Tuesday, October 20, 2026

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. This list is comprised of songs recorded by Tom Petty as a solo act and with the Heartbreakers. The list also includes songs by his pre and later post) Heartbreakers band, Mudcrutch, and by the Traveling Wilburys supergroup of which Petty was a member from 1988-90. Finally, songs written or co-written by Petty and recorded by others have been included in this list.

DMDB Top 1%:

1. Free Fallin’ (1989)
2. Stay with Me (Sam Smith, 2014)

DMDB Top 5%:

3. Refugee (1979)
4. American Girl (1976)
5. I Won’t Back Down (1989)
6. Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around (with Stevie Nicks, 1981)
7. Runnin’ Down a Dream (1989)
8. The Waiting (1981)
9. Breakdown (1976)
10. Mary Jane’s Last Dance (1993)

11. Learning to Fly (1991)
12. You Don’t Know How It Feels to Be Me (1994)
13. Handle with Care (with the Traveling Wilburys, 1988)
14. Don’t Do Me Like That (1979)

DMDB Top 10%:

15. Don’t Come Around Here No More (1985)
16. You Got Lucky (1982)
17. Jammin’ Me (1987)
18. End of the Line (with the Traveling Wilburys, 1988)
19. Here Comes My Girl (1979)
20. Christmas All Over Again (1992)

21. Ways to Be Wicked (Lone Justice, 1985)
22. Into the Great Wide Open (1991)

DMDB Top 20%:

23. Walls (Circus) (1996)
24. I Need to Know (1978)
25. Listen to Her Heart (1978)
26. Change of Heart (1982)
27. Even the Losers (1979)
28. You Wreck Me (1994)
29. She’s My Baby (with the Traveling Wilburys, 1990)
30. A Woman in Love (1981)

31. My Back Pages (live with Bob Dylan, Roger McGuinn, Neil Young, Eric Clapton, & George Harrison, 1992)
32. Leave Virginia Alone (Rod Stewart, 1995)
33. It’s Good to Be King (1994)
34. A Face in the Crowd (1989)
35. Needles and Pins (live with Stevie Nicks, 1981)
36. Free Fallin’ (John Mayer, 2008)
37. Alright for Now (1989)
38. Yer So Bad (1989)
39. Something in the Air (1993)
40. Rebels (1985)

Beyond the DMDB Top 20%:

41. The Last DJ (2002)
42. Love Is a Long Road (1989)
43. Room at the Top (1999)
44. Make It Better (Forget About Me) (1985)
45. Wildflowers (1994)
46. Swingin’ (1999)
47. So You Wanna Be a Rock and Roll Star (live, 1985)
48. I Won’t Back Down (David Baerwald, 2006)
49. Kings Highway (1991)
50. Last Night (with the Traveling Wilburys, 1988)

51. Waiting for Tonight (recorded 1988, released 1995)
52. A Higher Place (1994)
53. Keep a Little Soul (recorded 1982, released 2018)
54. I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better (1989)
55. Saving Grace (2006)
56. I Won’t Back Down (Johnny Cash, 2000)
57. Free Girl Now (1999)
58. I Should Have Known It (2010)
59. Blue Moon of Kentucky (2001)
60. Wilbury Twist (with the Traveling Wilburys, 1990)

61. Nobody’s Child (with the Traveling Wilburys, 1990)
62. I Won’t Back Down (Pearl Jam, 1994)
63. King of the Hill (Roger McGuinn with Tom Petty, 1991)
64. Tweeter and the Monkey Man (with the Traveling Wilburys, 1988)
65. Out in the Cold (1991)
66. Leave Virginia Alone (recorded 1994, released 2020)
67. Heading for the Light (with the Traveling Wilburys, 1988)
68. Inside Out (with the Traveling Wilburys, 1990)
69. Congratulations (with the Traveling Wilburys, 1988)
70. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 (1992)

71. Anything That’s Rock ‘N’ Roll (1976)
72. Nightwatchman (1981)
73. Time to Move On (1994)
74. Don’t Come Around Here No More (Rhiannon Giddens, 2024)
75. Runaway Trains (1987)
76. Climb That Hill (1996)
77. Cabin Down Below (1994)
78. Southern Accents (Dolly Parton, 2024)
79. Makin’ Some Noise (1991)
80. Room at the Top (Eddie Vedder, 2024)

81. For Real (recorded 2000, released 2019)
82. Free Fallin’ (Stevie Nicks, 1996)
83. Refugee (Melissa Etheridge, 2005)
84. U Get Me High (2014)
85. Runaway (with the Traveling Wliburys, 1990)
86. Ways to Be Wicked, recorded 1985, released 1995)
87. I Will Run to You (with Stevie Nicks, 1983)
88. All or Nothin’ (1991)
89. Between Two Worlds (1982)
90. All Mixed Up (1987)

91. Fooled Again (I Don’t Like It) (1976)
92. Forgotten Man (2014)
93. Too Good to Be True (1991)
94. Southern Accents (1985)
95. Flirting with Time (2006)
96. Scare Easy (Mudcrutch, 2008)
97. Dirty World (with the Traveling Wilburys, 1988)
98. Never Be You (Rosanne Cash, 1985)
99. The Waiting (Linda Ronstadt, 1995)
100. I’m Walkin’ (2007)