Reviews (page 7 of 13)
3.7
Built to a great final track but the rest of the album wasn't strong for me 2-3
Tom Petty was deemed an alternative, fresh sound in the mid 70s. These things are all relative
Strong début album and a sign of things to come.
Everytime I hear American Girl I think I've missed something with Tom Petty. Everytime I listen to other tracks I realise I probably haven't. 3*
Buen album, la verdad se disfruto todo el album, pero no hubo ningun tema que destacara. que me haga decir FUA QUE TEMON!! Luna creo que es de lo mas me gusto.
Making Rock "and" Roll, cool again.
A pretty good debut, even if it isn't one of his better albums. Still enjoyable, and the hits are great. Highlights: "Breakdown" and "American Girl"
Fun and although some of the music follows a classic structure, it's a bit more elevated. American girl the clear stand out (although not sure on the fade out ending).
As an album, lacks the punch of his best singles. 3/5
Promising debut with much better to come
My favourite moments are where Tom Petty feels barely able to keep a lid on things, like he has pent up energy that’s going to burst out in some unintended way. American Girl comes in like a punch in the face at the end of the album and it was much appreciated by me. I needed a solid gold anthemic single with plenty of cheer. I could have probably done with a little more of this in the last third of the tracklist which is a more patient affair.
What a great final track, if there were a couple more of those it’d be a 4 but overall it’s a solid 3 for me
Not bad but not outstanding either. I quite like some of Tom Petty’s hits but there weren’t any for me on this album
American Girl really saving this album with at least one great song. I can hear the classic Tom Petty sound here, but I guess the Tom Petty songs I listen to are on different albums.
Well I would have always said Mr Petty was AOR, and I think this was. His voice here, is very Elvis Costello to me. The difference being this was at a consistent level of ok. Where as Mr C varies from great to awful. On the whole though, this must be worth an average 3.
I expected more - nothing to get excited about here.
Why does he sing like that?
I've heard a lot of Tom Petty, but somehow hadn't heard this whole album front to back. Before I had only heard the hits from it, Breakdown and American Girl. The rest of the tracks are good, but not as good.
3.4
American girl was the best track by far. Some gems for sure, but far better was yet to come from Tom Petty.
Perfectly pleasant but not standout.
Enjoyable but unremarkable. Try harder Tom Petty
Hmm. Some okay songs, and one amazing song. Ideally I could give this a 3.5. I would listen to this album if it came on, but wouldn't make an effort to look for it.
6.0/10 Some classic hits but the rest of the album sounds pretty average. I like a few other of his albums a lot more.
Give me a better album. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers made a lot of good music and this wasn't it.
I wasn't the most impressed. Tom Petty is a huge name in music, so I expected something better. He just kind of mumbles his way through this with some solid instrumentals behind him. It did end on 2 really good tracks though. I am surprised none of their other albums made the cut for this list, but I would give them a listen. This album at least showed me that Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers can make good music. Sure, they didn't do that the whole time on this album, but it showed glimpse of what the band could be.
I dont know, i got kinda bored Some songs were nice tho
A bunch of really great songs, but not quite a really great album. They’re doing a lot of great things, but I just wanted a little more from this. Hard to find a single person who dislikes Tom Petty. American Girl is an all timer. Favorite songs were Rockin’ Around, Breakdown, Fooled Again, and American Girl.
There were some famous songs in there I didn’t know where from them, I didn’t hate listening to it it was fine Just wtf is this cover?!
7.5 / 10
quality southern rock. "American girl" is probably the only song I would listen to again.
For me personally a little slow and boring. Nothing really got me hooked. However none of the songs were bad just not my style and a little blah. I wouldn't necessarily listen to the album again
it was pretty good, some of the songs i added to my playlist too!
Sound is a little dated to my zoomer ears but nothing stuck out as bad. Enjoyed Breakdown and American Girl, but he has an interesting voice that carried what would otherwise be pretty forgettable 'classic rock'
The cover is incredible, haha. The album itself was fine. It felt like inoffensive rock music, something that you could throw on and most people wouldn't mind listening to. I won't revisit this album, but it was a fine listen.
Breakdown, Go Ahead And Give It To Me 1001 Albums Generator 203 (1/12/2025) They're calling it the most 3/5 album ever. Nah I'm joking, this album is honestly not bad at all, but it's kind of crazy how the songs that aren't Breakdown or American Girl are just so much less interesting. Tom Petty's style of straightforward rock/n/roll is just not super engaging to me for the most part, but there are these moments of genius that pop through. With that said, the fun from Anything That's Rock'N'Roll to Mystery Man is really boring honestly. I don't know. Tom Petty has always been a song artist to me more than an album artist, and I think that is still the case. 3/5. Favs: Rockin' Around (With You) Breakdown American Girl Least Fav: Hometown Blues
Look at the album cover. Does Tom Petty have natural charisma required to wear a leather jacket? Absolutely not. 100% the kinda guy that you’d call Tim just to piss Jim off because you know he won’t actually fight you about it. He wants to be a bad boy, but I bet he met a lot of girls’ parents. Looking at the album cover tells you exactly the kind of edgy-if-you’re-boring rock & roll you’ll get inside. I don’t buy enough light beer to entertain anyone who thinks this album is more than just fine, so they’re not invited to my birthday party this year. However, I’ll give this an extra 1/2 star because I can’t separate “American Girl” from its scene in Silence Of The Lambs. That connection might be the coolest thing about Tom Petty. 3.5 (rounded back down)
A bit average
Good vibes
Grows on me with every listen
This is a good album. It plays it straight down the middle and delivers a solid, consistently listenable experience. Petty has a distinctive voice and wrote some good songs, and while I don't think this is his best album, it has a couple classic tracks tucked away amongst the more standard album cuts. There's nothing groundbreaking here for the mid 1970's, but it's something you can safely put on for almost anyone without fear of offense, and get a taste of wholesome Americana rock. Probably best listened to while driving, smoking a Marlboro or two, and having a Bud. 3-3.5 for me.
I am a big Tom Petty fan, and own five of his albums, all of which are vastly superior to this one. Reading other reviews, it seems that this is the only Petty album on the list, which is puzzling, given all of the crap that I have been subjected to this far. Anyway, as much as I like Tom Petty, I thought this was a very average effort. And his voice sounds as if he is trying too hard to sound like a rock singer, slurring his words on most of the tracks. The best I can give this album is three stars.
Going into this, I only knew the hits, Breakdown and American Girl. Both songs I like a lot. After 2 listens, "Fooled Again (I Don't Like It)" and "The Wild One, Forever" stick out to me as songs I'll revisit. The rest of the album is so forgettable and the songs are so short. This sits right in the middle for me. American Girl really stands above the rest of the album by a lot, it almost sounds like a different band in the context of the rest of the album.
Decent album!! Sorry and sweet, has my 2 favorite hits on it, American Girl, and Breakdown. Solid 3 ⭐ for me. Not gonna rush out and buy it but decent record.
Was never a big fan of Tom Petty's music. This signature album is not that long, clocking at under 31 minutes. It has two big hit songs that make this one up. While it sounds fine, I don't see how its that great or special.
pretty solid
Has way better records across his discography than this one. "Breakdown" is so smooth, and "American Girl" is an iconic 70s track (makes me think of Silence of the Lambs every time I hear it) but the rest of the record is pretty generic and even somewhat bad- "Strangered in the Night" for instance is a sloppy Eagles castoff. And why did "Luna" sound like Bob Dylan singing a Christmas song?
There is absolutely nothing wrong with this album. That being said, it’s another one that I’m struggling to understand what it makes it special enough to be on this list. Of course the singles are great, and I really liked “Luna” as well. But the rest of the tracks are just kind of lacking in my opinion. There’s one where he does his best Springsteen impression, and some where it’s very basic sounding old school 1-4-5 blues rock… which is fine. It just didn’t blow me away. Still good though. Like I said, absolutely nothing wrong with this… but he has better stuff.
it was good, some songs not my style but majority of it was good!
Never heard anything about this artist or album. Seems to be a classical rock album as it was known in the 70s. I enjoy listening to it but not in a cheering way like I would listen to other songs I like. This older type of albums are better when listened from start to end. To me personally no song really sticks out to be special or unique. Its more the ambient that this music offers. And that would be enough for me to buy it in physical form. I also like the fact that its only 30 Minutes, I see that length in other 70s works too. Why not listen to it again? If I don't forget to and the time is right im in! I'll give this a 7/10!
good old-fashioned rock n roll. tom petty has always written pretty straight forward songs, but i’ll be damned if i don’t get them stuck in my head once i hear them. the album sags a bit in the middle, but each song is pretty solid, albeit a little generic, save for breakdown and american girl. a solid first record from petty and co., but it doesn’t quite capture the brilliance of their later records.
Decent rock. 3 stars
Soooooooo tom petty… not my fav
I really didn't pick up on this band until "Damn the Torpedos". This was of course their introductory album, and has one great cut. I'd never listened to this album, but it's Tom Petty so you know it wasn't going to be a "bad" listen.
It’s really solid dad rock, I just have my limits. This is the shortest project I’ve listened to so far and somehow kept my attention the least.
Nice rock & roll
That was ok.
Something different but seemed similar to something I’ve heard before
wasn't bad. wouldn't listen again.
Listened to it a ton and there’s no skips but also no songs I would listen to if I had the option to put on whatever. Gives dad rock. Not my fav.
Honestly, Tom Petty has kinda wained on me over the years. American Girl and Breakdown are the only songs I care for here.
Enjoyed this a lot more than I expected, having had a resistance to "dad-rock" my whole life. I think because it holds it's influences on it's sleeve? "This one sounds like the Beatles, this one sounds like the Stones, this is definitely Who-inspired". Either way, not a bad listen, would probably listen again.
Rätt trevligt!
Stabilt+.
Strong debut
Rockin Around- eh nothing impressive or bad Breakdown - Elements of blues which make me enjoy this but still gives the sense of rock Anything That's Rock 'N' Roll - Sounds quite generic Luna - what is this Favorite Track: Breakdown | Overall: 3.2
Pleasant but pedestrian - decent tunes, good vibes, things would get better before too long!
Pretty good, lots of good stuff on here.
It was good. Can see why they were so popular back in the 80s and 90s.
I would be among the first to say that Tom Petty's brand of rock has never particularly resonated with me . He always seemed to rely on bravado and 'rock 'n roll' attitude which has not translated well into 2026 musically wise. However, there's enough energy and excitement in most of the tracks to forgive its flaws, in particular American Girl, which is probably his best song period, gving him a genuine sense of longing and wistfullness, coupled with his best melody, that I'm not sure we see in much of his other work.
Pretty solid American Rock album. RIP Tom Petty. 6/10
Not too bad. Breakdown is...almost good, but it never quite gets there. American Girl is pretty good. 👍American Girl
average, sorry
Quite fond of some of Tom Petty's hits, first time listening to this album, it was good.
The first album by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers sounds like a lot of things. Some of it just fits nicely in the 'new wave' sound that was emerging. A lot of it derives from the Stones, but there are flashes of the Byrds, even Status Quo, and openly imitates Van Morrison in 'Mystery Man'. 'Luna' is more interesting, slow and brooding and harder to pin down. But there's no flashy excess, it's all kept quiet tight and brief. And of course the closing 'American Girl' is the live favourite that anybody with even a passing acquaintance with TP should know. Great song. This band hits their stride 2-3 albums in, not to mention the multi-plarinum 1989 solo comeback but there's enough to recommend in this solid debut.
I've never been a fan of Tom Petty. I know I'm likely in the minority here. I play guitar with a group at my partner's family reunion every October, and I remember the look of absolute shock and horror on her cousin's face, when I dropped the bombshell that I didn't know how to play any Tom Petty because I wasn't a fan. He couldn't compute it - "But you play guitar, how do you not like Tom Petty?" To be clear, it's not that I don't like his music, although I'm definitely not a fan of Free Fallin' or Learning to Fly (don't @ me!), but to me, his music is just very middle of the road. And that goes for everything I heard on this album too. "Rockin' Around (With You)" is the song that I liked the most, and the rest of the album was enjoyable too. But, to answer my partner's cousin, it's not that I don't like Tom Petty, it's all fine - it's just nothing particularly special to me.
Solid, competently done rock and roll. Nothing that stands out as amazing, but not really any low points either. I assume this is here because of being at the front of the creation of Southern rock
Slightly tedious!
A little rock, pop, blues and country but nothing amazing. The last song American Girl is the best on the album by a wide margin.
65/100
Classic Tom.
Interesting blend of genres. Rockabilly sometimes, country other times. Tom Petty had a unique way of singing, that I think is kind of dialed back for his hits. Only a couple standouts, american girl being the obvious one, but I also really enjoyed the wild one forever. American girl has to be one of the most interesting pop songs from this era. Not often do you get something this catchy, with such and interesting vocal style.
“American Girl,” type shit.
It’s Tom petty
It was fun.
Chill rock, un po' generico Canzone prefe dell' album breakdown
Tom Petty has always been one of those guys I've thought are excellent at writing singles. Just based on singles, he's among the rock greats. But he's not so competent at stringing a great album together. I'm sure there are some exceptions to this, but I feel like this album isn't it. Basically you've got the excellent Breakdown, and the pretty good American Girl, and then maybe Fooled Again, which is a pretty good track I'd not heard before. Other than that, a lot of filler here--I wouldn't listen to the album again. Maybe just throw Fooled Again onto a play list. If the singles weren't so go, this would probably be a 2/5 honestly. But I'll settle for 3. It's a pitty, as I really do like Tom Petty.
Not amazing, not terrible. I had listened to this on my own a few months ago and had thr dame opinion.
This feels like an album comprised entirely of b-sides. Tom Petty fans, I'm sure you have something to grab onto here but so much of this just sounds the same, and unfortunately makes for a bit of a boring listen.
Surely Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers have better albums than this? Or are they in the same category as Aerosmith and Snoop Dogg… a fantastic Greatest Hits album but that’s it.
Short and sweet pop rock album that is generally fine and inoffensive. Didn't Love everything but nothing was unlistenable and there are a few fun tracks worth listening to. The definition of decent. Top tracks: Breakdown, Fooled Again (I Don't Like It), American Girl
Straight ahead rock n roll from the early 70's
Fine. Not for me. Some fun tracks. But it’s whatever. 6.5
de esos discos que funcionaría mejor como disco doble, y no es como que les faltara material: el primer disco así como está y el segundo american girl diez veces seguidas, qué más quieres
Ok this was better than I expected
Kinda mid for me, but I like Tom Petty and quite enjoyed this
Tom is good we lile Tom
If someone's dad threw this on I'd be like "yeah I'm okay with this" 2.5/5
not bad
A pretty inoffensive listen, a couple recognizable hits, nothing groundbreaking. A lil' heartland rock to start the day.
For some reason I always thought Tom Petty was a country singer and never listened before. That said... it was ok.
There's not a great deal wrong with this - it's a reasonable listen, and comes in it a decent half hour in length, but equally there's little that has me hankering for a return. It's perhaps a bit too rudimentary in its rock and roll stylings to leave me with much to chew onto, and doesn't give off the feel of an essential listen.
Like this one more than I thought. Pretty solid. 3 stars.
I wanted to give this a higher rating because American Girl is awesome, but I didn't like the rest of the album much.
It was a nice album. I would say Tom Petty is the stereotypical 80s rock group(?) in a good way. I will give it a listen here and then there in the future. 3.3./5
I expected to like this one more than I did. American Girl stands as one of the best songs I've ever seen live. The rest of the album has a nice variety of songs, but nothing that really stood out to me as something I'd been missing out on.
Carino ma nulla di più
I was looking forward to this as I own a Tom Petty Greatest Hits that I enjoyed but had not ever delved deeper into an album. Was unfortunately a little disappointed. "American Girl" is a classic and stands head& shoulders above the rest of the album - which is a little bit vanilla by comparison with no real stand out tracks after 4 listens. A solid 3.5.
Liked breakdown and American Girl, some of it a bit average
A classic rock station plays quietly in the background at work. You're not paying much attention, you have things to do. After your second cup of coffee you realize...are you listening to another Tom Petty song? You can't clearly remember. There's no way you could have been listening to the same artist--maybe even the same songs--for the last four hours, right? Then again, you can't distinctly remember any of what you've heard. You try to pay attention to the current track but lose focus within the minute. You put the question aside, irritated at the distraction, and get back to work. Hours pass. The coffee wears off. You're sure the songs are repeating but still can't pin them down exactly. The music has gone on so long you can't grasp it anymore. The parts that make it have melded into the fabric of your existence at your desk, impossible to pick out. The sounds are nameless, formless, shapeless. Or perhaps you are becoming so. Maybe you are now one with the classic rock. Maybe, you are becoming Tom Petty? Maybe, his voice is the only thing standing between you and the ceaseless ringing of tinnitus. Every now and then American Girl plays, shaking you out of your classic rock fugue state just long enough to remind you that you are in fact alive, and aren't Tom Petty, and you will maybe hear something new someday.
Bright, cheerful, very tight instrumentation that brings out a different more pop friendly and early side of southern rock. Short and cute with little licks spicing it up. Sometimes annoying
Surprisingly liked it!
Really enjoyable record, classic rock with a hint of soul that I really liked. Breakdown, what a great track! Not a 4, though
More a proof of concept for future Petty than something essential.
This is OK, but we ONCE AGAIN have a questionable selection from an artist with a ridiculously large library of better options. There are a number of must hear albums by Tom Petty, this just isn't one of them.
American Girl always reminds me of the scene from Scrubs where Sarah Chalke’s character destroys her bedroom and tears the kitten poster off the wall in a fit of rage, only to hang the kitten poster back up when her better senses come back to her. The rest of this album is only ok compared to what Tom Petty releases later. Giving it a bonus point for the nostalgia, and Sarah Chalke.
Yeah this was alright. Some good tracks. Respect the 30 minute run time Songs added to playlist: - Breakdown - American Girl
Never heard of this artist or album before, and I'm not entirely sure what to expect from the cover. It's either pop rock or hard rock - I'm edging towards pop rock. The more artsy rock albums don't tend to have band members on the cover. Rock-and-roll. I'll count this as a win - it's very poppy. This is pretty good. While I was busy bitching and moaning about the sheer number of 60s pop rock albums on this list, 70s pop rock was where it was at the whole time. There isn't anything mindblowing or groundbreaking about this music, but what it really succeeds at is being pleasing. There aren't any bad songs on here, and the vocals/instrumentals succeed at being engaging throughout. Not a bad record overall. "Rockin' Around" is a pretty good opener. I like the jittery guitar and the vocal performance is pretty good. "Hometown Blues" is another good cut. Quite a nice melody on the vocals, and it's carried very well by the punchy instrumental. "American Girl" is vaguely familiar. It's pretty good. I like the guitars and the vocals are, again, pretty effective. Book time. Initially found success outside of their home country. That's about it. Wikipedia says that this album has a respectable critical reception, though that's also just about it. I can stick my neck out for this one - it was pretty alright. I cosign this inclusion.
(3.5) idk what this reminds me of but it’s kind of like a david bowie more than a feeling bruce springsteen something else mash up
Didn't know what to expect with this, as I'm really not familiar with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. I was pleasantly surprised with this album. It's definitely a classic rock and roll album, I mean, American Girl?! But there's hints of prog rock, blues and more.
I could hear you he's of Television, a few duff tracks, but overall pretty good. Unexpectedly!
Pas mauvais du tout. Du rock ’n roll classique de la fin des années 70 (loin, donc, du style sixties, du psychédélique, du prog, du glam, etc.). Très entraînant, dynamique, bien ficelé. Juste, pas pour moi.
its fine, 3
I was looking forward to it but it fell flat
Includes Breakdown and American Girl. Good album, sounds like a guy trying lots of different styles to find his own sound. The Wild One to me has a Bruce Springsteen influence.
Tompa gör ju absolut inget nytt, det är lantisrock a'la Creedence i grunden med ett par nypor The Byrds som garnering. Men han kommer in med en tajt skinnjacka, ett replokalssound och en ny respektlös energi. Lite som The Strokes gjorde när dom dök upp vid millenieskiftet fast med andra referenser. Det är lite ojämnt, men också väldans bra när det väl är bra. Mittenpartitrippeln *Anything that's Rock 'N' Roll", "Strangered in the night" och "Fooled again" får mig att jubla. Ibland drar han ner intesiteten till någon närmast jazzrockig blues. "Mystery man" hade vi kunnat vara utan, det blir väl mycket standardformat. Men "Breakdown" är å andra sidan fullständigt brilljant och "Luna" funkar också på nåt märkligt sätt, i det segmentet. Stabila tre till Tom
Låter ibland som Elvis Costello (Breakdown) ibland som Springsteen (Hometown blues). Slyngelcharmigt, som det sneda leendet på omslaget
the last quarter has some good stuff, but the album as a whole is kinda whacky
I didn't realize the songs I knew were by Tom Petty
Mostly dull standard 70s rock. American Girl is a great track though. At least the tracks are short! 2.5 rounded up Heard before? A couple Owned: No: 29/109 (26%) Will I get? No
Solid debut album. I like Tom Petty in general. Pretty standard rock. Favorite Songs: Breakdown and American Girl
Rockin' Around (With You) - 3/5 Breakdown - 4/5 Hometown Blues - 3/5 The Wild One, Forever - 4/5 Anything That's Rock 'n' Roll - 4/5 Strangered in the Night - 3/5 Fooled Again (I Don't Like It) - 3/5 Mystery Man - 3/5 Luna - 3/5 American Girl - 5/5 Average score: 3.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ eh, this was so-so. Petty's a pretty obnoxiously bad vocalist at some points. i didn't come away from this album hating it tho
I feel like expected more from this. As a rock and roll album it felt a bit tame. Like it was ok, but it wasn't exciting. American girl stepped it up a bit, you could hear some of the swagger of Bowie in there a bit, but it felt a bit too little too late. It was fine.
I'm adding a star because mad respect but this album is annoying as hell
not bad solid 3.5/5 like american girl duh
Mystery Man was the highlight, I get sick of his voice. My dad loved Rom Petty:( 3/5
Feels like a debut. Lots of energy, songs are decent, production could be better. Breakdown and American Girl. Pretty good!
Anything thats rock and roll and american girl are good. The other songs sort of blend together. Its an okay album.
Not the Tom Petty album I would have picked for this list, and definitely unremarkable compared to his later work. I toyed with four stars, but a relisten led me to believe that this is only worthy of three stars, partly because it's just so short; there's no meat to get stuck into, as it ends just as it starts to get going.
Nothing revolutionary, but a solid collection of decent rock songs.
The sound of great band finding their way early on in their career. As a historical document it's really cool. Favorite track: American Girl
Fine pop-rock songs, didn't grasp my attention tho.
Solid rock album with some songs that I hadn't heard before. Overall, I enjoyed it.
Good album that should be on the list, but not the greatest thing Petty would ever touch. Breakdown and American Girl are clear standouts
No. 322/1001 Rockin' Around 3/5 Breakdown 4/5 Hometown Blues 3/5 The Wild One, Forever 3/5 Anything That's Rock 'N' Roll 3/5 Strengeres in the Night 3/5 Fooled Again 3/5 Mystery Man 3/5 Luna 3/5 American Girl 4/5 Average: 3,2 This was alright, nothing special though.
This debut album is the unpolished blueprint for all great American rock. It skips the excess of the '70s for pure, Byrds-inspired jangle and grit. With "American Girl," they dropped an immediate, perfect modern rock classic. Petty's voice is the authentic sound of the heartland—no filler, all killer.
Album has some fun parts, but overall it's quite mediocre
Ok album
american girl!!! what a great way to end an album.
This early Petty shows shades of what would come but is a mixed bag overall. Breakdown (especially) and American Girl show flashes of higher level songwriting but the rest of the album is more middle of the road "Rock and Roll" without as much to say or deviation from the formula. The performances are consistently great as they would be for many years after.
Just an all time classic
This is a debut album, and it sounds like a debut. It’s decent, and there are some flashes of really good. It’s jingly jangly, The Byrds in leather jackets and motorcycle boots, and nicely paced. Tom Petty can do much better, though. It’s a shame because I do think Tom Petty deserves to be in the book, I just don’t think this effort is essential listening.
Another "stick to the greatest hits" artist.
A solid listen but mostly forgettable. To be fair it was in in the background while I worked and not much pulled me I except American Girl.
A couple good songs but I expected more from Tom.
1/2
There was not much special here and it wasn’t too exiting, but it was pretty fun to listen to. It’s between 3 and 3,5 stars for me. Might return to it again sometime.
Last song was pretty good Will I listen to again: 18%
Fine not awful. Probably wouldn't skip if it came on but wouldn't listen to again
I enjoyed it, nothing too memorable though? 3.3
Could listen to this on a roadtrip through Route 66, it has that kind of vibe. Neutral.
A very unsurprising album – it sounds exactly like its (terrible) cover art : a bit kitschy, a bit dated, and quite tame despite its attempts at projecting a bad boy image. It was probably ahead of its time, already feeling like proto-MTV music in 1976. It clearly shares common DNA with mainstream rockers like Bruce Springsteen or Bon Jovi, who even has a similar heart logo (one that seems specifically designed to boost the income of second-rate tattoo parlors). It’s clearly built around a few hits and tailored for mainstream radio stations, and there is little innovation or risk-taking – it’s purely feel-good, unpretentious music. It hasn’t aged very well, but I kind of enjoyed it on a nostalgic level. Maybe I was in the right mood, but it was not an unpleasant experience. It’s easy-listening enough, and it’s a short and straightforward album that does exactly what you’d expect from it, without overstaying its welcome. 5/10
I was not « heartbreaked » by them but it’s quite ok
Solid classic rock. Some familiar, a lot new to me.
Takie sobie / 5. Nie przeszkadzało mi, ale w żaden sposób nie zapadło w pamięć, a słuchałem tego kilka razy w różnych dniach. Plus ta okładka to jest największy cringe w historii okładek.
Dobry zwiastun lepszych rzeczy, które wyda Tom Petty & Łamacze Serc. 3
Not bad. Tom Petty was always one of those artists I didn't mind having on in the background, and his music reminds me of my time in northern Florida. Probably won't go out of my way to listen to this again, though.
Listens: 3 Standout Tracks: Breakdown, Luna, American Girl I've heard of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers before, though I've never gone out of my way to listen to them. So, with the exception of Breakdown and American Girl, which have thoroughly permeated American classic rock radio stations since their release, I had not heard any of the other songs on this album. What I heard was not bad, but its just not for me. At this point, there is just so much other stuff in the 1970s that I much prefer, like Neil Young, Yes, Black Sabbath, (to name a few). Compared to those mentioned bands, this just feels quite... bland? boring Americana? Heart: Not broken.
Some good songs on this but the others are too bland but not difficult to listen to
It this Tom Petty's best work? No. Is it his best work with the Heartbreakers? No. But its still a solid debut from one of the all time great American bands.
Decent album but feel like American Girl was really the highlight and the other songs all felt a bit flat/underwhelming. They also weren't quite up my street but weren't terrible.
American Girl is a forever bop. The rest is a good start. I'm not a huge Tom Petty guy and this record didn't change that.
N/a
I like Tom Petty a lot and think he's quite underrated. But this album only has two songs I really care to hear more than once. Every once in a while (Back in Black and Appetite for Destruction come to mind), two songs can carry an album, but it's uncommon, and this is not such a case. 3 stars
Better than I expected. Great instrument sound. Good song construction. Voice gets grating after a while.
Decent album, but sometimes he puts on a weird voice.
Debut album. Interesting with some perennial hits. Pitchfork: 7.0 Rolling Stone: n/a Best Songs Rockin' Around (With You) Breakdown American Girl
I simply cannot fathom why this is here. Sure there are some good songs and it's consistent, but it's nothing more than merely fine. It wasn't influential, it wasn't a critical darling, it wasn't a smash hit, it doesn't have much cultural significance. It also sounds out of time from what was going on... no edge like punk, no prog, less power than garage rock, less bombast than Zep. It feels like The Stones, but several years too late. So why is it here?
Overall, pretty average moderate rock. Liked Luna as it felt different to most other tracks which all have a similar tone. American Girl was one of the better songs here. Def not one of their strongest albums.
Good album. Tom was a great artist and we lost him too early.
Big fan but this is an average album with a couple great songs
A short debut album, the self-titled ‘Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ album, is an ok start. (However, it does have the best Tom Petty song in “American Girl). Petty and his brethren deserve more. No ‘Wildflowers’? ‘Full Moon Rising’? ‘Damn the Torpedoes’? Damn this list for only having one, breezy Tom Petty album on here. Top tracks: “American Girl,” “Breakdown,” “Rockin’ Around (With You)”
More like tom petty and the ear-breakers
Didn't listen to all. Seems nice
Not bad for a debut. Overall solid record, but nothing spectacular. American Girl is one of the best TP&TH song, hadn't realized it was the album closer until now.
It wasn’t bad. Good middle of the road Rock And Roll.
I know this may be a bit petty, but this is his 4th or 5th best album. Full Moon Fever, Damn the Torpedos, Wildflowers - all better by quite a bit and not on the list. Lazy job by Dimery.
Like it 3/5
It's okay but not really my kind of music 3
These songs don't really sound dated at all, which I guess speaks to their quality, and to Tom Petty's ability as a songwriter.
Breakdown sounds like a rip-off of Moondance by Van Morrison. Album is solid and polished, but derivative.
Classic heartland sound
i mean it’s fine, nothing bad really but like pretty forgettable
A lot of dross to wade through to get to American Girl
first listen classic vibes but nothing too standout
Definitely a 76 album
Eh it was alright. An enjoyable listen nonetheless
5/10 Vanilla rock. Wholly inoffensive, largely forgettable
The sort of nice-guy rock n roll that reminds me of long drives with my parents in America as a kid. Knew a few tracks from the best of, but don't think there'd be many occasions I'd put this on otherwise- unless I had to drive across Arizona. Like his voice though, and the Hammond organ, and have this idea he's a "nice guy" but this might be because he was also in Travelling Wilburys. And American Girl is a banger Alternative recommendation: Ezra Furman - Day of the Dog.
Really quite pleasantly surprised by this. Never consciously listened to Petty before. It's a really nice textbook rock n roll album. Not sure what it is about it. Just put me in a nice mood. I also like the production. It feels like lively live music. I probably won't go back to this much, but I would be delighted to find some of these songs on a jukebox in a bar and have a bop to them.
Half asleep in the back of the car while we're on our way back from a family day out" vibes, which is chill 🙂↕️ Adequate dad-rock. Wouldn't turn it off, but wouldn't be itching to put it on again.
I quite liked this. It was pretty fun. Not the most interesting, a lot of the songs sounded quite samey. I liked the first few tracks but it got a little dull as the album went on.
Not quite for me — I have an inherited allergy to the '70s rock sound unless Alex Chilton is involved — but I'm not wincing through my listen, either. Like many debut albums, there's an air of trying too hard, but when Tom lets loose the expectation reins, he does offer a good bit of earwormage. "Breakdown" is the one here that I wouldn't mind in a playlist of sorts, and, sure, "American Girl" is undeniable.
A little default music, but pretty solid. Nothing stand out for me, but I enjoyed it
Very middle of the road, mediocre, inoffensive rock n roll from a bygone era.
If you looked up the definition of “average” in the dictionary, you would find a picture of The Heartbreakers’ debut album in there. That’s not meant to be disparaging. This is actually a good old all-American 70s rock album, rooted in Blues and Americana, that is quite engaging. There are a couple of standout tracks ('American Girl', 'Breakdown') and a couple of sketchy ones ('Fooled Again (I Don’t Like It)', 'Luna'), but overall, it’s a nice little listen.
70s rock. Debut. Decent but nothing special.
I'll be honest: It's a debut album. It's not a revelatory debut album, but it's a promising one. When it's good, it's great ("Breakdown" will always be one for the ages), but when it's undercooked, it plods along like so many other debut albums before it (if I were in the band writing "Fooled Again," I really would have argued for a chord change literally anywhere). It's probably more of a crucial album for its prescience of greatness than for the acceptable amount of greatness within it.
There's a lot of cool stuff here. The organ sound is great, and the harmonies are so unique and beautiful. However, I find myself wishing some of the songs were tighter or even broken into smaller songs. Of course, that wouldn't be Yes, then, would it? Standout Track(s): Yours is No Disgrace, I've Seen All Good People
Good Rock N Roll album, Production is good, Songs selection is good, some songs sound too similar, songs an be too short. Overall a good album.
Does what he does. Sounds how he sounds.
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Less groundbreaking than I expected. There's some great hits on here (American girl, breakdown) and a couple surprises (Luna) but overall not too memorable of a record
Great songs incredible singles just wish they were longer
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.
Nothing outstanding, but good old fashioned Rock n Roll.
At his best he’s charming and personable, at his worst his singing is a little harsh on the ears. Oscillates between the two extremes from song to song. “Breakdown” is a classic and is surprisingly short. Even with the weird accent he’s attempting. “The Wild One, Forever” is a good song through and through. Probably my pick from the album. Emotive and well-performed. Just kinda standard rock 3/5
Came into this expecting to hate it. It surprised me. It comes across a little less over the top than guns n roses or Bon Jovi, which was the sort of uninspired 70s/80s hard rock I thought I was in for. Generally I can't stand this sorta music but this was pretty good. Fav Track: Luna 6.5/10
Enough to like on here but it’s kind of a worse Bowie to me. Love some of his songs but whole album is meh
2.5 stars A solid, inoffensive bit of rock n roll that has 2 stand out tracks and a bunch of others that are not bad. That’s about it.
Lots of classics here.
It's got Breakdown and American Girl, but the rest of the album is really forgettable. Lots of filler, but it's still Petty, so it's not bad. 3/5
Enjoyed it
Ouais c’était pas si mal au final
Stabilt, ingen storfavorit men inget jag stör mig på heller
Liked a few of the songs but not a huge fan of the general sound
Solid album, to me Breakdown, and Fooled again are the standout tracks. Makes me want to mow my lawn with my shirt off drinking a PBR.
I'm a known Tom Petty denier because they overplay him on classic radio stations. However, when the first track started playing I was excited to have my mind changed, it was such an interesting composition compared to other things I heard from him. After that, it devolved into typical pop rock but I enjoyed more than expected
Breakdown will forever be one of my favourite songs. It seems to be pretty unique in a sea of strummy Americana pop. The only Tom Petty album I ever owned was Full Moon Fever and I was totally unaware that he was recording albums in the mid-70s.
I liked this album. I didn’t love it I liked it enough that I’m looking forward to listening to album that came out after this!
Aggressively fine
Nifty album. Very Americana and classic rock. Honestly don't have much more to say about this album. Favorite track was Breakdown.
Pretty good, pretty fun. American girl is classic.
not my cup of tea
It was grand. Prefer the “Best of” which makes me a real lightweight Tom Petty fan I guess
Two things I appreciate about this record is how straightforward it is and that it's only 31 minutes long. There's something almost punk-ish about the fact that it's very much doing what it says on the tin and doesn't try to waste your time, half the songs are almost two minutes long. That being said, half of the songs are honestly great and amazing straightforward rock and roll, and the other half are hokey annoying Rod Stewart sounding shit. So half and half averages out to a 3.
Ihan ok, taas. Tuli kuunneltua toiseen kertaan, mutta tuskin jää kiertoon.
Я вже давно хочу якось уважно послухати дискографію Тома Петті, можливо це буде якраз початок, якраз дебютнік. Мені сподобався звук і деякі пісні (наприклад перша), загалом доволі стандартний РОК вайб (місцями сильно нагадало роллінг стоунз), але слухається приємно.
++: Rockin' Around (With You), Stranger in the Night, Luna, American Girl +: Anything That's Rock 'n' Roll, Fooled Again (I Don't Like It), Mystery Man +-: Breakdown, Hometown Blues, The Wild One, Forever 6,3/10
huzz album
Feels like sitcom music in the best way possible.
Some genuine classics on here, all timers - the rest is as others mention- very debut album filler
2.5/5
Good debut album. Petty only got better over time. R.I.P.
Gotta love a short album.
Not bad but not my fav
6/10 Favorite: Mystery Man
I'm surprised at how average this is... Some hits on there though. Highlights: Breakdown, American Girl
Bof... Je ne vais surement pas réécouté.
Not the best Petty album, but it showed the promise of what was to come. The older I get, the more I appreciate Pettys music - with or without the Heartbreakers
Very early Room Petty. The signs were there...
I didn't get the point of this album. Generic, middle of the road, dad rock. There was nothing particularly good or bad about it.
An okay debut with Breakdown and American Girl being the best of all the okay songs. Tom Petty would go to be the weakest member of the Traveling Wilburys. I would have put Full Moon Fever in this list over this.
Nice classic rock album, nothing really original here. I don’t dance but if I did this would be good. Favorites : - Rockin’ around (with you) - Fooled again (I don’t like it) - American girl
it was pretty good i think, i didnt pay all that much attention to it. it was yet another car listen
Vintage Americana with a couple of incredible hooks and guitars that have jangled on the radio and movies for 50 years. Crispy clean production that just sounds amazing. High highs that are overfamiliar but still rip and then a lot of pretty boilerplate 70s rock. He's definitely a Greatest Hits artist - has a lot of them, but they're spread out over a ton of albums over several decades...
Classic tom petty
Day 25 First listen- So many classic bangers in this album! Found some really good songs to jam to! (3.5/5)
I don't have an opinion on this one...
It was fine. Classic Dad Rock.
Great music, but the voice doesn’t match the genre.
i agree with the spotify minority that on this album, "Breakdown" is the real pearl while "American Girl" just has a catchy name, guhhhh. straightforward, enjoyable and reduce classic rock.
3 1/2 Tom Petty is finding his voice. It’s a good album. It includes Breakdown and American Girl.
it's nice enough but I really don't get how famous his songs are
I never understood the hype about Tom Petty. In the words of his famous song “Breakdown”. “It’s alright…”
pretty good
The standouts are indeed standouts, but the rest of the album fades into the background.
American girl. Classic song.
I don't really get why Tom Petty became a star. To me his stuff seems competent and listenable but straight down the middle, with his odd voice the only distinguishing feature. "American Girl" is a classic, but I don't think he approached it again until "Free Fallin'," many years later.
How do you bury American Girl as the last track. You have to wade through a lot if meh to get to the one standout.
3/5 - I’m pretty sure I didn’t need to hear this album before I die. Breakdown and American Girl are obvious standout hits, and Strangered in the Night is pretty good, but this isn’t an album of hidden gems. I love dozens of Tom Petty songs, but the debut is a bit thin for me.
Decent album. No need to listen again
Easy listening and agreeable, but I didn't get much more from it than that.
Eh it's okay
2,9/5
Yeah
So the 00s “meet me in the toilet” lot were part of the extended Tom Petty cinematic universe this whole time, hey; who knew? (Tom Petty knew, as it goes. He had the grace to take The Stroke’s ‘musical quotation’ in the flattering way it was undoubtedly intended, maybe he knew Julian’s dad.) There’s a fair bit Beatley about the opening track of this record; the buoyancy of “Rockin’ Around (With You)” would slot neatly into the first side of “Help!” (or any record by Vampire Weekend or Razorlight for that matter). It’s a short lived dalliance with the Fab Four though, as from “Breakdown” on this is very much Tom and his Heartbreakers’ show – short sharp shocks of tuneful pop that feel like a great American songbook all of their own. Ever since reading Dan Charnas’ history of sampling-cum-hagiography of Dilla – “Dilla Time” – I’ve enjoyed telling anyone who’ll listen that it was Tom Petty playing on some of the earliest drum samples. Turns out I’d remembered that story only half correctly: the playing of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers is featured on some of the earliest drum machines, but only the sound of their clapping made it into the final sound packs (and, therefore, appears on innumerable records – many of which you’d expect to find here on the 1001 list…). I’m grateful of the reminded; appropriately enough, it’s a warm applause from me.
OK, they are not ALL great songs, but Breakdown and American Girl are worth the listen.
Genre: Heartland Rock This album is almost bite-sized compared to some of the behemoths within, and I appreciate it. This is a color-by-numbers, pop rock album, with a big hit (American Girl), that is inoffensive and very easy to listen to. Some people will herald this as something truly essential. I don’t buy it. But it’s not bad. 3/5
I'm not familiar with Tom Petty outside of the radio hits, but for my life I've found him irritating at best. Tom Petty's debut with the Heartbreakers is, well, a debut. There are, what I would consider, filler songs, that just go absolute nowhere like "Rockin' Around (With You)", "Hometown Blues", "Strangers In The Night", and to some extent "Fooled Again (I Don't Like It)", which lyrically, sounds dumb, but I'd be lying if I said the guitars didn't rule and Tom's energy is admirable. And then, there are flashes of brilliance in songs like "Breakdown", "The Wild One (Forever)" that feel downright poetic and establish exactly why Tom Petty is held in high regard. To his credit, no two songs sound the same. Petty proves his range between screaming on "Fooled Again" and doing a Kermit the frog impression on "Mystery Man", though the latter is still a jam. It's decent. I was so tempted to give this a 4 based on the strength of the songs I did like, but it's impossible to ignore that the rest of the album is C- work at absolute best. 3 "BREAKDOWN!!"'s out of 5. Oh, and "American Girl" rules. Highlights: "Breakdown", "The Wild One, Forever", "American Girl.
Durchschnittsmusik 2,5
This is a pretty low bar album. I feel like Breakdown is verrrry mid-tier at best, even though it's a familiar tune. And then American Girl hits. And it HITS. One of my favorite songs of all time. How that is the last track instead of the first, I'll never know. This lingers in the 2/5 range until track 10, at which point it jumps a full star up to a 3.
Very Rolling Stones sounding ’70s Rock music. Decent.
Jedan od izvođača koji su više utjecajni nego kvalitetni. Album je većinom kratke i bezidejne pjesme, ali ništa ne zvuči toliko loše.
I’ve never listened to a full Tom Petty album and was excited. But this was just… fine. I definitely prefer his hits to full albums
American Girl is the standout, a huge hit, the rest of the album has some good songs and some underwhelming ones, Tom was a great hit writer, this isn't his best album but shows promise of what was to come.
Didn't find a very godson, but Free falling from ,another album remains very good
An amazingly short album, with lots of mediocrity. Perhaps not the punchiest debut; better things were ahead.
Not the best album in his discography, “Breakdown” and “American Girl” were the only noteworthy songs
A good album but at 31 minutes I would have begrudged paying for it
Bonne prod mais album un peu beige all around. Rien de désagréable, rien de fabuleux.
Was ok
A little grittier and more soul than the later commercial stuff. Can tell why American girl got picked as the single, much more poppy than the rest of the album.
The radio-singles were great, but the “deep cuts” didn’t hook me as much as I hoped they would.
His voice can be so annoying
Nice! I can see it inspired so many other rock albums. Particularly not a fan of it, but it's good music.
Das isch spassiger als erwarted gsi. Hed mini füssli fast chli zum tanze bracht und s herz afo breake. Das sind scho fiesl lüüt, professional heartbreakers, tom pitty würd vlt besser passe :/ Aber classy fall vu 3 nussgipfel. Guet gsi aber eich wieder alles vergesse gha und wirds au nümd abcheggn
Classic
Two phenomenal hits on this album, but the rest is kind of feels like filler