10 Albums Turning 20 In 2019

10. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Echo

Tom Petty has been one of the most recognizable voices of classic rock. Many critics like to praise Petty's fantastic songwriting and interesting soundscapes (including yours truly.) But that doesn't mean everything has been golden.

At the end of the '90s, Tom Petty seemed down and out. After coming off of a lackluster soundtrack album, Petty and his wife abruptly separated. Amid all this, Howie Epstein, the Heartbreakers' bass player, was strung out on drugs and losing his battle with heroin addiction. Petty began to turn to drugs as well, later describing this period as one of the lowest points in his life.

What came out of all the tumult was Echo, one of Petty's most emotional releases. Each song seems to centered around different characters going through their own internal struggles. Songs like "Room at the Top" stand out as some of the most heart-wrenching songs Petty would write given his personal struggles.

It's the portrait of a broken man picking up the pieces of his life, not sure of where to go after he's lost the most important person he's ever known. By no means a feel-good record, but a record with a ton of haunted beauty.