Significant longplayers from yesteryear
9 November 2026
The late rock luminary TOM PETTY (1950-2017) and his band THE HEARTBREAKERS
(1967-2017 / 13th LPs) released their eponymous debut album today, 50 years ago,
on 9 November 1976.
All tracks were written by Petty, except ‘Rockin’ Around (With You)’
co-written with their guitarist Mike Campbell.
The album received little attention on its release in the United States.
It climbed to No. 24 on the UK albums chart following a British tour, and
the single ‘Anything That’s Rock ‘n’ Roll‘ became a hit in the UK. After nearly
a year and many positive reviews, the album reached the U.S. charts,
where it peaked at No. 55 in 1978 and eventually went Gold.
AllMusic says: “At the time Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers’ debut was released
in 1976, they were fresh enough to almost be considered punk. They weren’t as
reckless or visionary as the Ramones, but they shared a similar love for pure ’60s
rock and, for the Heartbreakers, that meant embracing the Byrds as much as the
Stones. And that’s pretty much what this album is, tuneful jangle balanced by
a tough garage swagger.”
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