On November 9th 1976 Tom Petty and his band the Heartbreakers released their self-titled debut album. Though some members of the band had been playing together earlier, the Heartbreakers themselves had formed that same year making this a quick turnaround.
At first the album didn’t have much fanfare in the band’s home country of USA, but they found that UK audiences were much more receptive to it and toured there. That success translated into attention stateside and gradually the record became more and more popular on the US charts. The song “Breakdown” was also featured on the soundtrack for the radio station based comedy drama FM, which helped boost the single’s visibility even more.
Though this debut wasn’t the band’s big breakthrough moment, it did put them on the map as a force in rock music and follow-up single “American Girl” would go on to become one of their most popular songs overall. Its power pop sound would go on to influence many bands going forward, including those who would become alternative rock icons.
Tom Petty is often seen as a legend in the classic rock world, but his influence on alternative rock can’t be understated. Jangly college rock bands like R.E.M. and The Replacements got much of their sound from his blend of heartland rock and power pop, and those bands would go on to develop the blueprint for alternative rock in the 1990s and beyond. Many contemporary rock bands are trying to emulate those 90s sounds, and so that legacy that Tom Petty started with this album in 1976 continues to resonate today.
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