10 Classic Rock Artists That NEVER Sold Out

From the first time you heard his music, Tom Petty never struck you as a guy who pulled any of his punches. Whether it was the more downtempo love songs that he would churn out or the hard rock songs from the heartland, there was always that shimmer that made every track seem like it was coming from a genuine place. Even when Petty saw mainstream success, it was always on his own terms.

Ever since rising on the scene with the rest of the Heartbreakers, Tom was always concerned with having music that appealed to his fans first rather than cower to what his label wanted. When assembling the rollout for his record Hard Promises, Petty even went so far as to go to war with his record label to make sure that the price of his album did not go up and out of the reach of his fans.

Make no mistake, there were some more current trends in Petty's music like synths and drum machines, but the only way it was making it onto a record is if Petty thought it would actually contribute to the music he was making at the time. This was not just a youthful punk energy either, as he continued into his middle aged years with a record that was basically an indictment of the corrupt practices of record labels with The Last DJ. While rock has always been centered around rebellious figures, Tom Petty's unique brand of honest rock and roll might be considered the polar opposite of selling out.