Top Ten Songs by Tom Petty
10. “Mary Jane’s Last Dance”
“Mary Jane’s Last Dance” is a single that was released off of Greatest Hits by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in 1993. This single was added as a new song in addition to the all of the greatest hits from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers from the previous seventeen years of their career. This song cannot be described as anything but haunting. The entire album is worth owning, but “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” adds that extra incentive, making it one of Tom Petty’s top ten songs.
9. “Refugee”
“Refugee” appeared first on the “Damn the Torpedoes” album released in 1979 by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. This song is one of the best rock songs to come out from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and cemented their status as a rock band. This song is definitely one of the top ten songs from Tom Petty.
8. “You Don’t Know How It Feels”
The second solo album from Tom Petty, Wildflowers, features the song, “You Don’t Know How It Feels.” This album was released in 1994, and offers the distinct sound of Tom Petty but without the Heartbreakers. The sound is slightly different, but nonetheless, “You Don’t Know How It Feels” became a tremendous hit and cemented it a spot on the top ten list of songs from Tom Petty.
7. “Don’t Come Around Here No More”
“Don’t Come Around Here No More” can be found on the Southern Accents album from 1985 by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. This song is also a rock classic. The harsh guitar combined with Tom Petty’s hard hitting vocals, makes “Don’t Come Around Here No More” one of Tom Petty’s top ten songs.
6. “Free Fallin”
The first solo album from Tom Petty, Full Moon Fever, in 1989 gave the world several of his top ten songs. “Free Fallin'” is the first to make this list. This song became quite popular, largely due to the music video released along with the song. “Free Fallin'” is classic Tom Petty with a great message that is eloquently conveyed, making it one of the top ten songs by Tom Petty.
5. “Don’t Do Me Like That”
“Don’t Do Me Like That” is on the second album by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Damn the Torpedoes, released in 1979. This song rocks without going overboard. The message hits hard and so does the beat. “Don’t Do Me Like That” became a huge hit that reached number 10 on the US TOP 100, garnering it a spot on the top ten list of songs by Tom Petty.
4. “Runnin’ Down a Dream”
“Runnin’ Down a Dream” is the second song to make the list from Tom Petty’s solo album Full Moon Fever. This song is extremely catchy and borders between pop and rock. As with all of Tom Petty’s songs, “Runnin’ Down a Dream” has a great message. This song is definitely one of the top ten Tom Petty songs.
3. “I Won’t Back Down”
The third and final song to make the list from the solo album Full Moon Fever is “I Won’t Back Down.” This song is fantastic. The message is very strong and Tom Petty sings it with such passion that it is impossible to not get caught up in it. “I Won’t Back Down” is undeniably in the top ten list of songs by Tom Petty.
2. “American Girl”
“American Girl” is first heard on the self-titled debut album from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in 1976. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers broke out onto the music scene in a big way. Although it was thirty years ago when this song was released, it is a song that is still widely known and often heard on mainstream radio. “American Girl” showed the world that Tom Petty was a viable musical force and that puts it on the top ten list.
1.”Into the Great Wide Open”
“Into the Great Wide Open” is found on the album of the same name by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, released in1991. This song has an incredible message about life and living. The instrumental is soft and comforting while the lyrics set the stage for the message he beautifully conveys. “Into the Great Wide Open” is not only one of the top ten songs by Tom Petty; it sits at the top at number one.
