10 Classic Rock Bands That Released 5 Great Albums In A Row

At the start of the '70s, there was no real American rock sound. For as much as bands like Aerosmith were dominating the rock scene, their sound still seemed to be derivative of the British Invasion bands that came before. The UK influence may have still had a strong hold on the States, but Tom Petty emerged and defined the Americana sound.

From his debut onward, Tom Petty's work with the Heartbreakers gave the rock world a definitive Americana sound. Though you could hear elements of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones in their work, there was also a hint of country music, folk, and old time rock and roll from the days of Chuck Berry. Boasting classics like "American Girl," the start of Petty's career ended up peaking with Damn the Torpedoes, giving him classics like "Refugee" and "Here Comes My Girl."

It would seem to be impossible to follow up a record like that, but Hard Promises showed that Petty had come into his own as one of the greatest songwriters of his generation. Even with his classically-tinged sound, Long After Dark saw him toying with synthesizers and making even more hits like "You Got Lucky." Tom Petty may seem like a singles artist for some, but anyone interested in the history of rock and roll owes it to themselves to hear the utter perfection of Petty's heartland sound.