10 Most Infamous Tracks In Rock N Roll
8. Refugee - Tom Petty
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers had started to pick up steam by the time they hit their third record, but now was the time to truly hunker down. The band needed to deliver something amazing in order for the public to stand up and take notice.
Petty already an ace in the hole with the song "Refugee," but the recording process for the song became the session that would not end. Wanting to get it right from top to bottom, the band refused to rest until the right version of the song was recorded. In addition to recording what would be their greatest work, the band was financially bankrupt and dealing with a lawsuit from their record company involving unpaid song royalties. With the group at their wit's end, sessions would often erupt into fights about how the drums were being played, which ultimately led guitarist Mike Campbell to leave the studio to cool out from the pressure.
When the band finally settled on the right take, bassist Ron Blair recalled there being entire shelves of tapes all featuring recordings of the song in some capacity. The song may be radio rock ear candy, but it was certainly not an easy process getting there.