American Girl was the last song ever played by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers in concert, part of an encore at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California on September 25, 2017. Petty died a little over a week later.
Tom Petty was an enormous talent and gave us many great songs. American Girl is my all-time favorite Tom Petty song which makes it one of my all-time favorite songs period. This song comes on and I'm dancing around the room or bouncing in the driver's seat and singing out loud. I really miss attending his concerts.
Interesting that he closed the show and his career with this in 2017. Back in the day when he was just getting started I saw him in concert in Buffalo and they opened the show with this. Lights came up. He came running across the stage strumming away. It was a great show.
Also in Mudcrutch, his first band (which released 2 new albums in the last 10 years before he passed). Hmm, what should they be called? Mudcrutchlings? Mudcrutchians? LOL!
Yes!! I was first introduced to this song via that infamous scene from ‘The Silence Of The Lambs’, and as much as I love the tune itself the first thing that comes to mind when it comes on is Catherine Martin singing along to it while behind the wheel (which is why it’s my favourite song to play while on a road trip, lol).
@@marcelaucoin433 It's such a terrifyingly ironic shot, isn't it? Herself an American girl, speeding along in her car, listening to a song about an American girl searching for her freedom, the 20th century embodiment of freedom just moments away from the absolute opposite. Demme really was a genius.
I came close to going. The last show was added, after the other two sold out. But I had too much going on at the time and decided to pass. There would always be another chance. Famous last words. Fortunately, I got to see him about 11-12x between 1981 & 2014. That will have to suffice. RIP
@@screwyootube1 that’s great, you see him in his prime. For me it was the one and only time. I told my wife “we should go see this show, you never know how long legends like this will be around.”
@@screwyootube1 I get it. He was playing in Sacramento (fifth to last concert) but I was busy helping my mom with some health issues and had seen him at our home in Canada not too long before. I thought, "Next time" not realizing there would never be a next time. :/
Every time I hear this song, I can't help but think of "Fast Times at Ridgemont High". This song opens the movie and as a result millions of people have the same fond memory.
Just said the same. Of course one of the great soundtracks of all time! All songs mention make me think of Fast Times. Others too like "So Much In Love" by Timothy B. Schmit. I was in High School in 1982. It was my High School movie. Just rewatched "Risky Business". Still Brilliant! The Soundtrack is a Masterpiece by Tangerine Dream.
Amber & Jay, here are some other good Tom Petty songs to react to: "Don't Do Me Like That", "You Got Lucky", ""Deliver Me", "We Stand A Chance", "Here Comes My Girl", and "You Wreck Me".
This is the one that made me a fan for life for Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. Point of pride for me that I was the one to introduce this album to my friends. We immediately learned how to play this and "Breakdown"
@@vegasbeersales I forgot it was in there! They didn't include it on the soundtrack. They also didn't include The Cars' Moving in Stereo, The Go-Go's' We Got the Beat & Led Zeppelin's Kashmir. I imagine it would've been very expensive to include all those big hits. But damn! That would've made a killer soundtrack album! I think they made a mistake not including them (assuming there weren't other reasons, as well).
"she could hear the cars roll by out on 441 like waves crashing on the beach" When I first heard this song those lines stood out for me. I knew he was a good songwriter.
Though I was born in 75, I prefer late 70s Tom Petty than later Tom Petty. So "American Girl" hit the spot, but "Here Comes My Girl" is my favorite TP & the Heartbreakers tune.
American girl and calmer is nothing I’ve heard before. This is a huge jam. Really need to listen to it in the car with the windows down. It’s American 3 chord rock at its finest.
It's hard to lose the ones you love and it's hard to lose the great artists of your childhood. It's amazing that Mick, Keith, Paul, Dylan, Elton, and Joel are still alive. It feels like we are gonna lose them all at once.
"Out on 441, like waves crashing on the beach". I was born just off 441 not far from where Tom Petty is from. It is so cool to have that in well known song.
I moved to Florida in 2018. Tom is originally from Gainesville. Every time I hear this song as a life long Tom Petty fan I get chills because I now live about 3 minutes away from Route 441. Where the cars go by, like waves crashing on the beach... You can actually visit his childhood home, and find the farm he formed his first band and had his first concert on, Mudcrutch Farm... It's surreal living this close to the home of one of your heroes...
I've never understood why Mike Campbell is never mentioned in the top guitarist lists. Can't imagine it bothers him too much but he's just the perfect guitarist for the Heartbreakers. Tom always referred to him as his co-pilot. Killer tone, and just hits the right note right on time, every time. 47 years later this still sounds amazing.
This lit the candle and the rest is history. One of the best rockers ever. I say him 4-5 times and he could put on a show. His music may sound simple, but it's not. There is depth all the way down. You can listen to them over and over and over and not get bored.
Here's a couple of suggestions by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. "You Wreck Me" and "Jammin' Me". Both of those songs are awesome, definitely check them out!!
Jay, Tom Petty had to grow on me in my youth, but the more I heard him, the more he did. Now he's one of my all-time favorite artists. He's got a ton of hits of every flavor. I bet you would like "Don't Do Me Like That" and "Change of Heart." "Learning to Fly" is also fantastic.
Calmer song?? This is such an energetic song, racing along at 115 beats per minute, but the drums make it sound twice as fast. Sometimes I wonder about Jay.
Stevie Nick's and Tom singing live version of Insider from the concert in Gainesville fantastic. You should really get into more of his live songs love Southern Accents from the same concert.
IN 2001 I moved from South Fla to Seattle. I shipped my belongings in advance and drove myself, my 60lb Chow Chow, and a pair of 80's era Bose 901 speakers that were too heavy to ship, cross country!! This tune and Petty's "Running Down a Dream" kept me sane along the way!!!
@@arizrich Not about being loud. I had wanted a pair since I was 16 and listened to "Dark Side of the Moon" for the first time on a Fischer Quad system with 4 901's. I immediately became smitten!
I miss Tom Petty. This is probably my favorite of his, just after the 1st release of his Id ever heard, I Need To Know, in 1977. This song pulls me along with it, a great rhythm and great background vocals. About the videos: many artists who got their start in the 60s or 70s that were still around in the age of MTV were not thrilled with the pressure to spend time & $$ on videos, preferring their music to be appreciated by ear alone. I remember when Journey refused to do a video along with a new song released in the mid-80s. I thought at the time, "good for them!" LOL😊❤ ❤
Amber, so right about all the ears that liked TP. Few things that all Americans agree on but one was love for TP & Heartbreakers. To me, they were THE quintessential American rock band. His rock & roll attitude was just SO on pointe. We all miss him so much. I see you've done alot of his great songs.... SUCH a great songwriter. May he RIP.
"American Girl" was one of his earliest hits and it sounded SOOOO much like The Byrds that it took me a while to realize it wasn't Roger McGuinn singing this. Compare this to "I Was So Much Older Then".
This song (along with actually being an American Girl) is the inspiration for my screen name. One of my favs! I also love their song, ‘Woman In Love.’ You both would love it. Slower, “calmer” song with a great story to it.
Basic heartland Tom Petty greatness! From his debut album, so no wonder it doesn't have all the permutations Jay seems to expect. This was Taylor Swift's entrance music for her first tour, in 2006. (16-year-old Taylor didn't mind being on the nose every so often.) For her second tour, Taylor recorded her own cover of the song and used that. (No need to pay Tom performance royalties if she didn't need to; TS isn't a stockbroker's daughter for nothing, after all.) The other major early Tom songs you need to hit are "I Need to Know" and "Listen to Her Heart". If Jay's in a "Keep it simple" mood, that is.
Rock from the 70s and 80s had so many anthems. And this was one just song! The girls in my "crew", and my younger sisters, loved this song. They said it was empowering. They would sing it out loud every time it played.
American Girl came from his very first album (simply titled, "Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers"), and I'm not sure there were any videos made for any songs off the first 2 albums (this came out in 1977, and the follow-up, "You're Gonna Get it" in 1978). It was the next album, "Damn the Torpedoes", that broke him into the mainstream, BIG TIME, and I believe that's where he started making music videos. One thing you need to realize is that the music video as an artform was still growing, and MTV (when it was a music video channel) didn't debut until August 1981. So, it was still common for some artists to not include music videos in the promotion of their music, in the 70s. I believe the first music video Tom Petty made was for "Refugee".
Saw him in concert in 2001 along with Jackson Brown. Tom played his heart out for 3 hours!!! I also got to hear him tune up two hours prior to show....he seemed like a genuine guy...
this will always be my favourite Tom Petty song. I bought it when it first came out in the UK as a single in 1977 then bought the album. They broke first in the UK and were classed as a new wave band. Every time I hear this song it takes me back and Tom Petty always seem to close his shows with it. Great song. Check out the live version from 78 in the UK with Mike Campbells great guitar outro. One of my top 10 songs by any artist.
Nov 1977, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers opened for Rush at the Tower in Philadelphia. He was unknown to me and most others too I’m pretty sure. This was the one song that left the biggest impression. Breakdown too.
I was so lucky to see him at the Boston garden right before he passed away. Miss him. He always ends his concert with this song. He credits Boston"s wbcn for making rhis song big!
This is one of my favorite Tom Petty songs. His lyrics are so descriptive, and they walk the edge between freedom and optimism, on the one hand, and loss and drift as an undertone. He was one of rock music's romantics, like Springsteen and Bob Seger, who captured the thrill of youth against the odds, in a big country with lots of hopes and no guarantees. To me, they epitomize the America I grew up in. They propelled rock music for a whole generation.
You both looked like you were enjoying this one. So glad you got to it. A few other classics include Here Comes My Girl, Even the Losers, and Don’t Do Me Like That.
While reading through all the suggestions below I found myself thinking, "Oh, that's a GOOD one" so many times I have to believe you could pick anything by Tom Petty and make my day by playing it. I didn't see anyone suggesting "Louisiana Rain" so if you haven't done it yet, I'll suggest that one. A little bit country, but pure Tom Petty as well.
LOVE this song! Petty knew how to absolutely cook. And now: A Suggestion and Recommendation: GUIDED BY VOICES... probably the greatest Indie Rock band of all-time. From Dayton, Ohio, they've released DOZENS of albums since the early 90s and have actually gotten better and BETTER. Their leader is ROBERT POLLARD... a middle school teacher who went full-time into music. He is probably the most prolific songwriter in the world, having penned over 3000 songs. His catalog (with GBV, solo, and side projects) is vast... but you can start with "LIZARD ON THE RED BRICK WALL" or "SPACE GUN" and fully connect with the amazing band. Cheers!
They would have to start a new channel to cover Robert Pollard. So much great, unconventional music. He is a massive talent and way underrated. In the time it took me to type this, he recorded and released a new album.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #1 НАЧАЛО ПУТЕШЕСТВИЯ [Новый сезон] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/380Q7gLWGvk/mqdefault.jpg)
"God it's so painful that something that's so close is still so far out of reach" that line kills me 😩
Plus the way he sings it with the pauses.
'Even The Losers' is another great Tom Petty song.
Love that one!
That’s a great suggestion.
I love that song
My life story, in a sound bite!
Anything off of "Damn The Torpedoes".
American Girl was the last song ever played by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers in concert, part of an encore at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California on September 25, 2017.
Petty died a little over a week later.
This was the last song that chick from silence of the lambs was playing before she got kidnapped! Just fyi 😅
I miss him and his music. Gone too soon.
Tom Petty was an enormous talent and gave us many great songs. American Girl is my all-time favorite Tom Petty song which makes it one of my all-time favorite songs period. This song comes on and I'm dancing around the room or bouncing in the driver's seat and singing out loud. I really miss attending his concerts.
Interesting that he closed the show and his career with this in 2017.
Back in the day when he was just getting started I saw him in concert in Buffalo and they opened the show with this.
Lights came up. He came running across the stage strumming away.
It was a great show.
@@shannonbiehl4282 I will always associate this song with that scene!
Tom Petty "Don't Do Me Like That" 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
A MUST, an absolute classic!
Fun fact, Tom was gonna offer that song to the J. Geils Band but changed his mind. When I hear it, I can imagine Peter Wolf singing it.
Absolutely my favorite
Yes! Also There Goes My Girl or Breakdown. ❤
My favorite Tom Petty song! 👍❤
He wasn't just a Heartbreaker, he was also a Traveing Willbury.
Also in Mudcrutch, his first band (which released 2 new albums in the last 10 years before he passed). Hmm, what should they be called? Mudcrutchlings? Mudcrutchians? LOL!
I can't listen to this song without thinking Silence of the Lambs.
yeah
Can you step into the van and help me guide this in? Say, are you about a size 14????
I couldn’t remember the movie it was till you said that.
That movie made this song Iconic. It was so fitting for that scene.
Just like Stuck in the Middle With You and the movie Reservoir Dogs!
You can never go wrong with The Heartbreakers R.I.P Tom we miss you brother
I actually cried when I heard that he had died
I'll always think of Catherine Martin tapping her steering wheel and singing along, her eyes locking with ours in "Silence of the Lambs".
Yes!! I was first introduced to this song via that infamous scene from ‘The Silence Of The Lambs’, and as much as I love the tune itself the first thing that comes to mind when it comes on is Catherine Martin singing along to it while behind the wheel (which is why it’s my favourite song to play while on a road trip, lol).
Me too 😂😂😂😂.
Same here!
@@marcelaucoin433 It's such a terrifyingly ironic shot, isn't it? Herself an American girl, speeding along in her car, listening to a song about an American girl searching for her freedom, the 20th century embodiment of freedom just moments away from the absolute opposite. Demme really was a genius.
@@Serai3 Amen!
I was at Tom Petty’s final concert before he died, at Hollywood Bowl. This was the final song he ever played live.
I came close to going. The last show was added, after the other two sold out. But I had too much going on at the time and decided to pass. There would always be another chance. Famous last words. Fortunately, I got to see him about 11-12x between 1981 & 2014. That will have to suffice. RIP
@@screwyootube1 that’s great, you see him in his prime. For me it was the one and only time. I told my wife “we should go see this show, you never know how long legends like this will be around.”
@@screwyootube1 I get it. He was playing in Sacramento (fifth to last concert) but I was busy helping my mom with some health issues and had seen him at our home in Canada not too long before. I thought, "Next time" not realizing there would never be a next time. :/
Every time I hear this song, I can't help but think of "Fast Times at Ridgemont High". This song opens the movie and as a result millions of people have the same fond memory.
Great song, but the Gogo's open the film with "We Got The Beat".
That was Jackson Browne, "Somebody's Baby"
Just said the same. Of course one of the great soundtracks of all time! All songs mention make me think of Fast Times. Others too like "So Much In Love" by Timothy B. Schmit. I was in High School in 1982. It was my High School movie. Just rewatched "Risky Business". Still Brilliant! The Soundtrack is a Masterpiece by Tangerine Dream.
"I can fix it, my dad's got lots of tools".
Yeah, it was the Go-Go's "We Got the Beat" that played during the opening credits, but all the others were in there as well.
Amber & Jay, here are some other good Tom Petty songs to react to: "Don't Do Me Like That", "You Got Lucky", ""Deliver Me", "We Stand A Chance", "Here Comes My Girl", and "You Wreck Me".
I love HERE COMES MY GIRL... talk about optimistic
Saving Grace
Billy The Kid
Crawling Back To You
Casa Dega
Swingin
A Face In The Crowd
Walls
You Tell Me
Here Comes My Girl. 😀
Oh yeah! "You Got Lucky" would be awesome!
Play "I need to know". Tom Petty meant so much to us teenagers in the seventies who were drowning in disco. He brought rock n roll back too us.
Came to say this. I need to know.
Well the talk on the street
Says you might go solo. 😊
F'ing love it!
@@neilmartin99 good friend of mine
Saw you leaving by the back door
This is the one that made me a fan for life for Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. Point of pride for me that I was the one to introduce this album to my friends. We immediately learned how to play this and "Breakdown"
I remember this song being in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. RIP Tom Petty
Another 70s song in a 80s movie.
@@theodoreritola7641geez , fast times was 82 . American girl wasnt even 5 years old yet . Were they only supposed to use songs from 80 and 81 ?😂
not at all the 80s have good taste in 70s music
"Breakdown" live is great. You'll feel like you're at a TP concert!
The rant he does on live versions is incredible
Here comes my girl is a banger!
Yes! Love that one.
Tom Petty is a legend. Other classics, "Into the Great Wide Open", "Jammin Me", "Even the Losers", "Breakdown", and so many others.
The day after he passed, we played "Runaway Train" at work.
Love this song, thing first time I heard it was in Silence of the Lambs but he’s another genius who’s been taken far too soon. R.I.P Tom 😔
It was in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Much happier scene.
@@vegasbeersales never heard of that, will look out for it thanks
@@vegasbeersalesYep, and the song begins with Bruce Springsteen’s sister, Pamela, walking in the hall.
@@vegasbeersales
I forgot it was in there! They didn't include it on the soundtrack. They also didn't include The Cars' Moving in Stereo, The Go-Go's' We Got the Beat & Led Zeppelin's Kashmir. I imagine it would've been very expensive to include all those big hits. But damn! That would've made a killer soundtrack album! I think they made a mistake not including them (assuming there weren't other reasons, as well).
One of my favorite Petty tunes! Please do "A Woman in Love"!!! That is another Petty gem, an angst filled rocker !!!
I loooovvvvvee this , song a must. I'm going to suggest it too.
Yes, please react to A Woman In Love. It's by far my favorite Petty song.
"she could hear the cars roll by
out on 441
like waves crashing on the beach"
When I first heard this song those lines stood out for me. I knew he was a good songwriter.
People in Gainesville FL, think Tom is talking about Beatty Towers at UF along US 441….but Beatty Towers doesn’t have balconies.
Check out "Don't do me like That." RIP Tom. He was a legend.
Tom Petty was a breath of fresh air.... Just plain ol' rock and roll
A really good Tom Petty song that's also often forgotten about is "You wreck me"
Came here to post this and The Silence of the Lambs, lol.
You guys have to hear Tom Petty - You Got Lucky - Don't Do Me Like That
Though I was born in 75, I prefer late 70s Tom Petty than later Tom Petty. So "American Girl" hit the spot, but "Here Comes My Girl" is my favorite TP & the Heartbreakers tune.
Absolutely agree! "Here Comes My Girl" will always be my #1 TP song and I love all of his songs
There is not a bad song on "Damn the Torpedoes" Tom knew how to pen our soundtrack.
Also a '75er. Also love that song but my favorite is probably "Insider"
What even makes this song more remarkable was it was on his (their) first album! 💖
So glad you finally got to this one!! Now you’ll have to get to Tom doing “Here Comes My Girl”. Love me some Tom Petty😁😉
so calm, for a triple time beat, you crack me up .
Was thinking the same thing! Lol
Yeah, this song is rocking. Wildflowers is calm.
AAAAHHHH my 2nd favorite Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers song!!! Finally!! (first is Refugee)
Learning to Fly - LIVE (Wearing green shirt, gr8 version)
Stop Dragging My Heart Around
You're So Bad
RIP Tom
🇬🇧 This song & "Stop Dragging My Heart Around" are my favourite TP songs.
RIP Tom 💔🎼
American girl and calmer is nothing I’ve heard before. This is a huge jam. Really need to listen to it in the car with the windows down. It’s American 3 chord rock at its finest.
It's hard to lose the ones you love and it's hard to lose the great artists of your childhood. It's amazing that Mick, Keith, Paul, Dylan, Elton, and Joel are still alive. It feels like we are gonna lose them all at once.
A lot of our music icons are gone, yes, and I hate that. I am grateful for the ones that remain.
I have a feeling that we are going to lose them one right after the other, like one giant wave.
"Out on 441, like waves crashing on the beach". I was born just off 441 not far from where Tom Petty is from. It is so cool to have that in well known song.
Jay & Amber, you'll love his "Here Comes My Girl" and "Don't Do Me Like That" !!!! Great choice on todays song
I moved to Florida in 2018. Tom is originally from Gainesville. Every time I hear this song as a life long Tom Petty fan I get chills because I now live about 3 minutes away from Route 441. Where the cars go by, like waves crashing on the beach... You can actually visit his childhood home, and find the farm he formed his first band and had his first concert on, Mudcrutch Farm... It's surreal living this close to the home of one of your heroes...
I've never understood why Mike Campbell is never mentioned in the top guitarist lists. Can't imagine it bothers him too much but he's just the perfect guitarist for the Heartbreakers. Tom always referred to him as his co-pilot.
Killer tone, and just hits the right note right on time, every time. 47 years later this still sounds amazing.
This lit the candle and the rest is history. One of the best rockers ever. I say him 4-5 times and he could put on a show. His music may sound simple, but it's not. There is depth all the way down. You can listen to them over and over and over and not get bored.
My morning jog takes me by Tom Petty’s childhood home here in Gainesville, FL
One of the tightest bands I have ever seen live. Tons of good American R&R songs. Florida boy too!
Here's a couple of suggestions by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. "You Wreck Me" and "Jammin' Me". Both of those songs are awesome, definitely check them out!!
......and Refugee.
He was raked over the coals for "Jammin' Me", not sure exactly why other than people said it was too "commercial", but I always liked it.
@@nancysmith8626 now that you mention it, I did read something about that because he mentioned Eddie Murphy in the song.
RIP Tom! Love this tune
Tom and my wife have the same birth date. 10/20/1950
Jay, Tom Petty had to grow on me in my youth, but the more I heard him, the more he did. Now he's one of my all-time favorite artists. He's got a ton of hits of every flavor. I bet you would like "Don't Do Me Like That" and "Change of Heart." "Learning to Fly" is also fantastic.
Tom Petty in the 70’s is the best Tom❤
LOL This song Rocks! There is Nothing Calm about IT!
This song was released in 1976. If it came out today it would be a hit. How many artists could say that. His music is timeless indeed.
Calmer song?? This is such an energetic song, racing along at 115 beats per minute, but the drums make it sound twice as fast. Sometimes I wonder about Jay.
Agreed. Insane comment.
Stevie Nick's and Tom singing live version of Insider from the concert in Gainesville fantastic. You should really get into more of his live songs love Southern Accents from the same concert.
The Silence of the Lambs!!!
Yes!
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Tom has a huge catalog.. You Wreck Me was a favorite..
IN 2001 I moved from South Fla to Seattle. I shipped my belongings in advance and drove myself, my 60lb Chow Chow, and a pair of 80's era Bose 901 speakers that were too heavy to ship, cross country!! This tune and Petty's "Running Down a Dream" kept me sane along the way!!!
Bose 901s? You liked it loud huh? :)
@@arizrich Not about being loud. I had wanted a pair since I was 16 and listened to "Dark Side of the Moon" for the first time on a Fischer Quad system with 4 901's. I immediately became smitten!
@@carlaharrington5120 I sold them in the 70s, if you had wanted loud, they went there easily!
I miss Tom Petty. This is probably my favorite of his, just after the 1st release of his Id ever heard, I Need To Know, in 1977.
This song pulls me along with it, a great rhythm and great background vocals.
About the videos: many artists who got their start in the 60s or 70s that were still around in the age of MTV were not thrilled with the pressure to spend time & $$ on videos, preferring their music to be appreciated by ear alone. I remember when Journey refused to do a video along with a new song released in the mid-80s. I thought at the time, "good for them!" LOL😊❤
❤
Tom, Mike, Benmont, Stan, Ron and Howie too thank you for so many timeless songs that have entertained and comforted me for almost 50 years.
Amber, so right about all the ears that liked TP. Few things that all Americans agree on but one was love for TP & Heartbreakers. To me, they were THE quintessential American rock band. His rock & roll attitude was just SO on pointe. We all miss him so much. I see you've done alot of his great songs.... SUCH a great songwriter. May he RIP.
Watch out! Buffalo Bill is lurking.
Never trust a man in a cast with a van trying to move furniture😅
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - "You Got Lucky"
Nope
Yep!!❤🎉
One of my favorites!
Love,love,love Tom! This is my wife's fav. Lucky enough to have seen him 5 times. You Wreck Me, my fav. Thanks for the smile.
My favorite song from
Him!
Refugee⭐Honeybee⭐You Got Lucky..and many more❤ RIP Tom🙏
Refugee For sure!!
They reacted to Refugee already a couple of months ago
@@BlondeorBrunette-kf3wz Horrible whiny girl songs
Just my opinion
He was a talented guy
But made gay songs
"American Girl" was one of his earliest hits and it sounded SOOOO much like The Byrds that it took me a while to realize it wasn't Roger McGuinn singing this. Compare this to "I Was So Much Older Then".
This was a real big hit at the time. Absolutely loved it
I ❤ Tom Petty!! One night after one of his concerts, I was so hyped up that I had to get American Girl tattooed on me.
I was at Live Aid in Philadelphia and for me the highlight of the whole show was The Heartbreakers amazing performance of this song. Thanks Tom!
I was there too 😊
I would love to hear " she's going to listen to her heart
One of my favorite songs and videos of my childhood was you got lucky, you gotta play you got Lucky and the video is a must watch
This song (along with actually being an American Girl) is the inspiration for my screen name. One of my favs! I also love their song, ‘Woman In Love.’ You both would love it. Slower, “calmer” song with a great story to it.
Basic heartland Tom Petty greatness! From his debut album, so no wonder it doesn't have all the permutations Jay seems to expect.
This was Taylor Swift's entrance music for her first tour, in 2006. (16-year-old Taylor didn't mind being on the nose every so often.) For her second tour, Taylor recorded her own cover of the song and used that.
(No need to pay Tom performance royalties if she didn't need to; TS isn't a stockbroker's daughter for nothing, after all.)
The other major early Tom songs you need to hit are "I Need to Know" and "Listen to Her Heart". If Jay's in a "Keep it simple" mood, that is.
i LOVE tom petty, one of my favorite songs recently is tom petty and stevie nicks' cover of needles and pins!
Listen to her heart is another amazing song
You guys are hitting the bullseye today
One of the most amazing properties of music is it helps you mentally go back and actually feel like you did at the concert! So many happy memories!
Petty is one that definitely takes you to a point in time, the soundtrack to our lives.
Yes I'm so happy y'all decided to react to this song one of my favorite Tom Petty songs!
Rock from the 70s and 80s had so many anthems. And this was one just song!
The girls in my "crew", and my younger sisters, loved this song. They said it was empowering. They would sing it out loud every time it played.
I still… adore you two… (love seeing you)… awwww, don’t stop during the “groove!”
When I was younger going out to the bars, many cover bands played this song and it always got the crowd going. Such great memories from those days.
"Out on fo foty one"
Gotta love TP and the Heartbreakers
You can’t help but turn this all the way when you’re driving, soooo goood!
American Girl came from his very first album (simply titled, "Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers"), and I'm not sure there were any videos made for any songs off the first 2 albums (this came out in 1977, and the follow-up, "You're Gonna Get it" in 1978). It was the next album, "Damn the Torpedoes", that broke him into the mainstream, BIG TIME, and I believe that's where he started making music videos. One thing you need to realize is that the music video as an artform was still growing, and MTV (when it was a music video channel) didn't debut until August 1981. So, it was still common for some artists to not include music videos in the promotion of their music, in the 70s.
I believe the first music video Tom Petty made was for "Refugee".
Growing up in Gainesville and being on 441 most of my life, I just love this song!! ❤
American Girl is probably his most popular. He encores with this one!
Great reaction!
I first heard this song in the movie The Silence of the Lambs. It always reminds me of that movie.
Great song. Glad you guys reacted to it! 😃👍
Saw him in concert in 2001 along with Jackson Brown. Tom played his heart out for 3 hours!!! I also got to hear him tune up two hours prior to show....he seemed like a genuine guy...
Great song!
The half time show they did for Super Bowl XLII was awesome!
this will always be my favourite Tom Petty song. I bought it when it first came out in the UK as a single in 1977 then bought the album. They broke first in the UK and were classed as a new wave band. Every time I hear this song it takes me back and Tom Petty always seem to close his shows with it. Great song. Check out the live version from 78 in the UK with Mike Campbells great guitar outro. One of my top 10 songs by any artist.
This was their first hit single!
Great song by Tom and the Heartbreakers, one of my favourites of his-Colin Ward
My all time favorite song. PETTY 4EVA !!!!
Nov 1977, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers opened for Rush at the Tower in Philadelphia. He was unknown to me and most others too I’m pretty sure. This was the one song that left the biggest impression. Breakdown too.
I was so lucky to see him at the Boston garden right before he passed away. Miss him. He always ends his concert with this song. He credits Boston"s wbcn for making rhis song big!
This is one of my favorite Tom Petty songs. His lyrics are so descriptive, and they walk the edge between freedom and optimism, on the one hand, and loss and drift as an undertone. He was one of rock music's romantics, like Springsteen and Bob Seger, who captured the thrill of youth against the odds, in a big country with lots of hopes and no guarantees. To me, they epitomize the America I grew up in. They propelled rock music for a whole generation.
My fave TP song along with dont do me like that are awesome
Listen to Her Heart, Here Comes My Girl and So You Want To Be A Rock and Roll Star all worth a listen
You both looked like you were enjoying this one. So glad you got to it. A few other classics include Here Comes My Girl, Even the Losers, and Don’t Do Me Like That.
While reading through all the suggestions below I found myself thinking, "Oh, that's a GOOD one" so many times I have to believe you could pick anything by Tom Petty and make my day by playing it. I didn't see anyone suggesting "Louisiana Rain" so if you haven't done it yet, I'll suggest that one. A little bit country, but pure Tom Petty as well.
LOVE this song! Petty knew how to absolutely cook.
And now: A Suggestion and Recommendation: GUIDED BY VOICES... probably the greatest Indie Rock band of all-time. From Dayton, Ohio, they've released DOZENS of albums since the early 90s and have actually gotten better and BETTER. Their leader is ROBERT POLLARD... a middle school teacher who went full-time into music. He is probably the most prolific songwriter in the world, having penned over 3000 songs. His catalog (with GBV, solo, and side projects) is vast... but you can start with "LIZARD ON THE RED BRICK WALL" or "SPACE GUN" and fully connect with the amazing band. Cheers!
They would have to start a new channel to cover Robert Pollard. So much great, unconventional music. He is a massive talent and way underrated. In the time it took me to type this, he recorded and released a new album.
@@davebates4664 AMEN.
Tom had a real punk element to his voice in this tune.
Listen to her heart is awesome.
This ones great. Stop dragging my heart around is perfection!! Breakdown is my favorite.
Tom Patty's California cool is too good to ignore.
~Red