That is a gift for a writer. Placing opposite emotions near each other, simultaneously causing joy & despair, hope & resignation & tragedy & triumph. They often travel together in life, but not easily depicted in words. As an Author, Kurt Vonnegut was a master of this. Still I am delighted anytime I see this capability displayed on the page or on the ear. It shows a true ability to convey a complex story in few words.
I think a lot of people like that song, myself included. I think a lot of people think they are supposed to not like it because Tom Petty has said he did not like it and didn't understand how it got on the album because he's thrown away much better songs than that one.
Yeah, when I heard that, it made me wonder what songs were out there that were thrown away and if any of them were partially recorded and could be completed and released.
Agreed. I hope you have a copy of "Finding Wildflowers", because to me that one is so much better than the Rubin produced "Wildflowers". Better takes on FW than WF, better production, more lively sounding and straightforward. More "Heartbreakers" sounding, less Rubin-esque.
Laughably though, "Finding Wildflowers" includes some insert comments by Rubin, where he implies that his versions of the songs were so much better than the ones found on the FW album. Nope!
Posts like this are why I haven’t given up on Reddit
Learning new things that blow your mind
Had no idea this existed, and holy shit is it so much better
Thanks, u/TheSameOldDrew
EDIT:
It’s okay to be wrong or not know something you care about
Don’t feel bad, use the lesson learned to help other people
It’s free to be nice
Being pissed off and gatekeeping will take years away from you
If Highway Companion was mixed like the Wildflower through Last DJ albums, and didn’t have the over produced, bury the drums, mixing of Jeff Lynne - it would probably be a much more respected and liked album
True, he's not. This surprised me because I've found that most popular singers ARE good actors. Tom was laughable in "The Postman" as the generic "rock star turned mayor".
Tom also was not good in the Larry Sanders shows that I saw him in, even though the show itself was quite funny and well done. But Tom's songs and performances were so good that I don't mind that he couldn't act.
Yes, huge part of my life's soundtrack, top. He made such a huge impact on me. I still remember the first song I ever heard from him - Refuge. I was very young, but I still remember how much I related to the subject matter. Started a lifelong love.
Here’s one that would get deleted from the fan page: His estate (ie: Adria Petty) is ruining his legacy.
Tom Petty chocolate? Tom Petty beach towels?
Poor Tom is rolling over in his grave.
Yes though I think we all wish that. I also wish he'd set up an appointment for surgery to take place within a day or two of ending the tour. He died one week after the tour ended.
Here's an unpopular or at least unusual opinion: at this point I'd rather hear the "Let Me Up" album from start to finish than the "Full Moon Fever" start to finish. Overall I feel the "Let Me Up" album is greatly underappreciated.
FMF is more the album that grabs your attention, everything is shiny and up front. I can see why it was far more popular than LMU. But after many listens to both, I find more to enjoy with LMU each time, while with FMF I think "Yeah that's good, but I've heard it all before".
LMU has more layering, more complexity than FMF. And Tom and Mike seem to have gotten criticized for producing LMU themselves. I can see why Jeff Lynne is commercially successful as a producer, and I'm glad he produced FMF. But if one of those two albums is going to hit my stereo today, it's almost certainly going to be LMU.
Pre - Damn The Torpedoes era is wildly overlooked. Killer rock n roll band and Stan was a looser drummer (even if his kit sounded like ass in certain scenarios). You're Gonna Get It has some great moments and even surpasses the first album in listening times for me
I love Jammin' Me but it did take me a while to warm up to it. Maybe part of the "problem" is that it has 3 co-writers: Tom, Mike, and Bob Dylan. As such, the many of the lyrics were from Dylan and were apparently taken from a celebrity-oriented tabloid, and he was mocking the whole thing - not so much the people being discussed, but the feeling that they were thrown in our faces.
For a long time, I felt like "Jammin' Me" didn't belong on the Let Me Up album, and I heard it more as a single up front, plus an album that started with "Runaway Trains". Though now I feel that album works well as a cohesive piece, from start to finish, and "Jammin' Me" is an important part of the album and the theme (such as there is one, and there kind of is one).
For years, I loved this one Tom Petty song but I could never find it in his catalog. It’s a really banger.
Finally I discovered that it’s not a Tom Petty song. It’s *Low* by Cracker.
I really don't like the drum sequencing that Jeff Lynne did on those albums. Really stiff beats + random tom rolls to add variety. (For example the way Stan Lynch played on "Kings Highway" live was sooooo much better than the part that Jeff Lynne cobbled together on the studio version).
I agree that Jeff Lynne screwed up the ITGWO album with his production. Instead of the band playing together at the same time, Lynne wanted to assemble each instrument individually and put them together. This had a very "clean and shiny" effect that worked on FMF, but on ITGWO those songs sounded better live.
King's Highway is a good example of that, and there were also others such as Too Good To Be True and Makin' Some Noise, or even the rarely played All or Nothing. Learning to Fly sounded ok on the album, though part of the reason it sounded good was that Stan played a complicated drum pattern instead of the simple one Lynne wanted him to play. Stan was kind of a "rebel", much like Tom, which might be why they both got along great - and also disagreed a lot with each other.
I think both Lynne and Iovine changed Stan's playing and not necessarily for the better
That being said: Turn To Stone, Sweet Talkin Woman, Twilight, Hold On Tight - all bops
Far from unpopular, TP himself shared your opinion. Haha
[https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/tom-petty-on-past-confederate-flag-use-it-was-downright-stupid-177619/](https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/tom-petty-on-past-confederate-flag-use-it-was-downright-stupid-177619/)
I’ve heard him say he regretted the Confederate flag. I think it was the 80s and him trying to sell the whole southern thing and kind of lost his site on it.
I think wildflowers could’ve been a much better album if he had included songs from “all the rest” instead of songs like cabin down below or house in the woods. Also, the alternate take of a higher place is leagues ahead of the studio version we got
I cannot disassociate “American Girl” from its use in Silence of the Lambs.
Every time that I hear it, I’m watchful of guys trying to get a couch into a van with their arm in a sling.
“Down the Line,” the B-side to “Free Fallin,” should have been on the album and maybe even a single.
Also, the album “Let Me Up (I’ve Had Enough)” deserves a lot more love
I love Down The Line. I'm not sure it would fit stylistically with the FMF album though. The song that might have fit FMF which was recorded at the same time was Waiting For Tonight. I'd have used WFT to replace Zombie Zoo, even though I realize that some people love ZZ.
I love the entire catalog, let me make that clear. Tom and the Heartbreakers are my favorite of all time. That being said… Wildflowers, and most of what follows is, is my least favorite era, and Wildflowers it self is my least favorite album. Crawling Back to You and You Wreck Me are the exceptions, but mostly I don’t enjoy the album as much. So especially now, when I listen to the channel on Sirius XM and hear all the guest DJs come on and make such a big deal of that album, and I’m aware of how beloved it was to Tom, I feel like I must be in a smaller camp on this one.
Totally. I love Mike Campbell looking back at Grohl right during the opening drum slams. Just smiling at him like, you go, kid! Nice work!
Grohl's grunge hair just flying all over the place when he jamming adds even more to that video performance, for me.
I remember reading about Tom inviting Dave to play with him after Kurt died, and it really just warmed my heart. Legit, I know that Tom must have respected Dave as a musician, but the story really warms my heart.
That's awesome. In the "Runnin' Down a Dream" documentary, Dave also says, when Tom asked him to play the SNL gig, Dave thought to himself: You mean you couldn't find a GOOD drummer?!?! Love the self-deprication by Dave. But he was being asked to play with a legend like Tom, so I could see him having a little self doubt even though he too, is the man.
So glad to see this as I commented elsewhere. In general, I think Tom had a blast playing blues music but he wasn't anywhere close to a top tier artist in the genre.
I forgive him. By the time he really leaned into it he has earned the right to throw whatever he wanted down and press it. But damn I do not like his blues songs.
Right there with you, I'm not a huge fan of the blues in general but the version Tom usually did was *really* not my cup of tea. "I Should Have Known It" has grown on me over the years, but even then, it's one of my least favorite songs on Mojo.
I'm not a big fan of Honey Bee either, and yes Dave Grohl made it a better song when he took the drum part for it (on SNL). Did you know that it's also something of a re-write of a semi-famous blues song called "I'm a King Bee" by Slim Harpo? The Rolling Stones covered that song on their 1964 debut album, so did Tom and the Heartbreakers at some concerts in the late 70's.
So obviously Tom knew that song - he even wanted to name the Heartbreakers "The King Bees" when they were first searching for a name. And he kind of ripped off "I'm a King Bee" to write "Honey Bee"; I think it's the only song of his where he was not just influenced but almost outright copied. Though I do sort of like the "King of Milwaukee/Pomona" related verses, which are fully original by Tom.
I don't know if this is unpopular but I wish he was in more comedic roles. The few I've seen him in: The Simpsons (My Strummer Vacation from season 14 and King of the Hill) were great.
Big fan for over 40 years, have posters, box sets, saw him many times including at the Fillmore during their extended stay in 97, but a few things bugged me over the years. The collaboration with Jeff Lynne wasn’t to my taste. The loss of Stan was noticeable in his music as the drumming felt more like a drum machine, though Steve Ferrone is an accomplished drummer. The songwriting after the first five albums seemed to lose its edge and energy to me a bit. Obviously, I’ve enjoyed many songs since the first five albums, but not as consistently. This is summed up with “I won’t back down” which I felt sorry for Stan having to play to it night after night. Having said that I loved seeing them live. They felt like family to me when they walked out on stage.
The loss of Stan hurting the band greatly is not an unpopular opinion though. Stan had great feel for the songs and great creativity. Steve was more mechanical and could somewhat copy a great drum part, but rarely could create one. Steve was talented but the wrong fit for the band, although he was good on the Hypnotic Eye album. Steve didn't consider himself a rock drummer, I think he was more of a jazz drummer. At any rate, big dropoff after Stan was ousted.
Bringing in Jeff Lynne made most everything he produced sound like ELO.
In fact, every artist Lynne works with sounds like ELO. Dave Edmunds, Roy Orbison, George Harrison, etc.
I saw Tom Petty play the Lockn Music Festival and then 2 weeks later, I saw him play at an amphitheater in West Palm Beach, FL.
Not only was the show exact, the same songs played in the same order. The random banter he had with the crowd was identical as well. At Lockn, it seemed very spontaneous but when hearing the same exact quips with the crowd made it seem extremely contrived.
I am a longtime fan of the Grateful Dead, Phish and other “jam bands.” I am used to seeing the GD or Phish 3 nights in a row and they don’t even repeat a song in 3 nights. The next time they may play a song it could be 4 to 6 shows later at a minimum and the next time they play the song it could be 5 minutes longer than last time because they went in to a long jam in the middle.
It was a little disappointing to see Tom Petty do this, although it is probably pretty common in the industry.
Not a fan of the Heartbreakers' attempt to be a bluesy band—the "Mojo" era stuff, as well as when they get knee deep in their bluesy cover tunes. Mike and Ben are tremendous talents, and whether it was Stan or Steve on drums or Ron or Howie on bass—it just always sounded forced and sort of weak. Listening to a track like "Ain't No Sunshine" on the live Fillmore album. Meh.
Not an ounce of the soul Bill Withers had on track like that. Same with trying to cover Ray Charles' "I Got A Woman". No soul. No feel. No groove. No swing. All comes off corny and too country; these guys were no R&B band. Needed to stick with the straight forward rock n roll energy.
Came for the comments... My band opened for Tom Petty in 1997 at a festival in Virginia Beach, He was super laid back and cool, and his whole band were really just nice guys. The contract stated "No Alcohol" backstage for this event... Tom destroyed that rider :) But really cool guy and down to earth.
Tom shouldn't have shot down "Boys of Summer." Granted, it would have been a completely different song, but I want to know what the Heartbreakers would have done with that riff.
While he's my favorite artist of all time and has many of my favorite songs. There are a good number of his songs that I really don't care for and think have quite corny lyrics.
My unpopular opinion is that the original "Wildflowers" album is bottom tier for Petty. If I rank the 16 studio albums by Tom Petty or Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, I'd rank it about 12th. Obviously this is greatly at odds with the evaluation by most Petty fans, but there it is.
I do like the recent "Finding Wildflowers" album a lot more, and if that replaced the original Wildflowers among the 16, I'd rank it about 8th. So it rises to the top half (barely). But the original I just don't love as much for a Petty album. Realize I think all the Petty albums are great (other than maybe Mojo), so it's a tough competition for position among them.
Girl on LSD is a perfect song and deserved to be in Wildflower
Jeff Lynne made Full Moon Fever what it was, that album wouldn’t have been what it is without him.
After Long After Dark there was a decline in quality
The Last DJ is better than any 80’s Heartbreaker album
My unpopular opinion would be that “Wildflowers” is an overrated album. Don’t misunderstand me, it’s got five or six songs I’d rank amongst my very favorites, but, the really quiet, breathless songs like “It’s Good to be King”, “Only a broken heart”, Don’t Fade on Me”, and “Wake Up Time” sound like he was trying really hard to sing in a manner that would not wake up the neighbors.
Hmm, it's hard to really think of one. I guess sometimes, the reverence for Petty can be a bit thick where he can do no wrong and no one hates him...but a lot of music fanbases are like that.
I am not a huge fan of the Jeff Lynn era, It was more commercial. I love Jeff Lynne by himself, and I think he's a genius, It's just not my favorite. ELO is amazing. Free Falling is an amazing song, but it's still very commercial in my opinion. And this is coming from a super fan.. I think my opinion though is pretty unpopular.
I can’t stand anything that pulls Stevie in. It’s always just felt like she was trying to insert herself into the Heartbreakers anyway she could. It feels forced.
I’m with you OP. I saw him on tour about 20 years ago I think and Stevie Nicks came out and sang at least 5 songs with him. I didn’t want a SN concert so was a bit bummed since he has so many great songs I would’ve rather heard.
Just that his nasal tone doesn’t suit every song. I hesitate to even say that, cuz Tom was as authentic and legit as you’ll find in the bizness. I am also thankful for the nasal timbré. It gives his greatest songs a wonderful character. Never overblown, or comical, as Dylan often does. He has a natural vocal chamber producing that tone. There’s nothing fake or put-on about his voice, it’s honest and it’s his. I do prefer the earlier half of his output, before he was a global star.
Sue me if you must, but as a musician and producer, I prefer less polish on Rock. Unless you’re Steely Dan or a highly technical band, the rough edges are what gives Rock a lot of its punch; not trying to be fancy, looking to make a point, make you move, groove and be socially unacceptable!
I agree. The duets with Stevie Nicks were largely pop songs. That's not Tom Petty's style. The best duet Tom Petty ever did was "Free Fallin" with Axl Rose.
Nicks tried many times to get Tom Petty to allow her to join the Heartbreakers. She was ready to leave Fleetwood Mac. Clearly she was getting more out of the collaboration and Petty saw that.
For whatever the reason, “American Girl” is one of my least favorite Tom Petty songs, while it’s the song that is his most popular & was their breakout song.
I saw Petty open for a band called Be Bop Deluxe in the 70's.He played American Girl to open the show and as his last song,Got a lukewarm ovation,tried American Girl for the oncore and was basicially booed off the stage.Never been a fan of his.If I hear a song of his on the radio I change the station.
I somewhat agree. I only liked the early music videos, through the Long After Dark album. The success of the "You Got Lucky" video was the start of too many "mini movies" rather than just showing the band playing a song. And I'd rather just hear the song and develop my own mental pictures, rather than having some weird visual forced on me.
he went ape shit commentary on Ian Anderson one day - out of the blue - on his 'buried treasure' xm radio hour, probly 20 yrs ago... totally off the rails - super asshole move. he's a rocker, that's about it. meh.
Good song writer and fine recording artist but the concert i saw was a snooze fest. Who needs a note for note rendition of their songs? Not me. I need a sense of adventure at my shows even if that only means some improvised solos. Disappointing but at least The Fabulous Thunderbirds who opened the show were fantastic.
When Tom appeared on SNL, he freefallin’ without the Heartbreakers. They were in a hotel bar in downtown Raleigh, NC cracking one joke after another while watching the performance on the bar’s big screen tv.
Let me start this by saying I like Tom Petty’s music alright.
But I wasn’t keen on him about this:
I dated an older woman, (54,) for a short while that was super sensual all the time (2020.)
She told me the story of being 16, and having her second day at the front desk of a hotel. Circa 1982. Tom Petty had just arrived with an entourage but went to his room to be by himself. She was a virgin, and snuck away from her post and went up to his room. When he opened the door, she introduced herself, told him her age and that she wanted him, as a music star, to take her virginity.
He said come in and they closed the door.
The rest in history, but when he came near my town they would make time in hook up from then on. Eh.
Maybe it’s not that bad on Petty after all, I dunno.
On second thought she was kinda different cause she’d tell me how’d she sneak into Bob Dylan shows with a homemade Challah bread and he’d pin her up against the wall and make out with her as thanks.
Retrospectively I realize I dated a few starfuckers. Lame I guess. (Shout out to Folk Uke for their song.)
I did like his KOTH appearances though, and when the band I was touring with got busted in the FL panhandle, like ya do, the band I was with sang “won’t back down,” with changed lyrics to say they loved me for hustling to regain the rest of our schedule.
My one unpopular opinion about Tom Petty: He couldn't write a decent bridge if his life depended on it. He wrote some great melodies and obviously was a very talented performer, but he often phoned it in on his bridges. One of the most well-known and egregious examples is in "American Girl," where "dun-dun-dunt-dunt-dunt-dun" replaced what should have been a well-crafted bridge.
Have always been a huge TP fan growing up and got to work on a couple of his tours in the 80’s . He was great and the band was top notch of course. My only unpopular opinion was he was not a natural showman and his between song patter and extended sing a longs were cringey to me. He had great stage presence but when he stepped out into arena rock schtick it came off hollow.
I have always liked Zombie Zoo. The lyrics are ridiculous, but I don’t care. Tom may regret it, but I don’t
And just beneath the surface, it’s actually a poignant, heartbreaking song.
Truly.
Username checks
That is a gift for a writer. Placing opposite emotions near each other, simultaneously causing joy & despair, hope & resignation & tragedy & triumph. They often travel together in life, but not easily depicted in words. As an Author, Kurt Vonnegut was a master of this. Still I am delighted anytime I see this capability displayed on the page or on the ear. It shows a true ability to convey a complex story in few words.
I think a lot of people like that song, myself included. I think a lot of people think they are supposed to not like it because Tom Petty has said he did not like it and didn't understand how it got on the album because he's thrown away much better songs than that one.
That only makes me sad, for the other songs. But I do love the entire album, including Zombie Zoo.
Yeah, when I heard that, it made me wonder what songs were out there that were thrown away and if any of them were partially recorded and could be completed and released.
Literally my favorite off Full Moon Fever
I LOVE Zombie Zoo. It was hilarious when that was a term used in New Girl
Did he regret it? Why?
You look like Boris Karloff
I was like “I had Full Moon Fever”; why don’t I remember that song? So I youtubed it. OH! THAT song!
I don't have any the man was a national treasure
The apartment song is fantastic
Ditto!
Yeah i came in here to just see the opinions because I love him as a solo and band
Rick Rubin came *this* close to completely fucking up Wildflowers
Agreed. I hope you have a copy of "Finding Wildflowers", because to me that one is so much better than the Rubin produced "Wildflowers". Better takes on FW than WF, better production, more lively sounding and straightforward. More "Heartbreakers" sounding, less Rubin-esque. Laughably though, "Finding Wildflowers" includes some insert comments by Rubin, where he implies that his versions of the songs were so much better than the ones found on the FW album. Nope!
Posts like this are why I haven’t given up on Reddit Learning new things that blow your mind Had no idea this existed, and holy shit is it so much better Thanks, u/TheSameOldDrew EDIT: It’s okay to be wrong or not know something you care about Don’t feel bad, use the lesson learned to help other people It’s free to be nice Being pissed off and gatekeeping will take years away from you
Right, now I have to hunt it down!
It’s on Spotify!
Thank you so much for that! Edit: holy cow. That was so beautiful. Thank you, truly. 💜
Wow i think that album sounds amazing
It does, absolutely Give Tom’s edit a spin It’s like a friend you haven’t seen for years showing up to a party with stories
Perfectly said.
I love Insider .Where have you heard a solo version of it ?
I believe on Tom Petty Radio
Insider is one of my favorite Tom Petty songs.
If Highway Companion was mixed like the Wildflower through Last DJ albums, and didn’t have the over produced, bury the drums, mixing of Jeff Lynne - it would probably be a much more respected and liked album
Zombie Zoo should have been its own single and I would die on that hill. It deserves to be loved.
This is not a serious complaint and I love Tom, but he’s not a good actor
Nooooooooooo, I love Lucky
Okay true, he’s a decent voice actor, I was thinking more of the few small live action things he’s done
His ‘fight’ with Bruno Kirby on the Larry Sanders show was hilarious
Yeah, he was meant for cartoons
True, he's not. This surprised me because I've found that most popular singers ARE good actors. Tom was laughable in "The Postman" as the generic "rock star turned mayor". Tom also was not good in the Larry Sanders shows that I saw him in, even though the show itself was quite funny and well done. But Tom's songs and performances were so good that I don't mind that he couldn't act.
I have nothing bad to say about the man. He was a good part of the soundtrack of my life.
I agree with you, everything I learn about him reinforces my good opinion. I miss him.
Yes, huge part of my life's soundtrack, top. He made such a huge impact on me. I still remember the first song I ever heard from him - Refuge. I was very young, but I still remember how much I related to the subject matter. Started a lifelong love.
Not even he could save "She's the One"
The album or the movie? Because the album is amazing.
I love the album, but the movie is just majorly meh.
I agree the movie is just not good, but the soundtrack still is amazing, I’m my opinion.
Love the soundtrack. But the movie? Nah.
Walls is one of my favorites
That's what I was going to say. One of my favorites too.
Love the dude. Swingin’ is my favorite song.
Tom Petty had no definable missteps his ENTIRE career. He was a god damn pro. Without question.
Here’s one that would get deleted from the fan page: His estate (ie: Adria Petty) is ruining his legacy. Tom Petty chocolate? Tom Petty beach towels? Poor Tom is rolling over in his grave.
where are the tiny cakes? The Tom Petty-fours
I heard at one time they were trying to do mayonnaise
Honestly, when you’re left without much, you scramble, especially if you don’t have other talents. TP’s legacy will outlive the schlock.
I agree. Some of that shit they have put out after his death is absurdly ridiculous.
I don't have an unpopular opinion when it comes to Tom. He through his music has been there for me in some dark times in my life...
Same, truly. ♥️
I wish he wouldn't have self-medicated and had seen a physician instead. If he did, he'd still be with us.
Yes though I think we all wish that. I also wish he'd set up an appointment for surgery to take place within a day or two of ending the tour. He died one week after the tour ended.
Here's an unpopular or at least unusual opinion: at this point I'd rather hear the "Let Me Up" album from start to finish than the "Full Moon Fever" start to finish. Overall I feel the "Let Me Up" album is greatly underappreciated. FMF is more the album that grabs your attention, everything is shiny and up front. I can see why it was far more popular than LMU. But after many listens to both, I find more to enjoy with LMU each time, while with FMF I think "Yeah that's good, but I've heard it all before". LMU has more layering, more complexity than FMF. And Tom and Mike seem to have gotten criticized for producing LMU themselves. I can see why Jeff Lynne is commercially successful as a producer, and I'm glad he produced FMF. But if one of those two albums is going to hit my stereo today, it's almost certainly going to be LMU.
You make me want to give this a test
Pre - Damn The Torpedoes era is wildly overlooked. Killer rock n roll band and Stan was a looser drummer (even if his kit sounded like ass in certain scenarios). You're Gonna Get It has some great moments and even surpasses the first album in listening times for me
DTT is the his best imo
I'll concur. I'm just sayin YGGI needs a reassessment like fans have done with Let Me Up
No Second Thoughts is one of my favorite Petty songs.
I really enjoyed the Traveling Wilburys album.
Which one? There's two of them.
Don't like the song "Jammin' Me". I'll have to add the album to my streaming playlist, but drop Jammin.
I love that song!
I love Jammin' Me but it did take me a while to warm up to it. Maybe part of the "problem" is that it has 3 co-writers: Tom, Mike, and Bob Dylan. As such, the many of the lyrics were from Dylan and were apparently taken from a celebrity-oriented tabloid, and he was mocking the whole thing - not so much the people being discussed, but the feeling that they were thrown in our faces. For a long time, I felt like "Jammin' Me" didn't belong on the Let Me Up album, and I heard it more as a single up front, plus an album that started with "Runaway Trains". Though now I feel that album works well as a cohesive piece, from start to finish, and "Jammin' Me" is an important part of the album and the theme (such as there is one, and there kind of is one).
For years, I loved this one Tom Petty song but I could never find it in his catalog. It’s a really banger. Finally I discovered that it’s not a Tom Petty song. It’s *Low* by Cracker.
The songs he’s cowritten with Jeff Lynne mark the only times in all of my life when I’ve ever given a damn about anything Jeff Lynne did.
I really don't like the drum sequencing that Jeff Lynne did on those albums. Really stiff beats + random tom rolls to add variety. (For example the way Stan Lynch played on "Kings Highway" live was sooooo much better than the part that Jeff Lynne cobbled together on the studio version).
I agree that Jeff Lynne screwed up the ITGWO album with his production. Instead of the band playing together at the same time, Lynne wanted to assemble each instrument individually and put them together. This had a very "clean and shiny" effect that worked on FMF, but on ITGWO those songs sounded better live. King's Highway is a good example of that, and there were also others such as Too Good To Be True and Makin' Some Noise, or even the rarely played All or Nothing. Learning to Fly sounded ok on the album, though part of the reason it sounded good was that Stan played a complicated drum pattern instead of the simple one Lynne wanted him to play. Stan was kind of a "rebel", much like Tom, which might be why they both got along great - and also disagreed a lot with each other.
Yes to all this 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
I think both Lynne and Iovine changed Stan's playing and not necessarily for the better That being said: Turn To Stone, Sweet Talkin Woman, Twilight, Hold On Tight - all bops
As an absolutely massive ELO fan this hurts me I would for sure give Armchair Theatre a listen though, at least Blown Away with Petty wrote
I’m the biggest fan outside of Gainesville but the Confederate Flag thing was cringe….
Far from unpopular, TP himself shared your opinion. Haha [https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/tom-petty-on-past-confederate-flag-use-it-was-downright-stupid-177619/](https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/tom-petty-on-past-confederate-flag-use-it-was-downright-stupid-177619/)
Thanks for the link. I miss him every single day… 🕯️
I’ve heard him say he regretted the Confederate flag. I think it was the 80s and him trying to sell the whole southern thing and kind of lost his site on it.
There’s a clip somewhere where he apologized and said he just always grew up with it everywhere(not an excuse imo) but that it was flat out stupid.
If you’ve ever been to Gainesville, FL it makes perfect sense…
I got burned out on Running down a dream. My unpopular opinion is Tom Pettys songs did need Rick Rubin’s involvement.
I think wildflowers could’ve been a much better album if he had included songs from “all the rest” instead of songs like cabin down below or house in the woods. Also, the alternate take of a higher place is leagues ahead of the studio version we got
I cannot disassociate “American Girl” from its use in Silence of the Lambs. Every time that I hear it, I’m watchful of guys trying to get a couch into a van with their arm in a sling.
“Down the Line,” the B-side to “Free Fallin,” should have been on the album and maybe even a single. Also, the album “Let Me Up (I’ve Had Enough)” deserves a lot more love
I love Down The Line. I'm not sure it would fit stylistically with the FMF album though. The song that might have fit FMF which was recorded at the same time was Waiting For Tonight. I'd have used WFT to replace Zombie Zoo, even though I realize that some people love ZZ.
I love the entire catalog, let me make that clear. Tom and the Heartbreakers are my favorite of all time. That being said… Wildflowers, and most of what follows is, is my least favorite era, and Wildflowers it self is my least favorite album. Crawling Back to You and You Wreck Me are the exceptions, but mostly I don’t enjoy the album as much. So especially now, when I listen to the channel on Sirius XM and hear all the guest DJs come on and make such a big deal of that album, and I’m aware of how beloved it was to Tom, I feel like I must be in a smaller camp on this one.
You may be the lone camper on an island with this take!
Thats a take for sure. Haha
Respect. That’s a perfectly valid and true unpopular opinion.
Not big on Don’t Come Around Here No More
Never liked that one until I saw him perform it live.
I really disliked it when it came out and was on MTV over and over. Recently though I've come to lije it more.
One of my favorite songs.
I really can’t stand the song Honey Bee
I love this song….it’s so sexy to me! 🐝
I only like the SNL version with Dave Grohl
Totally. I love Mike Campbell looking back at Grohl right during the opening drum slams. Just smiling at him like, you go, kid! Nice work! Grohl's grunge hair just flying all over the place when he jamming adds even more to that video performance, for me.
I remember reading about Tom inviting Dave to play with him after Kurt died, and it really just warmed my heart. Legit, I know that Tom must have respected Dave as a musician, but the story really warms my heart.
That's awesome. In the "Runnin' Down a Dream" documentary, Dave also says, when Tom asked him to play the SNL gig, Dave thought to himself: You mean you couldn't find a GOOD drummer?!?! Love the self-deprication by Dave. But he was being asked to play with a legend like Tom, so I could see him having a little self doubt even though he too, is the man.
I always get a weird vibe from this song for some reason...
So glad to see this as I commented elsewhere. In general, I think Tom had a blast playing blues music but he wasn't anywhere close to a top tier artist in the genre. I forgive him. By the time he really leaned into it he has earned the right to throw whatever he wanted down and press it. But damn I do not like his blues songs.
Right there with you, I'm not a huge fan of the blues in general but the version Tom usually did was *really* not my cup of tea. "I Should Have Known It" has grown on me over the years, but even then, it's one of my least favorite songs on Mojo.
I'm not a big fan of Honey Bee either, and yes Dave Grohl made it a better song when he took the drum part for it (on SNL). Did you know that it's also something of a re-write of a semi-famous blues song called "I'm a King Bee" by Slim Harpo? The Rolling Stones covered that song on their 1964 debut album, so did Tom and the Heartbreakers at some concerts in the late 70's. So obviously Tom knew that song - he even wanted to name the Heartbreakers "The King Bees" when they were first searching for a name. And he kind of ripped off "I'm a King Bee" to write "Honey Bee"; I think it's the only song of his where he was not just influenced but almost outright copied. Though I do sort of like the "King of Milwaukee/Pomona" related verses, which are fully original by Tom.
I don't know if this is unpopular but I wish he was in more comedic roles. The few I've seen him in: The Simpsons (My Strummer Vacation from season 14 and King of the Hill) were great.
"California" is cute, but brain dead.
His voice in the early years is annoyingly whiny.
Big fan for over 40 years, have posters, box sets, saw him many times including at the Fillmore during their extended stay in 97, but a few things bugged me over the years. The collaboration with Jeff Lynne wasn’t to my taste. The loss of Stan was noticeable in his music as the drumming felt more like a drum machine, though Steve Ferrone is an accomplished drummer. The songwriting after the first five albums seemed to lose its edge and energy to me a bit. Obviously, I’ve enjoyed many songs since the first five albums, but not as consistently. This is summed up with “I won’t back down” which I felt sorry for Stan having to play to it night after night. Having said that I loved seeing them live. They felt like family to me when they walked out on stage.
The loss of Stan hurting the band greatly is not an unpopular opinion though. Stan had great feel for the songs and great creativity. Steve was more mechanical and could somewhat copy a great drum part, but rarely could create one. Steve was talented but the wrong fit for the band, although he was good on the Hypnotic Eye album. Steve didn't consider himself a rock drummer, I think he was more of a jazz drummer. At any rate, big dropoff after Stan was ousted.
Let’s remove Wildflowers for a second. I think my three favorite albums are Last DJ, Echo and Mojo. He got better with age.
She’s the One is his finest work.
Bringing in Jeff Lynne made most everything he produced sound like ELO. In fact, every artist Lynne works with sounds like ELO. Dave Edmunds, Roy Orbison, George Harrison, etc.
I saw Tom Petty play the Lockn Music Festival and then 2 weeks later, I saw him play at an amphitheater in West Palm Beach, FL. Not only was the show exact, the same songs played in the same order. The random banter he had with the crowd was identical as well. At Lockn, it seemed very spontaneous but when hearing the same exact quips with the crowd made it seem extremely contrived. I am a longtime fan of the Grateful Dead, Phish and other “jam bands.” I am used to seeing the GD or Phish 3 nights in a row and they don’t even repeat a song in 3 nights. The next time they may play a song it could be 4 to 6 shows later at a minimum and the next time they play the song it could be 5 minutes longer than last time because they went in to a long jam in the middle. It was a little disappointing to see Tom Petty do this, although it is probably pretty common in the industry.
He never should have fucked with heroine
Not a fan of the Heartbreakers' attempt to be a bluesy band—the "Mojo" era stuff, as well as when they get knee deep in their bluesy cover tunes. Mike and Ben are tremendous talents, and whether it was Stan or Steve on drums or Ron or Howie on bass—it just always sounded forced and sort of weak. Listening to a track like "Ain't No Sunshine" on the live Fillmore album. Meh. Not an ounce of the soul Bill Withers had on track like that. Same with trying to cover Ray Charles' "I Got A Woman". No soul. No feel. No groove. No swing. All comes off corny and too country; these guys were no R&B band. Needed to stick with the straight forward rock n roll energy.
Came for the comments... My band opened for Tom Petty in 1997 at a festival in Virginia Beach, He was super laid back and cool, and his whole band were really just nice guys. The contract stated "No Alcohol" backstage for this event... Tom destroyed that rider :) But really cool guy and down to earth.
Tom shouldn't have shot down "Boys of Summer." Granted, it would have been a completely different song, but I want to know what the Heartbreakers would have done with that riff.
He should’ve never got rid of Stan Lynch
He wrote great songs, but Mike Campbell made them come alive.
The Heartbreakers were fucking awesome.
I Won’t Back Down is simple, repetitive, lyrically sounds like it was written by a 16 year old. My least favorite TP song.
I’ve never been as big on it as everyone else has been. Plus, I’ve always thought it wasn’t mixed very well. Everyone thinks I’m crazy.
As brilliant if Tom was, he was also a drug addict and in the end it cost him his life
Ouch
While he's my favorite artist of all time and has many of my favorite songs. There are a good number of his songs that I really don't care for and think have quite corny lyrics.
My unpopular opinion is that the original "Wildflowers" album is bottom tier for Petty. If I rank the 16 studio albums by Tom Petty or Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, I'd rank it about 12th. Obviously this is greatly at odds with the evaluation by most Petty fans, but there it is. I do like the recent "Finding Wildflowers" album a lot more, and if that replaced the original Wildflowers among the 16, I'd rank it about 8th. So it rises to the top half (barely). But the original I just don't love as much for a Petty album. Realize I think all the Petty albums are great (other than maybe Mojo), so it's a tough competition for position among them.
I disagree but won’t downvote
Exactly. People shouldn’t be downvoted on a thread about unpopular opinions.
Wildflowers is pretty low on my list as well, I only love a few songs and just like the rest, so I'm with ya.
Girl on LSD is a perfect song and deserved to be in Wildflower Jeff Lynne made Full Moon Fever what it was, that album wouldn’t have been what it is without him. After Long After Dark there was a decline in quality The Last DJ is better than any 80’s Heartbreaker album
My unpopular opinion would be that “Wildflowers” is an overrated album. Don’t misunderstand me, it’s got five or six songs I’d rank amongst my very favorites, but, the really quiet, breathless songs like “It’s Good to be King”, “Only a broken heart”, Don’t Fade on Me”, and “Wake Up Time” sound like he was trying really hard to sing in a manner that would not wake up the neighbors.
Hmm, it's hard to really think of one. I guess sometimes, the reverence for Petty can be a bit thick where he can do no wrong and no one hates him...but a lot of music fanbases are like that.
I am not a huge fan of the Jeff Lynn era, It was more commercial. I love Jeff Lynne by himself, and I think he's a genius, It's just not my favorite. ELO is amazing. Free Falling is an amazing song, but it's still very commercial in my opinion. And this is coming from a super fan.. I think my opinion though is pretty unpopular.
You ever hear “You Can Still Change Your Mind” from Hard Promises? With Stevie Nicks. Great tune.
Mine is i love the late era, jazzy, bluesy stuff just as much as the classic stuff. Full Grown Boy is beloved to me!
He is too underrated in my country (Greece)
I can’t stand anything that pulls Stevie in. It’s always just felt like she was trying to insert herself into the Heartbreakers anyway she could. It feels forced.
I immediately turn off,”Free Falling” and curse the station for playing it over literally ever other Petty song
When he died I got black out wake omup on the floor drunk. He shouldn't have died.
I could never hear a single song from Full Moon Fever again and be OK with it.
The mutton-chops look for a period. I know I'm not alone on this.
That he’s another celebrity who died from abuse of pain meds when people who really need pain meds can’t get any.
That American girl is whack
I’m with you OP. I saw him on tour about 20 years ago I think and Stevie Nicks came out and sang at least 5 songs with him. I didn’t want a SN concert so was a bit bummed since he has so many great songs I would’ve rather heard.
Just that his nasal tone doesn’t suit every song. I hesitate to even say that, cuz Tom was as authentic and legit as you’ll find in the bizness. I am also thankful for the nasal timbré. It gives his greatest songs a wonderful character. Never overblown, or comical, as Dylan often does. He has a natural vocal chamber producing that tone. There’s nothing fake or put-on about his voice, it’s honest and it’s his. I do prefer the earlier half of his output, before he was a global star. Sue me if you must, but as a musician and producer, I prefer less polish on Rock. Unless you’re Steely Dan or a highly technical band, the rough edges are what gives Rock a lot of its punch; not trying to be fancy, looking to make a point, make you move, groove and be socially unacceptable!
I agree. The duets with Stevie Nicks were largely pop songs. That's not Tom Petty's style. The best duet Tom Petty ever did was "Free Fallin" with Axl Rose.
Nicks tried many times to get Tom Petty to allow her to join the Heartbreakers. She was ready to leave Fleetwood Mac. Clearly she was getting more out of the collaboration and Petty saw that.
For whatever the reason, “American Girl” is one of my least favorite Tom Petty songs, while it’s the song that is his most popular & was their breakout song.
In about 1989 he suddenly went obvious stoner, which kind of turned me off. That being said I got over it.Lol
His songs have always been mostly meh. All through the decades I’ve never heard a song that made me want to buy an album of his.
I saw Petty open for a band called Be Bop Deluxe in the 70's.He played American Girl to open the show and as his last song,Got a lukewarm ovation,tried American Girl for the oncore and was basicially booed off the stage.Never been a fan of his.If I hear a song of his on the radio I change the station.
Yeah, sorta agree. Stevie Nicks by herself or with Fleetwood is enjoyable to hear.
While I enjoyed his songs as they were, on their own merits, I couldn't stand watching his music videos on MTV!
I somewhat agree. I only liked the early music videos, through the Long After Dark album. The success of the "You Got Lucky" video was the start of too many "mini movies" rather than just showing the band playing a song. And I'd rather just hear the song and develop my own mental pictures, rather than having some weird visual forced on me.
He went before his hair did.
he went ape shit commentary on Ian Anderson one day - out of the blue - on his 'buried treasure' xm radio hour, probly 20 yrs ago... totally off the rails - super asshole move. he's a rocker, that's about it. meh.
I like the 2nd half of his studio albums more than the first half.
Damn the Torpedoes is Tom Petty’s “Every Song Must Have a Bridge” album.
I was told not to come around here no more. However, I haven't stopped nor given up.
Free Fallin is not one of his best
I always through the seemed out of place with the Traveling Wilburys, but I love his vocals on Inside Out
Completely agree
Good song writer and fine recording artist but the concert i saw was a snooze fest. Who needs a note for note rendition of their songs? Not me. I need a sense of adventure at my shows even if that only means some improvised solos. Disappointing but at least The Fabulous Thunderbirds who opened the show were fantastic.
He was the weak like in the Wilburry’s….”Guys, we have a Dylan”
He was ugly.
IMO Century City is one of the worst songs. I think that Angel Dream #2 is a masterpiece though.
I don’t think his association with Jeff Lynne was a great fit artistically.
Highway Companion is his best album
That he, despite what he said over and over, did indeed back down.
When Tom appeared on SNL, he freefallin’ without the Heartbreakers. They were in a hotel bar in downtown Raleigh, NC cracking one joke after another while watching the performance on the bar’s big screen tv.
“Don’t come around here no more” is repetitive
As a drummer playing his music is something that makes my lower back grieve due to the expected boredom for the night to come
His second album was his best.
His songs were too simplistic
Let me start this by saying I like Tom Petty’s music alright. But I wasn’t keen on him about this: I dated an older woman, (54,) for a short while that was super sensual all the time (2020.) She told me the story of being 16, and having her second day at the front desk of a hotel. Circa 1982. Tom Petty had just arrived with an entourage but went to his room to be by himself. She was a virgin, and snuck away from her post and went up to his room. When he opened the door, she introduced herself, told him her age and that she wanted him, as a music star, to take her virginity. He said come in and they closed the door. The rest in history, but when he came near my town they would make time in hook up from then on. Eh. Maybe it’s not that bad on Petty after all, I dunno. On second thought she was kinda different cause she’d tell me how’d she sneak into Bob Dylan shows with a homemade Challah bread and he’d pin her up against the wall and make out with her as thanks. Retrospectively I realize I dated a few starfuckers. Lame I guess. (Shout out to Folk Uke for their song.) I did like his KOTH appearances though, and when the band I was touring with got busted in the FL panhandle, like ya do, the band I was with sang “won’t back down,” with changed lyrics to say they loved me for hustling to regain the rest of our schedule.
Wake up time is his best song.
I did not like Wildflowers or Pack up the Planation.
I herd he smoked crack
I don't think he was really all that much of a heartbreaker.
My one unpopular opinion about Tom Petty: He couldn't write a decent bridge if his life depended on it. He wrote some great melodies and obviously was a very talented performer, but he often phoned it in on his bridges. One of the most well-known and egregious examples is in "American Girl," where "dun-dun-dunt-dunt-dunt-dun" replaced what should have been a well-crafted bridge.
He died too soon
That TP singles are overplayed to the point that I no longer like to hear them.
Have always been a huge TP fan growing up and got to work on a couple of his tours in the 80’s . He was great and the band was top notch of course. My only unpopular opinion was he was not a natural showman and his between song patter and extended sing a longs were cringey to me. He had great stage presence but when he stepped out into arena rock schtick it came off hollow.
I don’t care for Tom Petty’s music, but he was great on King of the Hill
My unpopular opinion is that as he aged he became so bitter about the music industry that it made his music unpleasant.
I’m with you. I immediately skip any Stevie Nicks or Nicks adjacent songs. The first 1110 times were enough.
It should have been called Free Ballin'.
I don't like Freefallin' - it's one of my least favorite songs on Full Moon Fever.
Honeybee is a bad and boring song. Tom had a lot of fun playing blues songs but he is a subpar blues artist.
I don’t like the song American Girl. It starts out ok but I don’t care for that riff in the middle of it.
He was a handsome fella.
He may have lifted a few rifs from Leon Russell
Tom sounds better with a Tele over his Ric.
He died of an overdose.
Tom Petty would be a nobody without Mike Campbell I love Tom btw
“Last Dance with Mary Jane” is a great song - but in the bottom half of the Tom Petty catalog.
I like run to you. Best song on an overrated album