10 Greatest Classic Rock Albums Of The 1970s
9. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Damn The Torpedoes
Having been released in October 1979, ‘Damn the Torpedoes’ just about earns itself a title as one of the 1970s best classic rock records. However, it certainly would have made the 1980s version of this list if it had been released a few months later, as it is an almost unrivaled classic from Tom Petty’s discography.
‘Damn the Torpedoes’ was the third full length studio album from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, as the then young group cashed in on the potential teased by their opening two records. Interestingly, this record was almost never released due to a legal battle between MCA Records and Petty.
When MCA brought Tom Petty’s distributor out in 1979, Petty voided his contract as he said it was not valid with MCA Records. However, Petty then declared bankruptcy to avoid getting sued by MCA and also to get himself released from his record contract.
Petty then fell into legal trouble with his record label again, as he pulled the album from shelves after he said the selling price was too high. This forced the label to drop the price of his album and it then went on to become a multi-selling platinum record.