Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

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

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.

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

What a sick album

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”.

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.

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.

good

Pretty decent rock

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.

Great album.

Wasn’t really my jam.

Some stone cold classics and general jamming throughout.

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

Some classics, hidden gems and a little filler

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

Really enjoyed it. Just a fun listen.

Good album but not the best Tom Petty

never noticed how mumbly tom petty is at times

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

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.

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*

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

Classic

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.

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!

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.

Breakdown is one of my all time favorite songs.

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

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.

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

I should come back

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Good album, Breakdown probably my favourite from the album.

4/10, 40%

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

sweet

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.

Ok

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

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.

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

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'

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

I got a soft spot for Tom Petty, but I think it's mostly nostalgic. I was jamming hard to the songs I recognized off of this album (American Girl and Breakdown) and was just kinda softly vibing to the others. This probably wouldn't hit as hard for me if I was hearing it for the first today. But I'm not judging it by any "what if?" metric, I'm judging it by how much I enjoyed listening in the moment, so I'll go ahead and give it a 4.

Obviously I love Tom Petty soooo much, this isn't quite as perfect as a Damn The Torpedoes or a Full Moon Fever but it's still raw and wonderful. American Girl as the closing track is such a flex.

great album. Breakdown, Anything That's Rock and Roll and American Girl are standouts

The sort of thing I should like. And it seemed pretty decent without blowing anything away. Yes, it's got Springsteen vibes when you listen to it now. But Springsteen vibes from The River or Nebraska - stuff he was working on after this album was released. That's what makes this tricky - things you listen to now feel differently to how they were when they were first recorded, and I can see the influence this had. Overall it's at about 3.5, but American Girl, clearly the best song on a the album and cleverly positioned at the end, pushes it into 4 star territory.

This was pretty good, classic rock. Some classics in there!

4.5

Breakdown and American Girls are the easy ones. The rest of the album is ok.

Essential.

The beginning of a meteoric rise for one of the most accomplished musicians to ever play guitar.

Finally Tom Petty comes to visit me on my 1001 Albums journey. Having just watched the Sound City documentary with Royce and listening to a Tribute to Bob Dylan Album over the weekend, I've gotten my fill of Tom Petty lately...in the best way! This is his first album, full of radio friendly (both in sound and length!) songs. Besides Breakdown and the ultra-iconic and long-lasting and jangly American Girl, I enjoyed a few other tracks on Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: The Wild One Forever, Strangered In The Night, Mystery Man. Solid album.

If American Girl doesn't make you feel like you are driving your Chevy down a dirt road, across open fields, with the sun setting on a crisp summers day, on your way to slam some brews....then I don't know how to help you.

The first listen, I wasnt impressed at first. But then once I got to the second half I really liked what I heard. On the second listen, I enjoyed it a lot more. What a solid album!

Rockin Around with you - this is some goofy ass music but i like it. bassline is good and the vocals are good as well. 7/10 song. Breakdown - fantastic bassline fantastic vocals. Layered vocals are goatred. - 9/10 Hometown blues - aight, kinda forgettable. 6/10 The Wild One, Forever - seemingly good buildup. Not bad. 6/10 Anything thats rock n roll - bassline going CRAZY. good guitar riff as well. way more rock than the funky shit we had going on before. very elvis esque. Pretty godo fasho - 7/10 Luna - ooh yeah this synth hits plus THE BASS. funky mellow shit ong. so far liking this one. I FUCK with tom petty's vocals. Reminds me of YES, which makes sense cuz its like that era. Liked it, but really didn't go anywhere. 8/10 song.

i'm kinda into it bro is not enunciating

Listened Before? N An absolute banger. I love early Petty, and the Heartbreakers are magical. Love this. They were doing something in the 70s that nobody else (possibly other than Rod Stewart) was doing. Rocking while still being radio friendly but not too heavy. Also: Breakdown is one of my favorite songs of all time. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Breakdown

Solid debut. Demonstrates the band's unique spin of garage rock on top of 1960s rock influences. Or maybe it's the new "power pop," I don't know. Not as good as Damn the Torpedoes, but still pretty darn good.

It was so smart of them to put American Girl as the final track, taking this respectable 3-star album and turning it into a solid 4-star one that you’ll immediately want to replay. The one-two punch of Rockin’ Around and Breakdown set the stage for a tight 30 minute album of short but sweet tracks. As bands of the era seemed to only grow bigger and more bloated, Tom Petty showed them that all you really need is a good hook and a chorus to sing along too. A good start to a great career, and a perfect entry point for new listeners.

Ok

This one really has me torn - I really like Tom Petty, but I don't think this is the album of his that I'd put on the list (since he's probably only getting one). But many of his albums with the Heartbreakers are similar - a couple of big memorable singles, a couple of good album tracks, and the remainder are solid rock and roll songs. I'd find it hard to choose between any of his first four albums since they all are functionally similar and maybe the quality of the singles varies a bit. I'm glad Petty is on the list somewhere, but the inclusion of this specific album feels more like giving an actor an Oscar as a lifetime achievement award rather than recognizing a specific performance. Which leads back to the original question, which of his albums do you choose as being significantly better than the others?

Really good stuff, I was pleasently surprised.

Always just assumed American Girl was the opening track for some reason. Seems like a first track on first album kinda thing. But it’s not. It is, however, the best on this album. An album I otherwise still enjoyed.

Fijne gevarieerde plaat met zowel uptempo beatnummers (een soort kruising tussen de Beatles en de Stones) als rustige bluesrock (Neil Young meets Steppenwolf). En uiteindelijk is het gewoon vintage Tom Petty.

Strong debut album, very listenable. I've always liked Tom Petty's music when I hear it but have never dived too deep into it. This is definitely the first time I've listened to this album all the way through. It had me listening to more of his music after I was done with this album, which is one of the main indicators of a successful album for me. Standout Tracks: Breakdown, The Wild One Forever, Anything That's Rock 'N' Roll, Mystery Man, American Girl

Good shit, gotta love TP and the HB's

Enjoyed the listen more than I expected. Hometown Blues, Breakdown, Luna, and Strangered in the Night were all excellent songs.

GOOD

Pretty funky, pretty good ! I didn't even know this style existed.. like the funky rock thing

Surprisingly precise and regular in its rhythms. Feels like mellowed-down poppy punk - not just the jacket that seems related to the Ramones. Tom Petty is great, if not yet height of his powers.

There’s some kind of x-factor to this album I’ve been trying to pin down. The most coherent explanation I’ve come up with is that the combined simple instrumental parts and short lengths of the songs make for these ”miniatures” of sort. It’s fascinating in the way you might be fascinated looking at a snowglobe or something to that effect. This tapers off in the latter half of the album but returns for the last song ”American Girl”. I also believe that this album is a link between the rock music before it and the indie rock that would come after it in the 80s and 90s. Maybe this is just me though

Nice and tight album, impressive for a debut effort, decent variety of rock sounds too, good vocals, and an all-timer to finish it off.

Great band, good introduction.

Tom Petty should be in the list with at least one album, but had not immediately expected this one though. Nevertheless, strong debut album with some generic songs and some highlights but overall, a great sound. songs: 3/4/5 sound: 5 total score: 4

Pleasant rock 'n roll.

Tom Petty really had the inoffensive pop-rock formula locked and loaded. That’s what this is. Taking influence from pop giants such as The Beatles, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers roll out a promising debut. A lot of people say it’s boring, and doesn’t go to the next level, but I say that’s alright. Still an enjoyable listen.

My whole life I've said that I wasn't a TP fan except for American Girl. So after hearing things from him/them for the last 46 years, it's possible that maybe I was wrong? My impressions of this album: Track 1 (Rockin' Around (With You)): Meh. Track 2 (Breakdown): Do not like. Never have. Active dislike, in fact. Track 3 (Hometown Blues): Okay, I actually liked that one. Track 4 (The Wild One, Forever): Wait, I liked that one, too. What the heck? Track 5 (Anything That's Rock 'n' Roll): Three in a row?! Track 6 (Strangered in the Night): Nope. Back to meh. Track 7 (Fooled Again (I Don't Like It)): A step up from meh, but not quite to liking status. Track 8 (Mystery Man): Profoundly simplistic, exceptionally likable. Track 9 (Luna): Okay, active dislike on this one, too. Track 10 (American Girl): MAKE IT LAST ALL NIGHT! Legit one of my favorite songs ever.

First step of a great band and singer

This is some classic American rock. I had not heard this whole album from beginning to end, although I had obviously heard the singles. I like Tom Petty, although as far as this "genre" of "heartland rock" goes I'd choose Bruce Springstein every day of the week. This album is solidly rocking and upbeat. I enjoy it but it's not a favorite - still, it's better than a lot of albums on this list in my opinion. 4/5

The first thing I noticed about this album is its brevity: only a half hour. From there we see that almost every song is under 4 minutes long. A few of the songs could have benefitted from being longer: "Hometown Blues," for example, could have used more exploration, I thought. The other thing that struck me about this album is the drum part. It's so... rudimentary. I think I noticed how little thought goes into the drum part for Petty's songs when you listen to "Runnin' Down A Dream." The drums on his songs are there as a timekeeper. And I like songs where the drums do more than that. It makes me feel bad for the drummer, because he really doesn't get a chance to do MORE. I'm not expecting a 5 minute drum solo every song, but be more integrated with the band, you know? The songs I knew from previously are so... infectious. "American Girl" is such a damn good song. You can't help but bop your head to that song. Even with the drum part being what it is. So the album, for what it is I would give it a high 3, even with the drum simplicity. Just for the songs being as infectious as they are so I guess that rounds up to a 4.

Tom Petty was a hit making machine. The rest of his stuff is all good, but not always groundbreaking and this album is a good example. The hits (Breakdown and American Girl) are fantastic, but much of the rest is pretty standard fare (e.g., Rockin' Around (With You) and Anthing That's Rock n Roll). This is probably why in most cases I'd rather listen to a greatest hits album by Tom Petty (or a live collection) than his individual albums. More importantly, I'm surprised THIS is the one Tom Petty album they chose for the 1001 albums. Sure, it has a lot of his signature sound early on, but there are better picks (and I'm including his solo stuff, because he's the primary songwriter and lead either way). Seriously, Full Moon Fever wasn't picked?? It had 7 charting singles on it (incl. 3 #1's and 3 more in the Top 10 of the rock charts) and was great start to finish. If I had to pick one album with the Heartbreakers it would be Damn the Torpedoes (with Refugee, Here Comes My Girl, Even the Losers, and Don't Do Me Like That). This is a good album, but they could have picked better. I would have given Full Moon Fever and easy 5. Calling this one a 4.

Pretty good.

Pretty solid album. Breakdown is probably my favorite- such a cool song. American Girl really is a great song and recording too I love how it sounds so full with the multiple guitars and the bgvs. I also liked the first song and Luna . 4? 5?

A classic. Breakdown is my fav TP song

4/5 Also sehr weird. Tom Petty halt. Aber ich habe mich dran gewöhnt.

Amazing. Did not miss. I still think American girl is the best.

Never really listened to much Tom Petty before, always thought he was a bit too 'real rock' for me. Until he died when I explored a bit more and enjoyed. Haven't listened to much since, but really enjoyed this record. Best song, Breakdown

Me before I listen to Tom Petty: "Urgh, not Tom Petty, that's a bit cringe isn't it?" Me after I listen to Tom Petty: "Why am I always so mean about Tom Petty, that's cracking!" Sorry Tom.

A pleasure to listen to from the opening bounce of “Rockin’ Around (With You)” to the classic “American Girl.” The album has an old fashioned rock ‘n’ roll spirit but there’s some new wave and country rock here too. Tom Petty also sings in variety of styles. Maybe he was still figuring out his style. He’s definitely having fun.

3,5/5

Tom Petty!! classic debut

Great debut, doesn’t get the attention his other albums do, looking at you damn the torpedoes. Bar band meet Dylanesque troubadour

Not quite as great as some of what came after, but what a great start. He already knew how to construct a dynamic song and how to write simple but effective lyrics. Not a bad song really but I especially liked the final three of a Mystery Man, Luna and the all time classic American Girl.

Extremely carried by american girl hut overall decent

I love Tom Petty so much. That said don’t think this is his best work. Still really awesome.

donne un certain entrain

Good album. Very easy listen. Not my fav Tom petty but really good

Pretty solid pop/rock album, good songwriting.

Had some great songs.

4.5

obviously classic but didn't super grab me. but enjoyable

Classic album. So many great tracks, my fav is Strangered In the Night

The album slaps. American Girl is my favorite track on it. Alright, now to listen to the album. His music probably has my favorite vibes of any artist ever. A genuine pleasure to listen to every time.

A brilliant album from a legend. Fav track has to be American Girl.

This is pretty solid. Not my favorite Petty album; I think I like his second and third albums better, but still pretty good.

Very enjoyable album. I've always liked Tom Petty though. 4/5

Yeah I generally liked this a lot. "Breakdown" had a really cool, smooth quality to it. "American Girl" is a classic. Some of the tunes seemed a little basic, but overall an enjoyable rock record.

Normally I try to listen to an album fresh before I review it, but I know this one by the back of my hand and I’m traveling so I’ll make an exception. Petty is probably my favorite artist of all time, and I’ll accept no slander on his behalf. You can tell that he’s working out the edges on his sound, as this takes a lot from Dylan, Springsteen and everything in between, but he and co come up with a few all-timers here. Even the songs about rock music, which I normally dismiss from other artists, sound genuine and exciting here. A- for me

Pretty great sounding album for 50 years ago

Youngest of the Willburys.

Love the two hits... the rest is solid but not spectacular.

Didn’t realize I also like early Tom Petty, especially Breakdown, Mystery Man, American Girl.

Solid album with some interesting songs that are outside of what I normally think of when I think about Tom Petty. One sounded like it would be from the Talking Heads or B-52s.

Like the first season of a favorite tv show. The greatness is all there but not quite in its perfected form. A fun listen. I saw Tom Petty in concert once, with Pearl Jam. We were there to see Pearl Jam and assumed everyone else was too. I was a Tom Petty fan (who isn't?) but thought of him as an old timer. I could not have been more wrong. When Tom Petty stepped onto that stage I was instantly aware that this man is a ROCK STAR. He owned the arena that night and everyone in it. Definitely in the top 3 shows I've ever seen, and I've seen some greats.

Solid debut album

Classic rock. It’s good

7/10. Ever since I first looked at the 1001 albums list, I've wondered why *this* was the Tom Petty album that they decided to include on the list. I hadn't listened to it, but I hadn't really heard much about it either. Well, eventually I got an edition of the book, and took a look at the entry for this album. It's just some critic talking about how Britain was really the country that discovered Tom Petty, because he got popular there earlier. So, now I know that the reason this album was included in lieu of Full Moon Fever or any of the much better Tom Petty albums out there is because this is the one that got popular in Britain. Though of course if it hadn't, we probably wouldn't have gotten a Tom Petty album at all because the book needed space for more fucking Blur albums.

Decent and well-paced. 7/10

Good American rock that doesn't outstay it's welcome. However a lot of songs seem to fade out just as they get going. Break out, Luna, American Girl are obvious highlights, but it's all good. Damn the Torpedoes is another terrific album. Then theirs Traveling Wilburys and Full Moon Fever be and and and. What a great artist. Gone too soon. 3.5 out of 5

Solid album

First album out and they have American Girl. Also, Breakdown. I give this one a 4 because the album cuts didn’t yet have the power of the deep cuts of later albums. A great start for a great band.

Better B-side.

This album is undefeated. I love this album, I love Talking Heads, this is one of my top 15 albums of all time.

His debut may not be too special, but it is a very solid kind of basic from Tom Petty. Favorites: "Rockin' Around (With You)", "Breakdown", "American Girl"

Funciona muito bem para sentir a força da simplicidade do rock americano clássico.

Mainiohko rokkilevy! Brucemaiset tekstit. Menee mulla kyllä jatkoon. 4/5

Etelävaltio-rockin parempaa päätä. Todella miellyttävä.

-Fun upbeat groove in "Rockin' Around (With You)" -I like the emotion in the the word "breakdown" and some of the slick guitar riffs in "Breakdown" -The little breakdown/bridge in "Fooled Again (I Don't Like It)" was quite cool, I wish it had continued for longer than like 3 seconds -All pretty nice tracks

One of my and my mother's greatest regrets are not seeing Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers before Tom Petty died. Most of these songs are pretty alright with a few highlights. It's not my favorite album from them, but it is some of my favorite 70s rock tunes of all time. Highlights: 2, 3, and 10.

30th May 2022 Listened throughout the day while working from home. Jen went to Seb’s so stayed in and watched Top Gun. Such a great album and voice. One of the best.

I'm not a countryfan, but this is chill !

Great album. Haven't listened to this one all the way through in a while and forgot how different they sounded here - definitely more Springsteen than their later albums. Some classic tracks too.

S0L1D AL8UM

You could play me just about any Tom Petty song and ask me to guess what year it came out - and I might be off by as much as 15 years in either direction. This dude basically stayed true to his "vibe" and rode it for 4+ decades. These songs would have been hits whether they were released in the 60s or the early 2000's. They're timeless (most of them). Still, you could hear TP and the HB figuring it out a little bit in this debut album (which isn't a bad thing). It's more eclectic than I remember some of his other albums being. Great stuff.

I liked it

Note this is a completely bias review ;) One of my favorite bands. One of the things I love about them is that you always know one of their songs when you hear it. All the music they released after you can tell was rooted in this record. And who can go wrong with Breakdown? Albeit not my favorite album by them, I give 4 stars for the impact and legacy factor.

this was an enjoyable listen! very southern rock and roll. i enjoy listening to artists' first album, because sometimes they had their sound down pat and other times it's interesting to see how they evolved. tom petty and the heartbreakers were pretty solid in their sound, for that matter! i don't think i was imagining it, but i got a small sense of punk in this album. very small, but makes sense for 1976.

Short, concise, sweet and precise: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers makes their mark upon the music world with this all killer, no filler collection of songs that uses its strengths to the best of their ability. Thirty minutes was all they needed to get their point across and they didn't waste any second of it. Delightful stuff, wonderful.

When I listen to the rock and roll music on this record I say “classic”

Hi-Breakdown, Fooled Again (I Don't Like It) What a great album, Tom Petty just never gets old. Breakdown is just a smooth funky, jazzy song that you can't help to sway to. Fooled Again (I Don't Like It)...Well, I like it a lot!

Há seis dias que acordo, tomo banho, visto uma roupa de andar por casa, apanho sol com o mesmo gato na mesma varanda, leio um pouco do argelino, almoço, vejo quatro dúzias de stories e como a vida é tão perfeita no corpo dos outros, leio mais um pouco, adormeço, acordo rabugento, vou às compras, janto, vejo um filme que nunca me interessou, escrevo, sei de ti e adormeço. E enquanto souber de ti, só me anseio por repetir.

Great voice, tunes and all round fab album!

I was never sure how much I liked Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. This definitely brought it up a few notches. Hearing their début album was very informative AND enjoyable in this endeavor.

Just really fun good ole rock n roll. What's not to like. Not his best but still great.

I wasn't sure whether to give this 3 or 4 stars, but I'm going with 4 just because of how great "American Girl" is...and also so I don't anger my mother, who loves Tom Petty more than anyone I know. Anyway, this album was alright. Not bad at all, and "American Girl" is incredible, but mostly just kind of okay.

The album is good and it solid. I had heard several of the songs previously.

Good album but Tom Petty had a formula and used it.

3.5/5 Listened to a bunch of songs, never a complete album until now. Not disappointed. Good guitar riffs and easy to listen to. Favourite songs: - Rockin’ around (with you) - American girl

American rock ‘n’ roll, baby! Tom Petty is a goddam national treasure. I could listen to this record (and have) over and over. And he even got better (Damn the Torpedoes)!

Classic timeless rock.

Short sweet & classic. Good album, RIP Tom Petty!

American Girl is a 10 out of 5. The album as a whole for me wanting to hear more of his his. Tom Petty is a legend!

Love it. The album has some of my favorites from Petty.

Não conhecia. me aprece uma semente que de um lado frutifica no hard rock 80 e outra no pop 90.

solid album

,,rocking around witch you" catchy, i even started half dancing, positive vibe ,,breakdown" good vibe starting with nice guitar sounds that kept playing, i undersyand why its the second most listened track in this album ,,hometown blues" good vibe, catchy and positive like the first one there ,,the wild one, forever" difereny vibe this time, calmer music line but its getting more energetic at some points ,,anything thats rock`n`roll" good rock`n`roll vibe, energetic ,,strangered in the night" started with good guitar i liked it ,,fooled again (i don`t like)" simple, easy to remember text. nice vocal that raise at some times ,,mystery man" difereny. calmer I more mistery (?) vibe. good beat. kinda steady and chill ,,luna" starts with nice drumps, also good beat ,,american girl" catchy, instruments give a vibe, good vocal and backing vocals (at some moments) OMG i really liked this album and literally every song in it (definitely better than the previous one). i have a problem in choosing the best one. songs has a good vibe 70`s. nice rock`n`roll without unecessery screaming that hurt my ears. i liked the music line and the guitar solos(i didn`t focused on the lyrics bc it wasn`t at spotify, so u know). the most known from it it`s ,,american girl" that`s not my favourite i kinda liked more other tracks, ,,breakdown", ,,anything that`s rock`n`roll" or ,,mystery man". i really recomend this album and i will definitely listen to it again but still i didn`t found that song WAAY better than other that would literally HIT me. maybe not that strong 8/10 i think i`ll give it four stars

Cohesive, upbeat, straightforward. The contemporary feel and style achieved in a 1976 album show how it stands the test of time.

Really solid album. Short songs

A lot of goodies on here.

Pretty great

Not bad. Nothing too exciting on here though.

his this was a really fun one i loved american girl 🥸 it was nice and short but rocky

Am I the only one who misses short albums? I mean...ok, 30 minutes is a bit *too* short but there was something about a shorter overall statement that of course made you want more. Probably anything around 45 minutes is ideal - I know the CD age allowed and then encouraged longer-playing albums so things started changing in the late 80s. Anyways back to this one - I wasn't a big Tom Petty fan growing up probably a little because of his voice and also because of my prog/arena-rock preferences but he's really grown on me over the years. This is my first pass through his debut album, although I was definitely familiar with Breakdown and American Girl - two staples of rock radio over the decades (although American Girl never got played back in the day - I like to think that "Silence of the Lambs" gave that song new life ~15 years after its release). Nothing incredibly unique or special in this collection but at the same time it's direct rock that just sounds great and clean and yet with minimal production tricks. Excellent guitar-based melodic short rock tunes (nothing even hitting the 4 minute mark). "The Wild One, Forever" and "Fooled Again" were songs I'd not heard before that stood out for me. A strong debut album - would recommend. 7/10 4 stars.

Wasn't super familiar with this album, but it's Tom Petty. It's great.

I've always liked Tom Petty and this is a good album. It's not my favorite of his, though, but it's very good.

Solid album. Not my favourite Petty album but surely has a lot of great songs that showed he really hit the ground running Fave tracks: “American Girl” “Breakdown” “Fooled Around (I Don’t Like It)”

I was looking forward to listening this one, but it turned out to be quite a mixed bag. Some of the songs are really quite good, while others are pretty miserable, such as the opening track. Special mention goes to American Girl which is the sole reason I was looking forward to listening to this album. That one alone is an amazing classic of a song and lifts this album from a 3 to a 4.

I love Tom Petty, but honestly this album isn't one that I know that well aside from Breakdown and American Girl. Enjoyed this a lot, this album sounds a little more energetic and rambunctious than much of the material that would come out later, but is unmistakably Tom Petty. It's a fun listen!

Solid album. Had only heard the singles.

Muy buen disco

I already knew I loved this album, but I found a few new solid hits. Mystery Man was a surprise for me.

Tom Petty is one of the greatest. I think some of the later heartbreakers stuff beats this album but it still rocks.

Good and simple debut!

liked this album . I already have four or five Tom Petty albums but never heard his first until today. 4 🌟

Fun stuff

Pretty cool!!

Went down a Tom Petty rabbit hole with this one.

Grunnurinn að amerísku rokki. Skemmtilegt stöff!

Not sure I ever listened to this cover to cover with decent headphones. Obviously, a lot of great material here but I'm loving the sounds and production too.

Really enjoyable album

Great runtime, easy listening, just good basic rock and

Classic. American Girl.

I miss Tom Petty !

I liked this album . I already have four or five Tom Petty albums but never heard his first until today. 4 🌟

Pretty enjoyable album, fun tunes even though it probably won't change my life

Good pop rock.

The songs that are quicker in beat are killer. Some of the slower songs just sound like a whiny skinny white guy.

This is a pretty great listen with a lot of variety for the genre. There’s some great songs on here and while I don’t love all of them this is still a great album!

Had only casually listened to Petty before...whatever was top 40 playlist stuff. Really liked the Wildflowers album that came up... Will listen again

A great collection of tight pop rock.

Buen disco, muy agradable musical y melódicamente. Lo dos primeros temas, sobre todo breakdown, molan mucho

8 out of 10 very chill would listen again minus 2 points cuz hes white

Guitar.

Great Album....brings back memories of high school days

Leuk rock 'n roll-album, af en toe wat te traag naar mijn smaak

I'm too used to American Girl being the start of an album that it feels really weird to have it be the end of the this album.

i mean its TP, what's not to like. some filler in an already short album though

Nett

G

false

solid record

I’m out of town and didn’t have a chance to listen to this, but am just going to assume it’s at least 4 stars because of the Silence of the Lambs connection.

Fun stuff

Great album

Really enjoyed this.

I won’t back dow!

Tom Petty’s debut album! It’s a little all over the place, some songs aren’t my favorite, but some songs just hit me like a ton of bricks. I fuckin’ miss you Tom. Super short, never overstays its welcome.

RIP to legend. Songwriting doesn’t get much better than this

Got better toward the end. This is a very raw Tom petty. I liked it.

Kind of a blah debut. Echoes of Beatles, Springsteen and Van Morrison. American Girl is good, Breakdown is good and sleazy. I wish I could rate it higher.

There are signs of the songwriter Tom Petty would become on this album, but the majority of it is a pretty typical 70s rock album. The title track is of course incredible, not just the best on the album but one of the best of his career. Petty's vocals fit the longing of the song perfectly, and the almost jangly guitar is a real treat. "Breakdown" is also excellent, and "The Wild One, Forever" stands out as a track that has the easy hooks of his career highlights. Elsewhere though, the opener and "Anything That's Rock n Roll" are generic songs about rocking, Petty's best songs were more nuanced despite having the same sentiments. "Luna" is too slow, and several other songs just don't sound like Petty songs. At only half an hour this is a pleasant listen, but his best came later in his career.

I’ve loved Tom Petty’s music for decades, and you can hear the early blueprint of what he’d become on the Heartbreakers’ debut. Hearing it for the first time, I found myself both enjoying it and feeling strangely detached from it. The radio staples still shine, but the work that resonates most with me comes later, once Petty and the band settle into their 1980s stride.

I've never actually listened to a Tom Petty album all the way through until now. This is a decent debut. The well known radio hits shine here, but the rest is just average and doesn't pop for me.

American Girl carries the album pretty hard. The rest of it is fine 70s rock, though it is a little boring. That last song is damn good though. Boring for the most part, but it’s pretty short, so that’s not a huge deal. Definitely wouldn’t put this in a list of 1089 albums you need to hear before you die if it were me making the list.

Fucking awesome

7/10

Obviously American Girl is fantastic and there are some other good songs but there is also a lot of generic rock and roll songs that seem like filler. 3.5/5

5/10 - Middle of the road. Not bad, not very good either.

Some stone cold classics, nice sounding instruments. Definitely some skippable generic blues “album tracks”.

i like tom petty. this has two hits, or at least songs that people would know - "breakdown" and "american girl". but it definitely feels like a debut otherwise. glimmers of what would come, but otherwise not fully formed. looking ahead it's very surprising that this is on the list and not "wildflowers". that album is better across the board. i don’t know anyone that would say this is tom’s best.

lil cool

There were moments here that were ok, but the majority of it was fairly trite. I’d forgotten how much the start of ‘American Girl’ sounds like the strokes before it descended into stock MOR rock fare. Nothing much here to pique the interest.

Tom Petty is a musician whose music I have never sought out because I didn’t have to. He was already an institution of US radio by the time I was a teenager, and now it’s practically the law that classic rock stations have to play him at least twice a day. He’s good. I like his music. But because it’s so oversaturated I can only be indifferent.

'Breakdown' is great, 'American Girl' is all-time-great single, but as an album (especially in comparison to Full Moon Fever or even Wildflowers) it's not consistently that great. I've forgotten most of the songs, and mostly remember the album as a solid debut for a band that was just finding its sound. 3/5

I of course know the hits but had never listened to this album in full before. I was surprised to see it came out in 1976. I bought a Petty biography on sale a couple of years ago and I guess I need to finally get around to reading it. This sounds about how I would have expected it to sound, which is to say I like it but can understand why I had never heard the "non-hit" songs before.

American Girl is an absolute classic, and Breakdown is great, but there’s a lot of this album that just sounds whiney. Definitely worthy of a spot on this list and a quick listen, just not higher than a three star rating.

Tom Petty is an American treasure. This album is.....ok. Breakdown is so good.

Ihan mukavaa rokkenrollia. Musiikillisesti mielenkiintosempaa kuin laulullisesti. Laulussa oli jotain joka ei niin innostanut.

Menevää roskia oli, ei oikein jääny mikään päähän kertakuuntelulla, mut ei jääny päähän et pitäs lisääkin kuunnella.

ok

3.6/5

Welcome to yet another addition of right band, wrong album. Sure, we have some hits here, and we definitely hear what the band was capable of and likely going to become. But at the end of the day, we have their first hits and a bunch of filler. I've been Fooled Again by this list. I wish it wouldn't Do Me Like That. I also understand that this is the only Heatbreakers album on the list, so it's All or Nothin' with this rating.

american girl <33 the rest of it is pretty good too i guess 3.5

Fun

Despite having one of the most amazing songs of all time, American Girl, and also breakdown is great but beyond that this album didn’t really impress me

His voice grated on me. Generic, average rock and roll. Wasn't too fussed. 3/5

2 great songs surrounded by mediocrity.

Pas insupportable mais très oubliable. On dirait qu'il vient de drop un taz et qu'il veut une clope sur la couverture de l'album

The highs of this album are incredible but the rest are forgettable. Rockin Around (with you) and Breakdown were strong openers & American Girl being the climax of the album is the perfect ending.

American girl is so damn catchy! The question is: is it worth the 9 other songs

I’m aware of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers and that’s about it, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I hit play on this, although this somehow sounded about how it ought to, and I’ve enjoyed listening. My first listen was broken up a bit but finished strong so I put it on again, after all it was only 31 minutes. Reminded me of the Rolling Stones in places and also one of the tracks sounded very close to Stuck in the Middle With You, vocally. It’s pretty straight up in many ways which makes this easy to listen to and familiar sounding, I feel this is one that is close to 4 stars but might need more convincing before I upgrade.

3.5

If not for my knowledge of what would come later I think I would have liked it less. American girl is worth at least two stars.

Fine. Not offensive. No fires lit. 3

Anonym

Морда знайома) Ну таке)

Number: 152 Date: 06/04/2026 Artist: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Album: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Year: 1976 Style: Blues Rock Familiarity: Well-versed (4) Rating: 3 Before: ======= Yay, Tom Petty! They have a few songs that I really like a lot. I think I even had this album back in the day. I know for sure that I had Damn The Torpedoes. My recollection is that I liked Damn The Torpedoes a lot more than this one but it's not on this list. During: ======= 3 Rockin' Around (With You) 4 Breakdown 3 Hometown Blues 3 The Wild One, Forever 3 Anything That's Rock 'N' Roll 3 Strangered In The Night 3 Fooled Again (I Don't Like It) 3 Mystery Man 4 Luna 4 American Girl ----------------------------------------------------- 3.33 WEIGHTED AVERAGE (accounts for song lengths) After : ======= This album is OK but really only has 2 stand out tracks and the rest are all 3's, imo. I guess I'm gonna have to listen to Damn The Torpedo's next to see how that stacks up against this one. As far as rating goes, I have to give this on a 3. And after listening to Damn The Torpedoes, I gave that one a 4. 3 my personal rating 3 suitability for this list 4 impact ----------------------------------------------- 3.3 composite rating

Album 84 Top 3 favorites off the album: Breakdown, Luna, Rockin' Around (With You) I was mostly familiar with Petty by way of Free Fallin' and American Girl, but I hear a lot more of the former than the latter. I'm happy to report that I enjoyed this album a lot more than expected! He covers a lot of ground in sound; the variety across tracks is really excellent. Rockin' Around (With You) was a strong start with a good drive and groove. Delicious bass playing. I liked the sparer instrumentation on Breakdown. Delicious guitar. In the interest of saving space, the guitar and bass were excellent across the whole album. This is a good summer album.

Favorite songs: Breakdown, Fooled Again (I Don’t Like It), American Girl

And here I thought all I needed was the greatest hits.

A good debut from a dude who's got his formula already realized, but he just needs to fine-tune it a little bit to get the stone cold classic albums that come later.

Really odd that this is the only Tom Petty record on the list. Maybe one of the biggest misses of the whole list. There are at least 5 Tom Petty records that are higher on my list than this one. It was very apparent the hits off this record were given a lot more time and care than the rest of the songs. All time classic rock songs mixed in with very average rock songs. Unfortunately I have to be fair and only give this a very high 3/5. Damn the torpedoes, wildflowers and full moon fever are all significantly stronger.

I mean there are a couple of songs I like, but I feel like this is too, I don't know how to put it, hipster for me. It's probably not for me, I'm too young, but it is listenable at least

I'm wondering whether to bump this from 3->4 just because of American Girl, but that song only really holds a place in my heart because of tv shows it's been used in. This album was fine, but nothing exciting. The expression on his face from the cover can be the tiebreaker and keep it at a 3.

And who are the Heartbreakers? I get it's Tom Petty but are these studio musicians, a group? Oh! I should Google it? Album is ok. Not a huge fan of Tom Petty's voice and this recording is ok. Later stuff of his/them is more enjoyable to me.

Good album, but Tom's done better work.

no me fascina

5: I will happily play this album anytime 4: I may occasionally play this album of my own free will 3: I will happily listen to this if someone plays it in the background 2: I will tolerate this if it is playing in the background 1: I will leave the room if someone plays this in the background Singles are strong. The deeper cuts are quite a bit weaker.

The big songs are obviously amazing, but the rest is a lil boring.

Day absolutely ruined when I realized it was this Tom Petty album and not the other one. Not a bad album, but was really looking forward to some all time classics. This one feels much more average rock and pretty unextraordinary

Not for me

10 songs-30 minutes. This record certainly doesn't outstay its welcome. It's a decent rock and roll record that both sounds of its time and embraces the nostalgia that you see in rock at this time. "The Wild One Forever" wasn't great and felt a bit derivative of Springsteen, while "American Girl" really soared.

It was listenable.

Had to actually go and relisten to Damn the Torpedoes to be able to accurately rate this album. And yeah, it basically confirmed what I was going to say. S/T is a pretty decent album, but aside from Breakdown and American Girl, this album struggles due to Tom Petty still trying to find his sound. Tom and the Heartbreakers would eventually hone in on the sound he used for the two big singles from this album, especially once he got to albums like Damn the Torpedoes and Full Moon Fever, but unfortunately this album mostly doesn't hit on that sound. Good album, but another case of right band/artist, wrong album. Damn the Torpedoes, Full Moon Fever, or Wildflowers would have been the right pick.

This and Steely Dan are really taking the wind out of my sails. I appreciate the music but it’s just not my bag.

My rating 3.3.

If it weren't for American girl it'd be a 2