10 Best American Classic Rock Bands Of All Time
4. Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers
Whenever someone brings up the great American bands, they don't seem to know where to place Tom Petty. Is he rock? Is he pop? Is he country? The answer to all of these questions: it's just great music.
Out of all the great songwriters to come from America, the quality of Petty's work is up there with greats like Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash. The way the man incorporated real drama into his songs made every character in these tunes feel like a real person. While someone like Bruce Springsteen seemed to be speaking for you in the public consciousness, it always felt like Petty was talking to you, as if you were on the quest with him to find that extra spark of life.
The songs were great on their own, but the Heartbreakers themselves are what breathed life into these tracks. The combination of piano and guitar was so interwoven that it created this lush sonic tapestry every time you would put on one of their records. It's no surprise that later into his career, Petty had become friends with the likes of greats like Roy Orbison and George Harrison. He is truly a songwriter born and bred from the classic school of tunesmithery that the Beatles taught us.