It only took him 38 years, but at long last, Tom Petty finally has his first Billboard No. 1 album. Released last week, “Hypnotic Eye” sent the 63-year-old Floridian and his band the Heartbreakers to the top of the Billboard Top 100 chart. Lucky man.
But something that Petty still hasn’t achieved is a No. 1 single, a fact that will surprise many, given his millions of record sales and status as an American rock icon.
Here’s a recap of songs that you probably thought were chart-toppers, but fell just short.
‘Don’t Do Me Like That’ (No. 10, 1979)
It was Petty’s big breakthrough, but he almost gave it away. “Don’t Do Me Like That” was written in the mid-’70s, but was passed over for inclusion on both of the Heartbreakers’ first two albums and was nearly given to the J. Geils Band.
The steady, rocking tune was finally included on “Damn the Torpedoes,” and scored the band their first Billboard Top 10 single.
‘Don’t Come Around Here No More’ (No. 13, 1985)
Co-written by the Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart (and apparently inspired by a romantic liaison he had with Stevie Nicks), “Don’t Come Around Here No More” had more of a synthetic pop sound and was helped up the chart by its surreal “Alice in Wonderland”-themed video.
How much of it can you watch without being freaked out?
‘I Won’t Back Down’ (No. 12, 1989)
It’s become a bona fide rock classic now, thanks to numerous uses in political campaigns and its status as a go-to song of defiance for American radio stations following 9/11.
But at the time, “I Won’t Back Down” only performed modestly well on the chart. Some things just get better with age.
‘Free Fallin’’ (No. 7, 1989)
To this day, “Free Fallin’ ” remains Petty’s biggest hit and signature tune. It simply never goes away, cropping up in movies like “Jerry Maguire,” getting covered constantly by everyone from Kesha to Keith Urban, and providing the big singalong moment in Petty’s 2008 Super Bowl appearance.
It only hit No. 7 in 1989, but it feels like “Free Fallin’ ” has been a cultural chart-topper for 25 years.
‘You Don’t Know How It Feels’ (No. 13, 1994)
It’s mellow, catchy, and there’s a cheeky weed reference. What’s not to like about “You Don’t Know How It Feels”? Take a look at this classic performance on “Saturday Night Live” featuring Dave Grohl making a tentative comeback on drums, just months after his Nirvana bandmate Kurt Cobain had committed suicide.
Petty asked Grohl to join the Heartbreakers for good, but he declined, choosing instead to form the Foo Fighters.