Tom Petty in promotion of Full Moon Fever Image via Rolling Stone By Audrey Connelly Published Aug 27, 2026, 4:29 AM EDT Audrey Connelly is a writer living and working in Boston, MA. Music is and has always been one of the most important parts of her life. While rock & roll is her true love, Audrey's taste runs the gamut. Deep cuts, overplayed Billboard Hot 100 hits, trip hop, reggae, musical theater. It's all fair game. However, if she's being totally honest, she is not a huge fan of (most) country music, but she is (mostly) willing to give anything a listen or two. She has previously contributed to Atwood Magazine and has brought her passion for writing and music – specifically classic and alternative rock – to Collider. Sign in to your Collider account Add Us Add on Google Preferred Source Google News Summary Generate a summary of this story Like Like follow Follow followed Followed Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap There is no clear-cut top album by Tom Petty – there are multiple records that could be considered his best work, depending on what you’re into. Petty had a very prolific career – he released music solo, with the Heartbreakers , and with the star-studded supergroup the Traveling Wilburys . His body of work consistently features thoughtful songwriting and emotion-infused raspy vocals. Full Moon Fever , a solo album released in 1989, includes many of Petty’s biggest hits: “ Free Fallin’ ,” “ I Won’t Back Down ,” and “ Runnin’ Down a Dream .” Undoubtedly some of the most well-known tracks in Petty's catalog. Another frontrunner is 1994’s Wildflowers , another solo project. This album shows a softer, more reflective side of Petty, focusing on the quality and emotion of his simple yet beautiful lyrics.
Damn the Torpedoes (1979) is also a strong contender for Tom Petty’s best album. This record was the third studio album for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers , but the first to really cross the threshold into great commercial success. Damn the Torpedoes went double platinum in Canada and triple platinum in the USA, blowing the band’s previous work clear out of the water. However, making this album was no easy feat – the road to success was extremely rocky for Tom Petty and his bandmates. In fact, the album almost did not exist – making Damn the Torpedoes resulted in a vicious legal battle and Petty filing for bankruptcy.
Tom Petty wearing a headband in 1992 Image via Rudi Keuntje/ Geisler-Fotopress/ DPA/ Cover Images Let’s make one thing clear: Tom Petty was an amazing musician and a first-rate songwriter — priceless skills that are not, however, transferable to the corporate world of moneymaking. He made a lot of poor financial decisions throughout his career, as he was much more focused on music than monetary gain (as he should be!) That being said, his lack of business acumen would get him into trouble on multiple occasions, most notably during the writing and recording of Damn the Torpedoes .
At the time, Tom Petty was signed with Shelter Records , a subsidiary of ABC . In 1979, ABC sold Shelter to MCA Records – and with it, Petty’s contract. He had not consented to this transfer, nor did he feel it was fair to him or his band. He felt he was being “ bought and sold like a piece of meat ” and refused to agree to the transfer. He was, of course, bound by contract, which made it a little more difficult…