10 Most Underrated Rock Albums Of The 90s

Before the alternative revolution kicked in, the early '90s were actually extremely kind to Tom Petty. After going solo with Full Moon Fever, the album Wildflowers was exactly the kind of rustic album that fit right in with a music scene that was all about bringing it back to basics. Underneath the songs though, Tom was going through a private hell, and we would have to wait until the next album to actually hear the fallout.

In the grand tale of singer songwriters, Echo is the big divorce album, where Tom tries to come to grips with losing the love of his life and trying to sort himself out on his own. As it turns out, the actual making of this album was no easy task either, with Howie Epstein having his own personal struggles with heroin and Tom locking himself away for days dealing with his emotions.

What we did end up getting was some of the most candid sounding songs that this heartland rocker has ever made, like the pure heartbreak going on in Room At the Top and trying to come to grips with the next stage of life in songs like Swingin. There might be a few songs that sound like Tom is trying to air his dirty laundry, but the minute you hear something like the title track, you'll totally understand where he's coming from.