Tom Petty: Top 100 Songs

Tom Petty Top 100 Songs

Tom Petty was a rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist born in Gainesville, Florida, on October 20, 1950. He became one of the most successful classic rock artists of all time. He first recorded with the group Mudcrutch, then with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers from 1977 on. He also participated in the supergroup the Traveling Wilburys from 1988-90 and recorded three solo albums (1989, 1994, 2006). He died on October 2, 2017. As with all DMDB lists, this list was determined by creating an aggregate list from multiple other best-of lists and factoring in chart success, sales, airplay, and awards. In addition, 15 lists were figured into the mix which were exclusively best-of Petty lists. Spotify Podcast: Check out the Dave’s Music Database podcast The Best of Tom Petty (1976-2016) based on this list. For more about Tom Petty check out his DMDB actpage “Tom Petty: A Retrospective (1976-2016)” and his DMDB Music Maker Encyclopedia entry. Click here to see other acts’ best-of lists.

Awards:

Top 100 Songs Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by song’s appearances on best-of lists, appearances on compilations and live albums by the featured act, and songs’ chart success, sales, radio airplay, streaming, and awards. DMDB Top 1%: 1. Free Fallin’ (1989) DMDB Top 5%: 2. Refugee (1979) 3. American Girl (1976) 4. Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around (with Stevie Nicks, 1981) 5. I Won’t Back Down (1989) 6. Runnin’ Down a Dream (1989) 7. The Waiting (1981) 8. Breakdown (1976) 9. Mary Jane’s Last Dance (1993) 10. Learning to Fly (1991) 11. Don’t Do Me Like That (1979) 12. Don’t Come Around Here No More (1985) 13. You Got Lucky (1982) DMDB Top 10%: 14. You Don’t Know How It Feels to Be Me (1994) 15. Jammin’ Me (1987) 16. Here Comes My Girl (1979) 17. Handle with Care (with the Traveling Wilburys, 1988) 18. End of the Line (with the Traveling Wilburys, 1988) 19. Into the Great Wide Open (1991) 20. Christmas All Over Again (1992) 21. Change of Heart (1982) 22. Listen to Her Heart (1978) 23. I Need to Know (1978) DMDB Top 20%: 24. Walls (Circus) (1996) 25. Even the Losers (1979) 26. You Wreck Me (1994) 27. A Woman in Love (1981) 28. It’s Good to Be King (1994) 29. Needles and Pins (live with Stevie Nicks, 1981) 30. Rebels (1985) 31. Alright for Now (1989) 32. The Last DJ (2002) 33. My Back Pages (live with Bob Dylan, Roger McGuinn, Neil Young, Eric Clapton, & George Harrison, 1992) 34. Something in the Air (1993) 35. A Face in the Crowd (1989) Beyond the DMDB Top 20%: 36. Yer So Bad (1989) 37. Room at the Top (1999) 38. She’s My Baby (with the Traveling Wilburys, 1990) 39. Wildflowers (1994) 40. Make It Better (Forget About Me) (1985) 41. Swingin’ (1999) 42. So You Wanna Be a Rock and Roll Star (live, 1985) 43. Keep a Little Soul (recorded 1982, released 2018) 44. Waiting for Tonight (recorded 1988, released 1995) 45. Love Is a Long Road (1989) 46. Free Girl Now (1999) 47. Saving Grace (2006) 48. Kings Highway (1991) 49. Nobody’s Child (with the Traveling Wilburys, 1990) 50. A Higher Place (1994) 51. Tweeter and the Monkey Man (with the Traveling Wilburys, 1988) 52. Leave Virginia Alone (recorded 1994, released 2020) 53. I Should Have Known It (2010) 54. Last Night (with the Traveling Wilburys, 1988) 55. Anything That’s Rock ‘N’ Roll (1976) 56. Congratulations (with the Traveling Wilburys, 1988) 57. Nightwatchman (1981) 58. Inside Out (with the Traveling Wilburys, 1990) 59. Wilbury Twist (with the Traveling Wilburys, 1990) 60. Out in the Cold (1991) 61. Climb That Hill (1996) 62. I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better (1989) 63. Time to Move On (1994) 64. Runaway Trains (1987) 65. U Get Me High (2014) 66. Cabin Down Below (1994) 67. Runaway (with the Traveling Wliburys, 1990) 68. Makin’ Some Noise (1991) 69. For Real (recorded 2000, released 2019) 70. I Will Run to You (with Stevie Nicks, 1983) 71. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 (live, 1992) 72. All Mixed Up (1987) 73. Between Two Worlds (1982) 74. Heading for the Light (with the Traveling Wilburys, 1988) 75. Too Good to Be True (1991) 76. Fooled Again (I Don’t Like It) (1976) 77. Scare Easy (2008) 78. Blue Moon of Kentucky (2001) 79. Flirting with Time (2006) 80. Trailer (Mudcrutch, 2016) 81. Forgotten Man (2014) 82. All or Nothin’ (1991) 83. Think About Me (1987) 84. Dirty World (with the Traveling Wilburys, 1988) 85. The Apartment Song (1989) 86. One Story Town (1982) 87. Straight into Darkness (1982) 88. High in the Morning (2010) 89. Surrender (1976) 90. Solitary Man (with Johnny Cash, 2000) 91. We Stand a Chance (1982) 92. Change the Locks (1996) 93. No Second Thoughts (1978) 94. Louisiana Rain (1979) 95. Don’t Bring Me Down (1978) 96. I’m Walkin’ (2007) 97. The Best of Everything (1985) 98. Don’t Do Me Like That (Mudcrutch, 1974) 99. The Wild One, Forever (1976) 100. Stories We Could Tell (1980) Resources and Related Links: DMDB Encyclopedia entry for Tom Petty DMDB actpage: Tom Petty: A Retrospective (1976-2016) Dave’s Music Database: “Acts’ Profile Pages and Best-of Lists” First posted 10/20/2013; updated 10/20/2023.