With earthy, instantly catchy tunes that capture the promise of wide-open horizons and youthful rebellion, Tom Petty forever changed the course of rock 'n' roll. Although he skillfully adapted over four decades—mellowing slightly from the sneering intensity of mid-‘70s albums with The Heartbreakers to the shimmering acoustic beauty of Wildflowers—Petty's chiming guitars and gift for sing-at-the-top-of-your-lungs choruses are a constant. But something about Petty's music is also so quintessentially American—whether he's inspired by the surreal life of sunny Hollywood or the lure of the highway—that he's one of the most universally appealing voices on the FM dial.