10 Perfect Rock Albums Of The 1980s

Tom Petty doesn't seem to get nearly enough credit for how much he was able to dominate the '80s. Since he was coming from being a legend of radio rock in the '70s, there was pretty much a 50/50 shot that he was going to continue his winning streak or sink like a stone. From the looks of the production for Southern Accents though, you wouldn't have put your money on legendary status.

Since this was originally supposed to be a double album, the drug fueled sessions grinded everything to a halt, with Tom electing to just release a single album with the best tracks. What we got instead was some of the most organic sounding songs that could come off a pop rock record. Being a clear descendent of the Bruce Springsteens of the world, Petty's take on America's heartland is equal parts cynical and romantic, showing the rougher sides of the tracks as well as the scenic ones.

For every song like Spike, there's something like the title track, which shows the unassuming little kid beneath Petty's writing, who's spark for rock and roll drove him out of Gainsville to seek better things. Even though the life of a dog on the run might not be glamorous all of the time, it hasn't stopped being poetic as the years go on.