Makin’ some noise...

Nostra Dam
Jun 17, 2023
11 min read

Updated: Feb 12

Tom Petty, whose real name is Thomas Petty, was an American singer who can boast of having sold no less than 80 million records worldwide to date, just that !

Artist who really started his artistic career by creating a first group named 'Epics' then a second named 'Mudcrutch'. New group which will produce only one title in 1975 namely "Depot street"...

It is a year later that things will seriously accelerate with the formation of 'Tom Petty And The Heartbrakers', a group he created with Mike Campbell, Benmont Tench, Stan Lynch and Ron Blair.

Group which released a first eponymous album the same year, an album which paradoxically will work better in England than in the United States. With the key to the group's first successes on the Singles side with "Anything that's Rocl 'n' Roll" and "Breakdown".

Conversely, the following album "You're gonna get it !" which came out two years later in 1978 worked better in the United States than in England.

It was the release in 1979 of their third album "Damn the torpedoes" which will allow them to reach a level of notoriety worthy of the greatest, in particular thanks to 2 flagship Singles, "Don't do me like that", which will released the same year as well as "Refugee" which would be released a year later in 1980.

A success that cannot be denied in 1981 with the album "Hard promises" even if the latter could not match the enormous success achieved by its predecessor. Album which will mainly produce the blockbuster Single "The waiting".

New albums "Long after dark" in 1982, "Souther accents" in 1985 and "Let me up (I've had enough)" in 1987, three albums with certain success but which did not manage to produce a major hit.

A phenomenon of stagnation that will push the artist to explore new musical avenues and this is how he will join forces in 1988 with other musical stars to create a super group called 'Traveling Wilburys'. Big names like George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison and Jeff Lyne, just that ! A great group that will produce 2 great titles which are "Handle with care" still in 1988 and "End of the line" in 1989.

A year 1989 which also saw him produce his first solo album "Full moon fever", an enormous first album which will remain as the biggest success of his entire discography. In particular thanks to 2 exceptional Singles that are "I won't back down" and "Free fallin'".

Return with the Heartbrakers two years later in 1991 on the album "Into the great wide open", an album which will undoubtedly remain as one of the best opuses of the group. Album which will mainly produce the lead Single "Learning to fly"

An adventure that will continue thereafter but without the artist managing to regain a level of success equivalent to what he was before.

Artist who will leave us definitively on October 2, 2017 at the age of 66 following a cardiac arrest, cardiac arrest caused in truth by an overdose of opiate drugs in particular.

To discover or rediscover...

Discography (among others ...) :

70s Decade :

Depot street ( Mudcrutch) 1975
Breakdown 1976
Anything that’s rock ‘n’ roll 1977
American girl 1977
I need to know 1978
Listen to her heart 1978
Don’t do me like that 1979

80s Decade :

Refugee 1980
Here comes my girl 1980
The waiting 1981
A woman in love (It’s not me) 1981
Stop draggin’ my heart around 1981
You got lucky 1982
Change of heart 1983
I will run to you 1983
Don’t come around here no more 1985
Make it better (Forget about me) 1985
Rebels 1985
So you want to be a Rocl ‘n’ Roll star 1985
Needles and pins 1986
Jammin’ me 1987
Runaway trains 1987
All mixed up 1987
Think about me 1987
Handle with care 1988
I won’t back down 1989
Runnin’ down a dream 1989
Free fallin’ 1989
End of the line 1989

90s Decade :

A face in the crowd 1990
Yer so bad 1990
Nobody’s child 1990
Learning to fly 1991
Into the great wide open 1991
Out in the cold 1991
Too good to be true 1992
Kings highway 1992
Makin’ some noise 1992
All or nothin' 1992
Peace in L.A. 1992
Mary Jane’s last dance 1993
Something in the air 1994
You don’t know how it feels 1994
You wreck me 1995
It’s good to be king 1995
A higher place 1995
Walls 1996
Climb that hill 1996
Changed the locks 1996
Free girl now 1999
Room at the top 1999
Swingin’ 1999
This one's for me 1999
Accused of love 1999

2000s Decade :

The last DJ 2002
Have love will travel 2002
You and me 2002
Saving Grace 2006
Flirting with time 2006
Big week end 2006

2010s Decade :

Good enough 2010
I should have known it 2010
First flash of freedom 2010
Don't pull me over 2010
American dream plan B 2014
U get me high 2014
Forgotten man 2014
Somewhere under heaven 2015
Keep a little soul 2018
Gainesville 2018
For real 2019

2020s Decade :

Leave Virginia alone 2020

Tracks :

1975...a most ephemeral adventure to launch a career. You have to start well one day as they say...

1976...the real solo debut even if they are in a grouped mode somewhere. The basics are good, it's undeniable, but not enough to go from shadow to light for the moment...

1977... it is this title which will offer him his first success, certainly limited only to England but it is at least that...

1977... he begins to make a name for himself in England and the successes follow one another from now on. A rather good omen for the rest of the events...

1978...paradoxically it is the United States which will celebrate him during this year 1978 and more England. Sometimes you don't have to try to understand...

1978...a success that now extends to all of North America. The rise in power is linear and necessarily augurs great things later...

1979...the 1970s saw him emerge and achieve his first major successes. But it is the following decade that will really devote him to the height of its merits...

1980...starting with this title which gave him his first worldwide success. It took him little time to show what he was really capable of and above all to reach the big leagues, the real one...

1980...a decade of the 80s which started for him in the best conditions and positioned him de facto as one of the sure values of the moment...

1981...year after year he climbs the mountain and gets closer and closer to the summit. It really doesn't need much to him to get there...

1981... even if at certain times he will go down a level, this will in no way prevent him from reaching the top, he knows it...

1981... when 2 of the most prominent singers of the moment decide to push the song together the result can only be up to par. And it definitely is !

1982...the year 1982 will not remain as its best Vintage but that does not prevent him from continuing the adventure in the best possible way...

1983...this new year will not really do better than the one that preceded it, it is clear. Years ago like this...

1983... suddenly he leaves in duo mode once again with Stevie Nicks. Unfortunately, this title will not really experience the same level of success as their previous one...

1985...we suspected that these repeated counter-performances would not last forever. Here he is back in this year 1985 in a certain form and above all sufficient to bring him back to the head of the race...

1985...a plethoric year in terms of titles and which saw him return to his best level. What more could you ask for except that it lasts...

1985...all the titles of the year will not know the same fate but the main thing is that he is back in the race. We will largely be satisfied with the relative success of some...

1985...the 'little' hit of the year. A year 1985 which ends in a less glorious way than it had started but which will still have seen the release of 4 titles, which is not nothing...

1986...third duet of the Nicks-Petty pair with a higher level of success than the previous title. A pleasure to work together more than obvious in any case...

1987...the beginnings of a year are always better than the end and this year 1987 will not be an exception to the rule. Top hits in sight...

1987...the sequel will be a little less glorious, but nothing to worry about at this stage. It could be that the end of the decade has a very nice surprise in store for him...

1987...a second half of the year provided with titles but with relative success to say the least. He will still have done his best as they say...

1987 ... what is certain is that he will still have to recover and quickly otherwise the exit from the road could happen faster than expected ...

1988...all he had to do was call a few friends to push the song together and the return to the front of the stage was going to be shattering to say the least...

1989...a year 1988 which will therefore have put him back in the saddle in an ideal way and here he is again in this year 1989 boosted like never before. With the key to a first planetary mega hit just to show that we're back !

1989...he continues in stride with a title which will not equal its predecessor in terms of success but which will come close to it. All is well in the best of worlds !

1989...three titles just for this year 1989 and three huge successes. The singer is on his little cloud and does not intend to come down immediately at first sight !

1989...return with the friends to end an exceptional year 1989 in all respects for the artist. As they say, when it wants, it wants !

1990...a change of decade perfectly negotiated with a level of success that remains in good shape. Hope it lasts...

1990...certainly this title will do a little less well but given the level of success achieved by its predecessors it would have been miraculous for it to do so well...

1990...the adventure with the friends is about to end. This title will only experience a very limited level of success and prove by the same token that this meeting of extraordinary talents has come to an end...

1991...a title which will not remain as its best ranked but which will undoubtedly remain as one of its most emblematic. MAS-TER-FUL !

1991...the end of the 80s and the beginning of the 90s which will have seen him reach a level of excellence that he will never again be able to match. So take advantage of it as much as possible !

1991...every year has its 'little' hit and for 1991 it will be this one. It must be said that given the number of titles released since its debut, they can't all finish No.1 in the Charts, that's for sure...

1992...a year 1992 which will not really resemble the one that preceded it. The singer will have to come down from his little cloud because the wind is picking up at first sight...

1992... he tries to do the best he can but there are years when despite all the efforts it doesn't quite work as we would like...

1992...now remains to be seen if this year 1992 is a simple warning or a real beginning of deceleration not to be underestimated. The future will tell us...

1992 ... a sequel to the not insignificant quality and which nevertheless will pass under the radar. Not very reassuring about the sequence of events...

1992...a second title that will go under the radar, it's really starting to do a lot. Beware danger as they say...

1993...it was only a simple warning at first sight because he sets the record straight behind. The worst is avoided...

1994...here he is in luxury cover mode with this revisited version of the Thunderclap Newman title dating from 1969. The copy will not exceed the original in terms of success but will get away with it...

1994... the artist manages to maintain a level of success largely sufficient to stay ahead of the race and continue to fight with the best of the moment...

1995...a first part of the 90s which will have seen him maintain his best level and prove in a masterful way that we will still have to count on him in the years to come...

1995...even if he doesn't really stick to the latest musical developments of the moment, his style and his sound continue to please in any case, it is clear...

1995... after that he will still have to ask himself the right questions at some point about having to reinvent himself in one way or another...

1996...we don't reinvent ourselves in a day but that's for sure but the passage will be obligatory at one time or another if he wants to stay in contact with the best...

1996...we'll have to give him at least until the end of the decade to think about it. But what is certain is that the competition is moving fast, very fast...

1996... the base of fans from the first hour remains sufficient in any case for the moment which will not help to launch the great metamorphosis as soon as possible...

1999...slight air hole of 3 years but here he is again at the end of this decade faithful to the post once again. The adventure can therefore continue...

1999... he certainly came back but he will learn at his expense that the competition has taken a certain lead and that he has demoted to the leading pack...

1999...for the moment it's a free warning but it could get worse if he doesn't react as soon as possible...

1999...the proof with this title which will pass squarely 'through'. Without real awareness, the next decade is likely to be eventful for him...

1999...this one will not do better and shows that the trend towards deceleration is accelerating more and more and even getting dangerously worse...

2002...he will move on to the next decade but what was to be feared is in the process of happening, that is to say a gradual but real disappearance from the Charts...

2002...fortunately the albums are still selling well because on the sales side of Singles we can't really speak of euphoria, far from it...

2002... his refusal to evolve penalizes him to the highest degree and causes him to drop out year after year but that does not seem to disturb him more than that at first sight...

2006...he continues to chart his course as he sees fit and regardless of the consequences. Afterwards, everyone pursues their career as they wish...

2006... he says to himself that as long as the basic fans are still there there is no reason to question ourselves more than that. Dared bet...

2006... more and more titles slip through and things aren't necessarily going to get better. But that doesn't seem to bother him that much...

2010...one more decade to add to the artist's career, one ! Afterwards, doing it over time is good, but innovating for a little while is even better...

2010...it will happen to him to make some of the most furtive returns in the race but they will be few, even very few. When it no longer wants, it no longer wants...

2010...but that doesn't stop him and he continues to believe in it again and again. A desire to always move forward that commands respect no matter what...

2010... the production of titles remains plethoric but that is not enough to counterbalance the fact that he is no longer part of the Elite...

2014...he disappears more and more but he always comes back at one time or another. There is no question of letting go of anything concerning him for the moment...

2014 ... he will have hardly changed in style and sound since its debut, that is to say. We won't remake him again as they say...

2014... even if he doesn't change anything he can still boast of still being there, which is certainly not the case for all those who started at the same time as him...

2015...another title that will go under the radar, one more. But the adventure continues again and again and it's not the basic fans who will complain about it, far from it...

2018...unfortunately the adventure will stop for him definitively in 2017. Everything that will come out afterwards will only be posthumous by force of circumstance...

2018...the end of an incredible adventure for one of the most gifted artists of his generation. And who will leave behind him a discography of the most substantial !