10 Greatest Rock Anthems Of All Time

For all he's contributed to the rock genre, not a lot of the early Tom Petty songs could be heralded as anthems in any way. While American Girl certainly fits the bill, some of the swampier material in his catalog along with the radio balladry of something like Here Comes My Girl doesn't really warrant a singalong outside of a few lines. Once he shook off the Heartbreakers though, Petty struck absolute gold with Free Fallin.

Working with Jeff Lynne of ELO for the first time, the opening shimmer of the song immediately takes you back to a much more innocent time in your life. Almost like looking through a time capsule, Petty tells a beautiful story of heartache as our hero decides to strike out on his own, having to leave behind his girlfriend and any sense of security for something greater than himself. Even though that doesn't sound like a pick me up, the amazing rush of energy in the chorus gives you the feeling that you're floating above the clouds.

This is a rock song at the end of the day though, and the guitar crunch that comes in at the ending is what really puts everything back on the ground. Given that a lot of rock anthems have to do with what's going on in your life, it's nice to have a song about getting away from the world for a while.