

Tom Petty's brand of wild heartland rock ‘n' roll captures a certain vision of American music: earthy, hyper-catchy tunes that feel as right blasting from a truck in a U.S. Midwest cornfield as they do in the California sunshine. Petty's ability to craft unforgettable, treble-heavy guitar riffs is matched only by his gift for melody. The shimmering acoustic dreaminess and sing-along hook of “Free Fallin'” made it an FM staple, while “Mary Jane's Last Dance”—all breezy harmonica and ragged six-string overdrive—will burn into your consciousness.