Tom Petty Full Moon Fever released

Full Moon Fever Tom Petty

Released: April 24, 1989 Peak: 3 US, 8 UK, 2 CN, 13 AU, 12 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): 5.0 US, 0.1 UK, 7.0 world (includes US and UK) Genre: classic rock

Tracks: Click on a song title for more details. Free Fallin’ [4:14] I Won’t Back Down [2:56] Love Is a Long Road [4:06] A Face in the Crowd [3:58] Runnin’ Down a Dream [4:23] Feel a Whole Lot Better [2:47] Yer So Bad [3:05] Depending on You [2:47] The Apartment Song [2:31] Alright for Now [2:00] A Mind with a Heart of Its Own [3:29] Zombie Zoo [2:56] Total Running Time: 39:58 The Players: Tom Petty (vocals, guitar, keyboards, percussion) Mike Campbell (guitar, keyboards) Jeff Lynne (bass, guitar, keyboards, backing vocals) Phil Jones (drums, percussion)

Rating: 4.301 out of 5.00 (average of 18 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

The Heartbreakers Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers released their self-titled debut album in 1976. Over the next decade, they established themselves as one of America’s favorite meat-and-potatoes rockers with seven studio albums that went gold or platinum. He was the #2 album rock artist of the 1980s, only behind John Mellencamp. With his group the Heartbreakers, he topped that chart three times with “The Waiting” (1981), “You Got Lucky” (1982), and “Jammin’ Me” (1987). First Solo Outing Still, the band looked to be experiencing a bit of a lull with 1987’s Let Me Up (I’ve Had Enough), which peaked at #20 following four consecutive top-10 albums. “Perhaps that factor, along with road fatigue, led Tom Petty to record his first solo album, Full Moon Fever. Nevertheless, the distinction between ‘solo’ and ‘Heartbreakers’ is a fuzzy one because Full Moon Fever is essentially in the same style as the Heartbreakers albums; Mike Campbell co-wrote two songs and co-produced the record, and he, along with Benmont Tench and Howie Epstein, all play on the album.” AM Campbell said the group had fallen into a rut and this came along as something fun to do. The album was recorded primarily in his garage studio. Petty later said “it was the most enjoyable record of his career.” WK Jeff Lynne Petty and Campbell were rejuvenated by the presence of Jeff Lynne, the frontman from the Electric Light Orchestra and Petty’s cohort in the superstar group Traveling Wilburys. This album also features appearances from Wilburys’ members George Harrison and Roy Orbison. Lynne was the album’s main producer and co-wrote most of the songs with Petty. He “gave the album a sleek but never slick sound.” 500 “Petty’s roots rock becomes clean and glossy, layered with shimmering vocal harmonies, keyboards, and acoustic guitars.” AM The Album’s Reception The Orlando Sentinel said, “there’s nothing earthshaking or innovative going on but when was the last time you picked up an album this solid: tough, pretty, good rockin’, no filler?” WK The Boston Globe said the album’s “sheer unpretentiousness and crisp, non-doctored sound make it irresistible.” WK “It’s a friendly, radio-ready sound, and if it has dated somewhat over the years, the craft is still admirable and appealing.” AM Petty’s Biggest Hit Surprisingly, Petty’s label, MCA Records, rejected the album in 1988, claiming they didn’t hear a hit. However, after record executive Irving Azoff resigned, WK the new regime liked the album and released it. SF Ironically, “Full Moon Fever became Petty’s biggest hit…[because] it boasted a selection of songs that rivaled Damn the Torpedoes. Full Moon Fever didn’t have a weak track.” AM “The first half of the album is basically a greatest hits record.” OH “Full Moon Fever might have been meant as an off-the-cuff detour, but it turned into a minor masterpiece” AM featuring “Petty’s sharpest set of songs in a decade.” 500 It “is a timeless solo debut…blending heartfelt storytelling with Petty's unmistakable rock sensibility.” The Songs Here’s a breakdown of each of the individual songs.

Free Fallin’ Tom Petty

Writer(s): Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne (see lyrics here) Released: 10/27/89 (single), Full Moon Fever (1989) B Side: “Down the Line,” “Love Is a Long Road” First Charted: May 6, 1989 Peak: 7 BB, 6 CB, 6 GR, 9 RR, 17 AC, 11 AR, 64 UK, 5 CN, 59 AU, 2 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- US, 0.60 UK Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 121.80 video, 970.82 streaming

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Song: The album gave Petty three album rock chart-toppers with “I Won’t Back Down,” “Free Fallin’,” and “Runnin’ Down a Dream.” “Free Fallin’” was the most successful, reaching the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was his first top 10 hit since he’d reached #3 in 1981 with the Heartbreakers on Stevie Nicks’ “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around.” Jeff Lynne, who co-wrote the song, said, “Everyone who heard it knew it was a hit.” WK AllMusic.com’s Stephen Thomas Erlewine said it “could be Petty’s best song.” AM “The breezy” OH song offers a “majestic L.A. portrait” 500 inspired by things Petty saw on frequent drives around Los Angeles, including Ventura Boulevard, Mulholland Drive, and the San Fernando Valley neighborhood of Reseda. The song was also a “coming-of-age ballad.” AM Both elements are reflected with a video that features a teenage girl in various locations around Los Angeles.

I Won’t Back Down Tom Petty

Writer(s): Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne Released: April 1989 (single), Full Moon Fever (1989) B Side: “The Apartment Song,” “Don’t Treat Me Like a Stranger” First Charted: April 15, 1989 Peak: 12 BB, 11 CB, 16 GR, 16 RR, 15 AR, 29 MR, 28 UK, 5 CN, 16 AU, 3 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- US, 0.4 UK, 0.83 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 559.19 streaming About the Song: “The driving I Won't Back Down” OH served as the introduction to Full Moon Fever, both as the first track and the lead-off single. Music & Media described it as a “rootsy, very American rock with country overtones.” WK Music Week’s Jerry Smith called the song an “extremely catchy, chugging rocker.” WK Petty said he was hesitant about releasing the song because it is so straightforward. WK The One Hit Thunder podcast said the song “should be the US national anthem.” OH That sentiment made the song a natural for the America: A Tribute to Heroes telethon after the September 11 attacks. Oddly, the inspiration for the song was an arson incident in 1987 at Petty’s home. WK Petty reminisced about recording the song, saying, “At the session, George Harrison sang and played the guitar. I had a terrible cold that day, and George went to the store and bought a ginger root, boiled it and had me stick my head in the pot to get the ginger steam to open up my sinuses, and then I ran in and did the take.” WK In 2014, Sam Smith had a #2 hit with the song “Stay with Me.” After Petty’s publishing company claimed Smith had plagiarized “I Won’t Back Down,” Petty and Jeff Lynne were given writing credits on the song. Petty, however, said he didn’t think Smith plagiarized the song, saying the similarity was “a complete coincidence.” WK

Love Is a Long Road Tom Petty

Writer(s): Tom Petty, Mike Campbell Released: 10/27/89 (B side of “Free Fallin’”), Full Moon Fever (1989) First Charted: September 23, 1989 Peak: 7 AR, 12 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 113.03 streaming About the Song: While not released as a single, “Love Is a Long Road” was a B side for “Free Fallin’” and reached the top ten on the album rock chart. Mike Campbell co-wrote the song, citing a motorcycle he owned as inspiration, saying, “This feels like a motorcycle shifting gears.” WK The song “looks back a fractured romance.” WK AllMusic.com called it “one of the most powerful rockers on the album,” WK describing it as “a stripped down version of the Who’s classics ‘Baba O’Riley’ and ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again.’” WK

A Face in the Crowd Tom Petty

Writer(s): Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne Released: 3/3/90 (single), Full Moon Fever (1989) B Side: “A Mind with a Heart of Its Own” First Charted: January 27, 1990 Peak: 46 BB, 5 AR, 93 UK, 20 CN, 14 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 33.83 streaming About the Song: “The wistful A Face in the Crowd” AM was released as the fourth single from Full Moon Fever. While it only reached #46 on the Billboard Hot 100, it was a top-five album rock hit. In the song, the narrator talks about “falling in love with someone who used to be just ‘a face in the crowd.’” WK Kathleen Edwards covered the song in 2004 on her Sweetheart: Love Songs album. The alternative-rock band Spoon released a cover of the song in March 2021. WK

Runnin’ Down a Dream Tom Petty

Writer(s): Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, Mike Campbell Released: 7/29/89 (single), Full Moon Fever (1989) B Side: “Alright for Now,” “Down the Line” First Charted: May 6, 1989 Peak: 23 BB, 22 CB, 22 GR, 31 RR, 11 AR, 55 UK, 23 CN, 68 AU, 10 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- US, 0.20 UK Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 71.23 streaming

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Song: “The charging Runnin’ Down a Dream” AM was the second single from Full Moon Fever and the second album rock chart-topper. This song offers a nod to Del Shannon, one of Tom Petty’s musical heroes, with the line “me and Del were singin’ ‘Little Runaway.’” The animated video was directed by Jim Lenahan and animated by Allan & Wilson Animation Studio and Anivision Ltd. Out of Pittsburgh. It was loosely based on Winsor McCay’s comic strip Little Nemo in Slumberland and the animation How a Mosquito Operates. Petty is depicted as a character travelling through Slumberland. WK The song was used as the official theme for the NBA Finals in 2006 and 2008. It has also been used in the video games Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Guitar Hero 5, and Rock Band 2. It was one of the songs Petty performed for his Super Bowl Halftime Show in 2008.

Feel a Whole Lot Better Tom Petty

Writer(s): Gene Clark Released: Full Moon Fever (1989) First Charted: May 6, 1989 Peak: 18 AR, 14 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 10.50 streaming About the Song: Full Moon Fever finds Petty paying tribute to some of his influences – here he covers the Byrds’ “Feel a Whole Lot Better.” Their version was released as the B side of “All I Really Want to Do” in 1965. It was later featured on the Byrds’ Greatest Hits album. Gene Clark wrote the song and sang lead. Others who’ve covered the song include Bobby Bare, Dinosaur Jr., the Flamin’ Groovies, Juice Newton, and Johnny Rivers. Petty’s version wasn’t released as a single, but reached the top 20 on the Billboard album rock chart.

Yer So Bad Tom Petty

Writer(s): Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne Released: 4/23/90 (single), Full Moon Fever (1989) B Side: “A Mind with a Heart of Its Own” First Charted: April 21, 1990 Peak: 5 AR, 44 CN, 24 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 49.61 streaming About the Song: “Yer So Bad” was released as the fifth single from Full Moon Fever. It failed to reach the Billboard Hot 100 but was a top-five hit on the album rock chart. AllMusic.com described the song as a “rockabilly throwaway.” AM This was the first song Petty and Jeff Lynne wrote together. WK Petty said he’d written the words but was stuck on the chorus, “I was so elated because I had been working on the song for days and I couldn’t get from the verse to the chorus somehow. And he showed me this little bit, and I said, ‘Great! Will you produce this?’” WK Rolling Stone said the song was “Petty at his most caustically hilarious.” WK The narrator sings about “his greedy sister being lucky enough to marry a yuppie” and then taking him for everything when they got divorced. She starts dating a singer while her ex can’t find a new partner, might be bankrupt, and is contemplating suicide. The video depicts the man turning to a blow-up doll as a companion, even driving with it in the passenger seat and walking down the street carrying it in public. WK

Depending on You Tom Petty

Writer(s): Tom Petty Released: Full Moon Fever (1989) Peak: -- Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 7.19 streaming

The Apartment Song Tom Petty

Writer(s): Tom Petty Released: April 1989 (B side of “I Won’t Back Down”), Full Moon Fever (1989) Peak: 25 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 11.43 streaming About the Song: “The Apartment Song features an instrumental break with paradiddle drumming reminiscent of Buddy Holly’s ‘Peggy Sue.’” WK

Alright for Now Tom Petty

Writer(s): Tom Petty Released: 7/29/89 (B side of “Runnin’ Down a Dream”), Full Moon Fever (1989) Peak: 1 DF Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 9.16 streaming

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Song: It wasn’t a single and it didn’t get radio airplay, but his is my favorite song on Full Moon Fever.

A Mind with a Heart of Its Own Tom Petty

Writer(s): Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne Released: 3/3/90 (B side of “A Face in the Crowd”), 4/23/90 (B side of “Yer So Bad”), Full Moon Fever (1989) Peak: -- Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 5.01 streaming About the Song: This song features “a Bo Diddley-style rhythm.” WK

Zombie Zoo Tom Petty

Writer(s): Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne Released: Full Moon Fever (1989) Peak: -- Click for codes to charts. Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, -- video, 9.08 streaming

Resources/References: AM AllMusic.com review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine OH One Hit Thunder (2/10/2026). “The Thundred: The Top 100 Albums of All Time” 500 Rolling Stone (2020). 500 Greatest Albums of All Time SF Songfacts page for “Free Fallin’” WK Wikipedia page for Full Moon Fever WK Wikipedia page for “Free Fallin’” Related DMDB Pages: First posted 5/10/2008; last updated 9/7/2026.