Guest Blogger: Lauren 2

Whether ¬¬¬¬ Tom Petty is going solo under his own name or with the Heartbreakers, a bad album has never been made. With a musical career that is now over thirty five years old, I cannot get enough of Tom Petty’s music. With hits like, “Mary Jane’s Last Dance”, “The Joker” and “Learning to Fly” the band creates a versatile sound that is a mixture between classic rock and new wave, and never seems to have a song that sounds alike. One song that will forever be tied to Tom Petty is, “Free Fallin’” a wildly popular song still today that has been covered by musical artists such as Three Days Grace, John Mayer, and Lady Antebellum. “She's a good girl, loves her mama, loves Jesus and America too. She's a good girl, crazy 'bout Elvis, loves horses and her boyfriend too,” the opening verse to “Free Fallin’” which is soon followed by the famous chorus line, “And I’m free, I’m free fallin’,” create a calm, slow song that always makes me feel happy. Another song that Tom Petty put out under his solo career “American Girl” is an excellent example of Petty’s ability to tell a story through a song, which he does over and over in many of his songs, “Well, she was an American girl, raised on promises. She couldn't help thinkin' that there was a little more to life somewhere else.” I have found that most critics give massive amounts praise to Tom Petty with or without the Heartbreakers, which I personally could not agree with more. As one of my all time favorite musical artists, I would strongly recommend that anybody that enjoys rock music especially that of the seventies and eighties should check out Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers because of their versatility; you will never be bored with the music.