10 Greatest Debut Albums Of The 1970s

Tom Petty is one of the few artists who embodied the very soul of rock and roll. While his music stretched beyond just the three chord rock tune, his attitude towards his music and the record business at large was just what you wanted out of your typical rock and roller. Most fans would tell you Petty's best work is in his later years, but the real magic goes all the way back to this first record.

Compared to Petty's later triumphs, the sound of this record feels a bit ramshackled with its relentless energy and edgy sound, but the power behind these tunes speak for themselves. Tracks like "Breakdown" already showed Petty's ability to knock out a killer hook while songs like "The Wild One, Forever" let the world know how introspective he could be.

The real standout comes in "American Girl," which became one of Petty's biggest hits and signature song up until his death. The unbridled anger on some of these tracks almost owes something to punk rock, but the actual execution is Delta Blues by way of the Beatles. The Heartbreakers would eventually find greater success on later records, but they were never quite as aggressive as they were on this record.