Let's rewind to Gainesville, Florida, in the 1970s. Tom Petty wasn't born with a silver spoon—more like a rusty spoon he found in a ditch. He grew up with a tough dad and a dream so big it barely fit in his small town.
He formed Mudcrutch, which sounded like a band name you'd make up after a mud fight. It didn't work out, but he didn't quit. Instead, he built the Heartbreakers, and suddenly, that hill started looking a lot less steep.
Think about it: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers opened for bands like the Eagles and got booed. Booed! But Tom just shrugged, tuned his guitar, and wrote "American Girl" about a girl running away to somewhere better. That's the move of a king.
What Makes a King? The Songs, Obviously
You can't be king without a killer playlist, and Tom's is a jukebox of pure magic. "Refugee" is the sound of someone shouting, "I'm not your problem." "Free Fallin'" is what happens when you drive past a mall and suddenly feel everything.
And don't even get me started on "I Won't Back Down". That song is less a song and more an oath you'd take before a space battle. It's for when life throws a punch, and you just stand there, grinning.
'King of the Hill' Creator Mike Judge Remembers Tom Petty
He also wrote "Mary Jane's Last Dance," which is weird and wonderful and features a skeleton dancing with a mannequin. Only Tom could make a music video about grave robbery feel like a road trip with a buddy.
