Throwback Tuesdays: Tom Petty--"I Won't Back Down"

Maybe it's the American in me but I've always loved the music of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. For as long as I can recall, Petty's been one of my favorite songwriters when it comes to rock music, mainly because his songs are simple, two-part harmony styled ditties that hone...

By Jonathan Cunningham

July 8, 2008

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Maybe it's the American in me but I've always loved the music of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. For as long as I can recall, Petty's been one of my favorite songwriters when it comes to rock music, mainly because his songs are simple, two-part harmony styled ditties that hone in on a hard to describe piece of Americana that most of us love.

And for whatever reason, "I Won't Back Down" is one of my favorite songs from his long list of hits. What's funny about the song is that it was released on Tom Petty's Full Moon Fever album from 1989. It wasn't a Heartbreakers record... and since all of the Traveling Wilbury's participated on it except Bob Dylan, lot's of music critics consider Full Moon Fever to be the supergroup's unofficial second album. Here's a random fact: when you watch this video, you'll also notice a certain Beatle who was just in town over the weekend.

I'm writing all of this because, of course Petty is a Florida native. He was born and raised in Gainesville, and he'll be back in Florida on July 15 performing locally at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise. It looks like he's only got two dates in Florida for the entire year, so if you're a fan, his concert next Tuesday isn't to be missed.

--Jonathan Cunningham

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