lockere gun laws hend welle is ohr schreie bliebed dusse, eu wotti da nie meh gseh!

Well that was remarkably unremarkable. The album just finished playing and I literally can’t remember ever listening to it. I gave it two stars because it didn’t have Free Fallin’ on it. If it did, I would have given it one star.

Fun?

Don’t think there was one song on this album that clicked with me.

It's a good debut.

Hmm, not much stands out in the deep cuts. American Girl is great of course.

Kind of blah for me

2/5

5/10 Is this really the only Tom Petty album on the list?? Because I know he has a couple of good songs, but they sure werent on here. Luna and Fooled Again were fine I suppose

exceptionally mid, gave me hints of other bands I'd rather be listening to. american girl is alright but was overplayed and ruined by classic rock radio for me.

5/10 ur breaking my heart

Heartland rock. George Harrison meets Bruce Springsteen in Nashville.

It didn’t grab as much as I thought it would. It’s fine, of a time. Derivative of Dylan playing Springsteen to my ears, though contemporary to Bruce so maybe unfair. I reckon I’ll like his later stuff more - ‘Mary Jane’s Last Dance’ came on after and I really like that. From 1993, produced by Rick Rubin.

Has American Girl and not much else for me

Not really my jam. Reminds me of Van Helen a little bit.

4/10

First half, is the a poor mans Ziggy Stardust meets Bob Dylan? I don’t get where this album is going? Thank god for punk rock and new wave came along just a few years later! Listenable, but not something I’m in a rush to get back to anytime soon

For the picture in the cover alone, this deserves one miserable star. But at the same time, the Flying V across the heart deserves five. So let's judge it based on the music alone. This is 2-star boring old-school rock. I can't see the point of listening to this in 2025. Not innovative, not amazing, just a regular rock album with a couple of real bangers.

It was ok, but I guess not my style. No song standed out for me

I've only ever heard this guy being referred to as an absolute legend. In light of that, this was.. whelming.

Of all the Tom Petty albums I've been forced to endure this might be the most bearable. He still kinda annoys me here but at least he isn't "Free-Fallin" levels of annoying. Favorite track: Breakdown 2.5/5

I find him creepy

Thought I would enjoy this more than I did, didn't really grab me, perhaps he improved with age...

I think I gave this about 4 tries before I finally managed to get through the whole thing. It isn't bad, but isn't gripping for me either.

Rock på den virkelig kedelige måde

Jeg synes det er fint nok, men det er sådan en form for Heartland rock som der ikke siger mig så meget åbenbart? Ratede også bruce springsteens born to run relativ lavt ift hvad kritikere osv synes. Det er bare ikke rigtig noget som siger mig særlig meget. jeg har lyst til at give den 2,5 umiddelbart. men måske er det fordi det er en dårlig dag. jeg gir den 3 men 2,5

a produção é ok mas é muito dad rock pro meu bico

Average rock, I liked American Girl bc I know it but none of the other songs really spoke to me

I listened, but then immediately forgot anything about this album.

Ikkje mitt nye favorittalbum

LIke the critics say, it does sound fresh. Mostly samey but not in a bad way. "American Girl" in my mind has always been great but I wish it was _more_ of whatever it is. Heavier, maybe. The earlier tracks on the album actually sound better.

i like tom petty but that album that didn’t feel like something special. just basic rock…

Another “matter of time” artist. It wasn’t a matter of “if,” it was always a matter of when, we’d see this gaunt songwriter stampede his way into our eardrums. Please be gentle Tommy (n’ friends). I have my reservations about this whole thing. Ugh. Rockin’ Around (With You) - Am I ever glad he specified that he wasn’t just rockin’ around with any floozy, but it was me. Why don’t I remember this? Problematic already. I don’t care that it was the 70’s! Breakdown - Ooh the fake accent. That’s not ideal. Slow, plodding, brings to mind old people past their prime. Hometown Blues - Primordial Bruce Springsteen that I can smell from the future. Yuck. I feel like I’m an upper middle manager who peaked in my senior year of high school, reminiscing about the glory days. Sharing some soda pops with my varsity football pals Melvin and Doug. I slapped a non consenting waitress on the ass as she walked by. It was all for show. God only knows I only had eyes for that jukebox, as I knew, Tom Petty had just come out with his debut album, and I knew If I hid under the table and timed it just right after closing time, I could sneak up to that music machine, peer through the glass at the fresh vinyl selections of the day and I could indeed, fuck that jukebox. The Wild One, Forever - This is in a movie I think. It also sounds like it was sung intentionally bad. I’ve fallen into the trap before of wanting to be the star of your own creation, but this singing tells me two things: 1. Tom can delegate about as well as he sings 2. Tom can’t sing. Anything that’s Rock ‘N’ Roll - So many apostrophes. I feel like I’m transcribing rap lyrics or a Dusty Rhodes promo. I can’t enjoy teenager rock from 20 years prior to my debut on this toilet earth. It’s substance-free for me. Strangered in the Night - I like the concept of becoming strangered. Best thing to happen to this album so far. But they’re saying strangers? Oh god. Is this mistitled? Oh no. It’s race baiting. Tom Petty, the original Blue Lives Matter poster. I kid the man. This is the best song by far. Another Cringeworthy Album Befalls (us). Whatever. I needed the letters. Fooled Again (I Don’t Like It) - This is me every day during this album review. I’m writing a response track to this called Fooled Again (I Do Like It), and it’s about me going to a magic show. How in the hell does he know what my card is? And don’t even get me started on the rabbit thing. Sensational. This isn’t horrific. Sounds a little Beavis and Butthead-y. Mystery Man - Not too too bad, but not good. Almost reggae at points which started to whir the old suicide machine (brain) towards its self-destructive worst. So let’s calls this a loss and move on. Luna - His vocals are corny to the point where I’m chuckling, but the cooler moments are certainly the better moments on this record. Congratulations Thomas. American Girl - I prefer American Woman. What a horrible country. Anyway. This song is more teeny-bopper goofiness that screams “you had to be there.” Like most people who would review happy music this negatively, not one word of this song provides any focal point of relation to me. And the updated riverboat/Starsky and Hutch breakdown doesn’t leave me thrilled to have been here. Tom Petty and his group of merry misfits came, saw, played some relics, and ultimately went to bed early with no soup. That’s the punishment I bestow upon bands from the past who disappoint me. And the thing is? There is bound to be a night that at least one of them didn’t have soup. Yup. That was me. How can I prove that? How can you prove that this album is one of the 1001 most impactful ever? Exactly. Stay in your lane, and I’ll stay in mine. I’ve still got to figure out how to clean out this damn jukebox. That coach has got to get those kids under control. 2-2.5 HIGHLIGHTS: Strangered in the Night, Luna

Uhhh... qué hago con esto? Ya me olvidé de todo. Un 2?

Never been a big fan of Tom Petty; listening to the whole album kinda confirms it for me. Maybe one or two enjoyable songs.

idk not that good in every way. Thought it would be proto-punk but not favourite songs hometown blues, American girl. Overall around 4/10

Not really my cup of tea, a bit slow and country like.

As fate would have it, I put on Full Moon Fever this past weekend; I'm ready to dive into more Tom Petty! "Rockin' Around (WIth You)" would feel at home on Queen's Hot Space, or any Cars album, introducing an 80's that hasn't happened yet. "Breakdown" is iconic Heartbreakers in its swagger, guitar line, vocal harmonies, and, well, break down. Only in the 7th track do I feel as though I'm starting to hear similar grooves repeated. While maintaining their own consistent thread, we see the Heartbreakers provide a variety of styles and musical directions in their southern-tinged classic strut. "American Girl" is the deserved hit and highlight here. Not a bad debut, but it also doesn't provide a glimpse of the legend to come.

I didn’t like this album as much as I thought I would, it’s very straightforward and not much special about. It’s a decent rock record. 5.7/10

Bored off mate

Elvis Costello but constipated.

Rockin' Around (With You) Decent audio quality. Don'r really like the vocals. Unispiring track, though I think it's really well produced. Doesn't really go anywhere. Average. 2.5/5 Breakdown Lovely instrumental, sounds great. Decent chorus. For a pretty standard classic rock song the musicianship is pretty impressive. Has a nice chilled out vibe. Decent. 3.5/5 Hometown Blues Not sure about this one, generally falls into a style I don't particularly care for. It's executed decently, and doesn't overstay its welcome. Goes by without being unpleasant or boring which says a lot considering I'm not all that into it. Fine. 3/5 The Wild One, Forever This doesn't make me feel anything, honestly the very repetive instrumental is the only thing that makes any impression on me, and that because it's getting annoying. The vocal performance is unique. Did not like. 2/5 Anything That's Rock 'N' Roll I'm too young for this... Comes of as really corny. Music for classic rock purists and the "back in my day they made real music" type of oldheads. Pass. 2/5 Strangered In The Night There's some interesting guitar playing and effects here at least. Formulaic. Did not like. 2/5 Fooled Again (I Don't Like It) The strange vocal inflections are close to sounding like parody. That high pitched keyboard note in the background is awful. There are some decent ideas in the instrumental. The bass stands out. Average. 2.5/5 Mystery Man I can't pretend I'm finding much enjoyment in tgis track. Honestly bores me to sleep. The country influence at least makes it sound different from the previous few tracks, but it still remains fairly generic. Bored. 2/5 Luna I don't get it. Feels specifically designed to bore me to tears. Forgettable. 2/5 American Girl Impressive buildup. Decent bassline. Has some guitar parts that are pretty cool. If it was just the instrumental I'd like it more. Obnoxious lyrics and unintersting vocals. Fine. 3/5 Forgettable classic rock album from an artist I don't see the appeal of. Feels like a had to be there kind of situation. Genuinely didn't find anything here I'd want to return to. It's competent enough, has decent production and I'm sure it's well performed, but I can't find it in me to care about this. A rare case where nothing clicks and I'm left feeling like I've wasted my time. Maybe I'm not American enough to find this relateable. Decisive 2/5 Fave track. Breakdown Least fave track. Anything That's Rock 'N' Roll

general: similar to what i usually listen to but i’ve heard better rock music kind mean but i don’t like this guy’s voice 😭 top 3: american girl mystery man hometown blues

So, I have a confession to make: I don’t really like Tom Petty. Not as a person, he was probably a good human being. I mean musically. There’s something with his voice that I can’t stand. He’s got a certain “twang” to his voice that makes him insufferable to me. But I knew one day he’ll show up here (with his heartbreakers) so I have no choice but to grin and bear it. And I have to say… I still hate it. But, because I try to be objective with every album I get, I gave it a fair chance. And I’ll state a few positives for this album. First, I think the “twang” wasn’t fully developed yet, so Tom’s voice is a bit more bearable. And second, the album’s only a half hour long, so it’s not that much of a commitment. Seriously, if I saw the words “double album” attached to this, I’d probably would have quit this project out of spite. Other than that, this album is… eh. There’s only two memorable songs here, and I only like Breakdown honestly. Yes, I don’t like American Girl. I also don’t like Free Fallin’, The Waiting Is The Hardest Part, I Won’t Back Down, and any other Tom Petty hits, so… yeah. Everything else here is forgettable. So honestly, it just does enough to avoid getting one star. It gets two. It’s a miracle. Favorite track: Breakdown Other hits: I named one favorite. That’s enough.

at first I thought, wow maybe the 70s was that era I should have been born in, but then it just kept getting progressively worse & worse. the voice was really too whiney for me.

overall sound of the album is petty.

Didn’t think it was that great of an album only really liked American girl (obviously)

Extremely mediocre pick

Sorry Tom I've been too lenient recently and rounding up too many 2.5s to 3s and then making 3s into 4s. You're inoffensive and slightly bland offering has to be rounded down.

2.5

It’s alright.

Was ok, but nothin special

[Music]

I was disappointed by this album. Lackluster country rock. No life in this record whatsoever. There are much better Tom Petty albums out there

I have never heard this before. It doesn't suck completely. It just failed to grab any of my attention. The whole album just flew by and I was waiting for it to either catch on in any way with me or to just end. Boring and uninspiring.

One good song. Maybe two?

Ich bin mit mir selber uneins. Es sind klasse Titel vorhanden wie Brakedown, American Girl. Aber ich wünsche mir Tom Petty and the Hardrockers. Die Heartbreakers sind eine so lahme Begleitband... Dazwischen dann so Lückenfüller-Rockn'Roll Songs *augenroll

Look at that smug face lol Not a fan, it has a couple of pretty good songs tho

Artiste / groupe inconnu. Rock très standard, rien de remarquable. Je n'y reviendrais pas. =>2/5

Run of the mill, dated rock.

Middle-of-the-road white rock'n'roll for middle-class white people.

5/10

I don't know if this is one of those things where I find it boring because it sounds like just standard music, but it really doesn't do anything for me. I don't really like Tom Petty's voice, I kinda hate this sound. It sounds like it smells bad or something. It just kinda feels like classic rock filler.

weird stuff. didnt even get me especially didnt like the whining in the songs

Ensin olin että onpas kiva meininki, sitten heti unohdinkin kunnolla kuunnella. Ei siis vetänytkään mukaansa niin kuin olisi voinut. Harmi. Kunnon rockia. Melkein kuin kuulisin jo kasarin (onneksi ei paljoa, kasarityyli tappais tän vilpittömyyden). Kaks puol.

Awww hell naw only good song was "american girl"

petty /pĕt′ē/ adjective, of small importance; trivial. 3/10

I’m a big fan of Tom Petty, but this album isn’t one of my favorites. His other work is so iconic and unforgettable. Luckily, this one wraps up with American Girl, which is captivating...you can't help but sing along. His voice is truly one of a kind.

Der er et par virkelig fede sange på, men det meste er altså lidt benløst. I sådan en tidlig punk-tid er det her måske den mindst punk lyd jeg kan forestille mig

Strong end to a pretty short album.

Pretty fun

There's nothing particularly bad about this I can point towards, but all of it is just so safe and mild, that it ends up feeling a bit spineless.

The album cover of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers presents a striking image of Petty with a magazine of bullets slung across his chest, aiming for a bold and edgy aesthetic. However, while the concept is intriguing, the execution feels somewhat dated and lacks visual depth. The overall design is simplistic and fails to engage the viewer beyond its initial shock value. Ultimately, it serves more as a nostalgic artifact than a compelling piece of art, warranting only a two-star rating. Album artworks rated: 9/1001 Music's kinda whatever.

overrated, uninspired. not inventive.

meh

Ideal para una escena de transición en una película setentera. Nada mal, nada extraordinario 2

american girl is a classic song that feels comfy and nostalgic. the rest of the album is boomer heart land rock

Not my thing, at least, not right now.

Aika basicsettiä mulle, gagonen ilman sen kummempia analyyseja

Eh, I don’t get the appeal. I find his vocal style rather obnoxious. “Luna” is better than the others.

2.5

Generic rock, nothing special. 2.5 rounding down to 2

A bit hit and miss, and a bit too Springsteen-y in places. Not terrible but probably not worth a re-visit.

Ok, mid-70s rock and roll. Doesn’t feel like it breaks new ground or improves on anything before. It doesn’t really have any edge, it’s a bit dull and vanilla. It’s just decent songs from a decent band. Something you can put on anywhere, except my own headphones. Listenable but mostly forgettable, with a song or 2 that have a particularly catchy hook. I also hate this album cover and his stupid face.

The known songs are ok, the rest I forgot about before they finished. Middling 2.

dad music

mid kinda idk

Unremarkable

2,5

Not my sort of thing

Disappointed. Thought I would enjoy this offering. Have listened to bits and pieces here and there and know he is a revered artist but this didn't do it for me

GO GATORS, GO GATORS, GO GATORS, COME ON GATORS GET UP AND GO!🐊🐊🐊🐊🐊🐊

Hackneyed and corny

not special

Well, before I listened to this album I would've considered myself a Tom Petty (RIP) fan, though I mainly know the singles from the radio. I still am a fan, but woooow, this album is not good. Other than the two big songs (Breakdown and American Girl), there's not much worth listening to here. Lyrically, most of the songs are a variation of the same thing — boy wants girl, boy won't give up until he gets her. Musically it's fine. It's very safe, vaguely Southern rock that gets kind of boring after a while. And if you think Tom Petty's voice is annoying, dear God, you're going to hate this album. He experiments with his higher register (nails on chalkboard) as well as his lower register (still not great) and even seems to be trying on different voices at times. Of the two noteworthy tracks, Breakdown has aged like milk. I guess I never really paid attention to the lyrics before, but it's a song about a sex pest trying to badger his girlfriend into sleeping with him. Yikes. Just when you're ready to rip your eyeballs out after listening to Tom wail and whine for 25 minutes, the album's sole redeeming track comes on to close out the album. American Girl is where Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers finally come together and gel as a band. The music works, the lyrics work, and Tom's voice manages to find that balance between annoying and interesting. It's a classic song that's a classic for a reason. 2/5 — Sorry Tom, but I'm never going to play this album again.

so fucking boring holy shit okay tom petty we get it you are tom petty and youre HOT THAT IS ALL YOU HAVE GOING FOR YOU

Just pure meh, innit?

Ih nada demais

hated it loved it who am i

amusant, mais personnellement, le type de musique qui me fait fixer le vide dans une voiture ou dans un bar

Boing

The album is saved by the final track, American girl, which is iconic. The rest is forgettable and, frankly, mediocre rock and roll (aka a piss-poor imitation of e.g. the Stones)

Pretty Colourless

Generic rock to me

So many otherwise good songs ruined by Tom petty singing he was so annoying on his early work lol

In the words of Tom Petty himself: I don't like it, I don't like it. I reached a point listening where i realized it really is just the vocals that i find off putting, which is to say: I have nothing against the heartbreakers. 1.5 for them. (also American Girl is overrated k thx bye)

American Girl is bumping this up like, half a star at least. I don't hate later tom petty but there wasn't quite enough going on here for me

I kinda wish I never listened to this, haha. Hearing American Girl for the first time in Silence of the Lambs was such a perfect moment. Left a really great taste in my mouth, but apparently Tom Petty is in a #smalldose category for me. That nasaly head-cold thing he does gets pretty insufferable. He's basically another Elvis Costello. They're like Ed Debevics characters.

Meh wasn't anything all that special imo

I don't know, this is fine, but I feel like there are probably better Tom Petty albums out there. A lot of this songs don't feel finished, they kind of just fade out as they are getting started. A lot of them sound the same too. I feel like this album was only picked because it had two hits songs, not because it is a good album. 2.5

It's pretty unremarkable, honestly. I tended to zone out a few seconds into each song, there's never really anything that interesting happening. It's one of the albums on this list that I feel like is only on there for one or two songs, in this case, it's "Breakdown" and "American Girl" - so it doesn't help that I didn't think much of the former. At least it's short, with a 31 minute runtime, but that didn't stop me from checking how long was left at some point during each song. 4.5/10

Dad rock. Not super interesting and I don't hear the few songs of his I know. Meh. 2*.

I didn't care for this. I wouldn't listen to it again. I must just like their newer stuff.

Está fixe, mas não tenho paciência para ouvir este álbum do início ao fim. Mais do mesmo, é só música normal sem nada de especial. Do que eu ouvi, acho que é aquele tipo de música que fica bem na banda sonora de filmes tipo Arma Mortífera 2 ou assim, música de domingo à tarde.. ou de quando eu tinha 6 anos e ia para a quinta do meu avô ou para o escritório do meu avô ou os meus tios me levavam a andar de carro.. aquelas situações em que eu era um puto sem nada para fazer, e na cozinha ou algures havia um rádio, às vezes saía música assim... Mas mesmo dentro deste estilo de música de rádio que me faz lembrar a minha infância prefiro Seal ou Simply Red... Se for para falar de bandas "fun" que têm um nome "X and the X", prefiro o Huey Lewis and The News. Isto é só um álbum sem nada de especial.. se um português fizesse esta música ninguém ia querer saber. Propaganda da CIA.

This is like if someone without any talent made a cover album of the Rolling Stones from memory. Generic rock blues, every second word is baby, all songs ending in fade outs. And what about the lyrics of American girl? Is he saying she makes him come too soon or that she drinks too much? Either way the guy has some shit he needs to solve with this baby he keeps going on about for the whole album.

Generic classic rock that gets played at boomer radio stations. Not sure what is special apart from nostalgia factor.

One thing about this project is I’m always wondering if I’ve pegged some well-known artist completely wrong. Of course I’ve heard Petty’s singles a million times and grown sick of them long ago, but what if the albums were actually really good and I never knew? Well, guess what, this album is absolutely spirit-crushingly boring middle-brow rock just like you thought it would be!

I dunno... first this was not on Apple Music so I had to play around and make my own playlist of the album from YouTube and what was there. But I wish I hadn't bothered because it wasn't very good.

Standard 70's rock with nothing special.

I had to listen to a Frankenstein of a version of this album via YouTube because apparently at some point recently this album got stripped from streaming, and it doesn't feel worth going out and tracking down a vinyl for an album I already know is going to be anywhere from mediocre-to-not my thing. Tom Petty's voice isn't bad on a surface level, but it always sounds like he is a nerdy kid trying to hold in a sniffle because he has a cold, and it can be noticeably bad the longer you sit and listen. Not helping things is that this album just doesn't have the star power throughout. Yes, American Girl is a classic, and that guitar solo at the end is great, but do the rest of the songs hold up? No, not really... it just leaves this album feeling like it is the epitome of 70s dad rock, which is ironic, because my dad can't stand this guy. Either way, the album isn't bad, it is actually mostly inoffensive, but I have no thoughts after listening that I didn't already have from his hits. His deep cuts aren't spectacular, and the singles are baseline good, but don't reach the upper echelons of classic rock, so this album just feels like it exists. Really easy pill to swallow, at least; that run time is fantastic for this kind of music.

2.5/5

Not for me, I don’t find this album catchy or interesting, and the vocal delivery doesn’t make sense to me unfortunately

Not great. Voice did grate, however. Only good track is the last one. Nothing more to say really.

Track 1 - better than Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree, but only just, and not in December Track 2 - silly voice Track 3 - swing your pants Track 4 - sounds like an early Bon Jovi demo Track 5 - decent guitar break, tired Stones influenced rocker Track 6 - I prefer Frank Sinatra singing Strangers... Track 7 - I don't like It Track 8 - silly voice, ok guitar Track 9 - silly voice, dull song Track 10 - The title and chorus are a master stroke - in terms of marketing. Good tune & guitars but the Strokes stole it, energised it, and made something much cooler. Final comment - is this the worst album cover ever produced? Absolute final comment - a top 1001 album, really?

Honestly not too crazy about this album. Good rock sound but it felt repetitive song to song. Good windows down summer album, but nothing really stands out to me. Favorite song: American Girl 2.4/5

Not a huge fan of these guys

..(.

kinda fun?

I never really got the appeal of Tom P, obviously reasonably popular and moved in some well respected circles. I thought if I got the chance to listen to an album or two I might understand a bit better… but no, this just seems like very average and unadventurous dad rock. I still don’t get the fuss.

This album has a couple of hit songs that I have heard but not the other songs. It's not bad and I imagine if I had been 18 in 1976 I probably would have listened to this a lot. It's pretty good American rock and roll.

kind of sukc

didnt grip me!!!!!!!! it had some cool tracks though one of the worst albums

It was okay

classic sorta rock style but not hardcore? a bit cheesy rock vibe. Not really my thing i don't think. He looks like a bit of an egotistical chancer lmao. -

On one hand, it’s refreshing to hear a bit of stripped-down 80s bar rock in the heart of the overwrought 70s. On the other hand, well, aside from a few exceptions, the tunes aren’t particularly memorable. Not much interesting storytelling or passion, and, on the whole, it’s all a bit facile.

Pretty forgettable.

I know this guy is a legend but I’m really not getting what the deal is!? Definitely being more and more affirmed that this is not my genre of music. Maybe listening to it after Steely Dan didn’t help? Luna is a nice track though. Half stars would once again be welcome here

Best thing: it’s only 30 mins Worst thing: VERY boring

For me Tom Petty is an artist where you can basically get by with the greatest hits record. And even on his greatest hits I think there is some pretty skippable stuff. Breakdown, for instance. This record definitely doesn't change that feel.

It was fine.

BL: Aware of this album only through "American Girl" which is a cultural classic at this point. Needed to get into Tom Petty for a while so this is a good excuse to. AL: this personally to me, didn’t resonate at all that much. It just felt very cookie cutter 70s rock. Maybe this album is on here because it kickstarted the career of one of rocks all time greats, but it generally doesn’t feel like it has any outstanding features to me besides the aforementioned track FT: “American girl” 2/5

A bit too breezy. Tend to agree with the rest - American Girl is the best. Just not enough for me.

I love it when the albums are only 30 minutes, even when they’re good (which this one isn’t).

Some enjoyable tracks with Breakdown and The Wild One, Forever. But overall a bit eh

Quite catchy at points. Bit of Dylan mixed with Zeppelin even the cure. The last song “American Girl” has an indie rock feel to it. Definitely the stand out track for me

Just couldn't get into this. Whether I came in with the wrong expectations I dunno, but this was very forgettable.

Found these tracks pretty plain and underdeveloped. Was bored and tuned out! Fave track: Luna

Was worth it for "American Girl".

2 stars — one for Breakdown and one for American Girl

Really saved the best for last

There’s so much better Tom Petty out there that Breakdown and American Girl aren’t enough to make up for an otherwise lackluster collection.

Bet Lemmy wasn't a fan

Looks like I'm the fool again, I don't like it, no.

The whole album doesn't really push the creative boat out. I gotta say off the bat Petty really isn't a strong vocalist. He's got this restrictive tone that really doesn't speak to me. The songwriting is fine but feels so middle of the road americana. The very heights of the album are only decent which doesn't bode well for me listening to any more Tom Petty. Fairly egregious amounts of mid.

I mean it's fine but that's it

not my cuppa

Tom is really great. I never gave him a fair chance when I first heard his music in the 90s. It's still not really my thing, but I have a lot of respect for it.

I forgot it almost as quickly as I listened to it. I did not have the time to rate it right away, and now I'm having hard times saying anything about it. I vaguely remember that some songs were entertaining, some others bored me. Sorry Tom Petty.

Gear: Hifiman Arya Mix: fantastische Details und Ortbarkeit (grenzt an Overkill für diesen beliebigen Rock and Roll) Musik: 🆗 Wertung: 💔💔(💔)/5 (inkl. +1 für "American Girl")

Ckassic rock

Meh

Meh

has that one song on it

Not a fan of Tom Petty. No denying the greatness of his bangers Breakdown and American Girl. The rest just kinda stinks to me. 10 songs in 30 minutes is just odd too.

I generally like their music, but their sound had not been developed to that stage on most of these songs.

meh, poslusao sam mu i druge pjesme osim ovog, ima tu i tamo neki hit. Sve u svemu 2.5/5

I prefer wildflowers but there are some good bops on this one. Fits great as a self titled as it seems to really encapsulate all of the band's styles well. I don't know if I love it as a whole album experience but a good introduction to the band.

Etwas mau

Completely unoffensive, but just not great. Slow, easy listening. Decent background music. Not at all captivating, exhilarating, or enjoyable. Just... not bad.

The most underwhelming rock record I've ever heard

I listened while driving and found the album wholly underwhelming. In my short time of doing this, I've been able to find a hidden gem (song I enjoy more than the released singles), but this album had no standouts to me. 2/5

No soy mucho de este estilo pero me sorprendió para bien. Mi favorita strangered in the night 👍

uneventful but cool vocals

Not really my thing. The majority of the album was very disappointing and the high points weren't anything I'd go back for.

Like Elvis Castello, The Rolling Stones and Van Morrison had a threesom and out popped Tom Petty. Rather annoying vocals backed by some very unimpressive instrumentals. Not the worst thing we have listened to but pretty low down on the list. 3/10

duplicate

Too fuckboyish for me. Isn't he like 40 or something?? He definitely looks older than he is I'm just saying grow up dude pussy ain't everything

Finde ich nicht unglaublich ansprechend. Geht mit einfach nicht so ins Ohr. 4.0/10

Definitely not my style. 2.

Like Tom Petty but album was meh.

American girl was a banger but overall didn’t leave a strong impression

Hmm :(

De sidste nummer er med i et afsnit af scrubs, men synes virkelig ikke meget af albummet ellers sagde mig noget. Kræver måske lyt mere ?

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

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.

2 recognizable songs, not really my cup of tea

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.

Rock de pai

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

- 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

easy listening, not favorite from them

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

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

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

Not really my thing

Oli parempi ku odotin, vähä lattee kuiteski

Not bad, kind of monotonous for me

Okay for background music, nothing really stood out.

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

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

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

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

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

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

meh

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

Just wasn’t my cup of tea.

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

This was quite petty and my heart was broken :(

Theres really not that much to it. Bang average

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.

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.

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.

"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.

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.

Fine

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

Nope. This album is really summed up by one of his other hits (not on this album): Free Falling.

Decidedly underwhelming; also, I didn’t realize how much of a Country/Western sound it has.

People keep trying to get me to listen to Tom Petty and it looks like I got fooled again, and I don’t like it. This album is great to listen to while poking a new hole in your belt because I gained a couple pounds. Tom’s got a very unique and distinguishable voice, and it’s always cool to listen to a legend’s first album. It has a cool 70’s vibe as TP and the HBs try to find their sound. HOWEVER, with the exception of a couple bright spots…I’m not a fan. I found most songs super forgettable and didn’t get me excited to be listening. Breakdown, a vibe departure from rest of the album, is my favourite on the record. But by the time we got to the last track, I was ready to mentally breakdown, but thank god American Girl saved the whole record. That tune has been rockin around my head all day, so I’ll give em credit for that one. Who are these HeartBreakers anyways?

Pretty vanilla album, I'm sure if this was the only thing Tom Petty released then this wouldn't make the 1001. Not any real great songs, a lot of filler and songs that just fade out because they seemingly ran out of ideas.

I saw Tom Petty live a decade ago and it was a lot of fun… but this album is pretty meh

his vocals sometimes sound like he's bleeding out on the street but still has an album to record. that gets a little tiring! other than that, fun album!

This album is better played in the background than really listened to. At least it's short. Petty here sounds like he's doing mediocre covers of nonexistent Springsteen b-sides. Not a fan of his voice on this.

I love "Into the Great Wide Open", so clearly I'm more of a fan of their later work than their earlier...

I liked the songs I already liked but was eager for the others to end. Made it through the whole album but won’t revisit.

Could live without this. "I Don't Like It". Only track I sort of liked was American Girl.

As other's have said this is a rather by the numbers rock album with two pretty good songs at either end. It certainly won't thrill you, but it won't irritate either. Just listen to American Girls or Rockin' Around, unless you're having a chill BBQ the rest isn't worth it.

Tom petty e så ass bro

Fairly boring standard blues/rock album. A couple of songs stand out from the humdrum but this is not great.

Grand

Besides the hits, this music just didn't hit with me. Ok, just not my thing today

Kinda underwhelmed with this one. Also a candidate for one of the worst album covers ever. Two broken hearts.. I guess... 💔💔

Soft rock ei kyllä oo mun juttu. American girlistä +1…

This album is a lot softer than I expected, if I'm being honest. A lot of the guitar riffs were pretty unique. I don't have much else to say about it either though. Very general rock, and it's good but not something I would look back on. Fave track(s): Anything That's Rock 'n' Roll

BANG AVERAGE.

This album is ok. It feels like pretty basic dad rock, and I'm not a huge fan of Tom Petty's voice. Good background music for a party I guess. Favorite song: The Wild One, Forever Worst song: Fooled Again (I Don't Like It)

Only knew some of his later work and that was much more sophisticated and less standard than this album, so no real find for me

Since I grew up listening to Tom Petty and the Heartbreaker's hits, I was pretty excited to hear their debut album. But, really the only memorable songs on here were the hits. The thing about Tom Petty is that his greatest hits rival most artists's best albums, but I can't think of a single Tom Petty album that I love from start to finish. There are some great ones, Wildflowers being my favorite, but every album seems to have just a few good songs. Don't get me wrong, he's a prolific musician, but this debut was pretty blah. 2.5 solely for Breakdown and American Girl, two of my all-time favorite classic rock songs.

Glimpses of good, but sort of music you'd expect from a boyband for most of it and country influenced.

I can't remember literally anything about this, an md I just listened

non mi è piaciuto, ripetitivo e troppo scontato

One of those mid 70s guys who was neither here nor there. There are a few spots where he lays down some decent guitar but there isn't much here to get excited abou

I found the first song interesting with its blend of punky-1976-guitar and quasi call-and-response vocals on the chorus. The second song, "Breakdown" was a nice contrast. Amongst the rest there are a fair number of clichéd predictable rockers, which make me feel sad for the American music scene at the time that punk was about to explode in the UK.

How many of you think that he sounds just like Patti Smith when he's singing Breakdown? Anyways, I think that's the best song on the album. The rest of the songs aren't terribly exciting nor terrible either so he gets a lukewarm rating from me.

having never heard a tom petty song(or at least recognized a song), and coming at this album from the current year, it's.. generic. It mightn't have been for its time, but now, very generic.

Luna was ok. So was fooled again. American girl is good. Breakdown is by far the best song on the album. Doesn’t do much to fight the negative stereotypes of dad rock 4/10

OK, nothing fantastic, but OK.

It’s definitely a tom petty album

what’s the difference between a low end prostitute and tom petty? at least the prostitute has some form of talent

Nothing wrong with it; it was pleasant and had chill energy. But the songwriting was just pretty simplistic and didn’t surprise or excite me. Didn’t like nor dislike

Not my cup of tea

I might be petty, but Tom ain't it. A very soft southern rock from 70s with a distinctive vocal from Tom Petty. Unfortunately it's not my cup of tea. At the beginning I could hear some resemblance to Lynyrd Skynyrd, probably through that southern connection, but those two bands couldn't be any more different. I feel like the songs on Tom Petty's album are made straight for the charts - they don't take any risk, they are short and to the point, and also are one-dimensional. Is this album on the list, because it was one of the first southern rock examples in history? Because otherwise, it shouldn't have been included, as it has nothing outstanding, interesting or groundbreaking.

I'm a fan of Tom Petty, this is not one of my favorites though. He gets better, IMHO.

'Murican rock. This has some Springsteen vibes and I'm not a Springsteen fan in the slightest. Mostly really uninteresting. There was one part where I thought it kind of sounded like CAN, but I'm pretty sure that was a hallucination. I am the first person in the history of mankind to compare Tom Petty to the German experimental rock band CAN. He kind of looks like my middle school math teacher on the album cover. A female math teacher, I might add.

Not my cup of tea

The cover. The name. The music. Everything about this is generic.

I had higher hopes for the album since I’d heard American girl before, but the album felt forgettable and I didn’t particular enjoy Tom Petty’s voice

This the debut album from Tom Petty's band. It was initially ignored by US listeners until a year after release - once the positive reviews and the British tour brought attention to the album in the US - causing the album to be certified gold in the US. It is a classic rock and roll album, so one can expect all of the common tropes, but the actual quality of the music - instruments & vocals - is not bad. I'm not a giant fan of rock so hearing a run-of-the-mill rock album wasn't super exciting and this affects my rating of the album.

Meh

Best Song: American Girl. Something sort of works here with Tom Petty's kind of retrained, desperate sounding voice. Worst Song: Fooled Again (I Don't Like It). This song wasn't all that much worse than the others, but it was just boring enough, just late enough in the album to be the tipping point for me. Overall: Really as stock-standard as classic rock gets. To me, nothing here sticks out as noteworthy, none of the songs feel that differentiated. Sure it works fine as bland, rock-flavoured background music, but beyond that I can't imagine listening to this earnestly.

Boring generic classic rock. Next!

It's a good album, but no more than that for me. Classic, without taking risks, without innovation, only very conventional rock. I have nothing to say about it. A few arrangements were clever and nice. Ok, next.

Idk if it's necessarily bad, but definitely isn't my piece of cake

Honestly pretty mediocre, I only liked a couple songs (and they weren't the most streamed ones) but the rest were super basic and boring.

Aika geneeristä rokkia, ei säväyttänyt. 2/5

snooze

Unremarkable

Woof, goes from snail's pace to really slow at a breakneck 5 songs.

Debut albums often go one of two ways: either they are so good that they’re difficult to repeat or, as in the case of 'Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers,' they’re so bad you wonder how a second one was ever recorded. Look, I’m not the world’s biggest Tom Petty fan, but neither am I a hater. I think Tom Petty’s solo LP, 'Wildflowers,' is a fine piece of work. Thankfully, his music matured well. This debut album, though, is a young 26 year old Petty putting his foot in the door. And I enjoyed the two hit toes that stuck out, what would become that signature, catchy Tom Petty sound: ‘Breakdown,’ and ‘American Girl.’ But quick, shut that door before the remainder of the eight get through! I was surprisingly disappointed right off the bat with the odd Everly Brothers harmonies on ‘Rockin’ Around’ and a quick two minutes of a song that never really developed. ‘Mystery Man’ is perhaps the only country/reggae hybrid I’ve ever heard, and I don’t want to hear it again. And ‘Luna,’ was, honest to God, a taste of prog Petty. Thank goodness he never tried this move again. ‘Hometown Blues’ was hokey, all the way around. ‘Fooled Again’ sounded like Petty trying his best to sound like Petty, all rock ‘n roll aloof; and, those one, high note synth fills in the background were further irritating. In fact, the entire band seemed to be struggling to find their place, their groove together, and instead came across playing rather stiff. First time studio nerves, perhaps? Mike Campbell is one of the finest lead guitarists around, but he’s nearly silent on this LP. Too bad the lyrics weren’t. By contrast, Aerosmith’s lyricist, Stephen Tyler, reads like Leonard Cohen. ‘Don’t need (Mama), don’t need school,’ Petty sings on ‘Anything That’s Rock n’ Roll’ (a tired, stereotypical title/them if there ever was one.) 'You don’t like your Daddy, and you don’t like rules.’ Rock n’ roll to the rescue! And perhaps it did help liberate the unfortunate oppressed minor in this song. Would that it have done the same for 'Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.'

More Tom Petty

I don't know what I was expecting but at least the songs are short.

Music your dad listened to while cleaning the boat and drinking bad beer.