Top singles from the past
21 April 2026
The late great TOM PETTY and his HEARTBREAKERS
released their single THE WAITING 45 years ago, on
20 April 1981.
It featured on their 4th LP, Hard Promises.
The song reached #19 in the US.
Petty said at the time that the song’s title was inspired by a quote from Janis Joplin,
who once said of touring, “I love being onstage and everything else is just waiting.”
Significant longplayers from the past
5 May 2025
Today 44 years ago, on 5 May 1981, TOM PETTY and his
HEARTBREAKERS released their 4th LP HARD PROMISES.
Its working title was Benmont’s Revenge, referring to their keyboard player
and the band’s co-founder Benmont Tench. Hard Promises is the last full
album to feature the original Heartbreakers lineup, as bassist Ron Blair
left after the album’s release.
It reached #5 on the US Charts, #1 in New Zealand and #32 in the UK.
AllMusic‘s verdict: “It offered a reaffirmation that the previous album ‘Damn
The Torpedoes’ wasn’t a fluke. There’s not much new on the surface, since it continues
the sound of its predecessor, but it’s filled with great songwriting, something that’s as
difficult to achieve as a distinctive sound. It has a tremendous set of songs and a unified
sound that makes it one of Petty’s finest records.” Score: 4/5.
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