Tom Petty was a unique artist when you think about it. During a time when everyone was gearing up for the next new thing (new wave, punk rock, pop music, etc.), Petty was happy to write songs the old-school way. Still, he managed to create something new and recognizable, which resulted in a decades-long career of beloved songs. Let’s take a look at some of Tom Petty’s best deep cuts that haven’t gotten quite as much attention as his major hits.
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1. “The Best Of Everything”
Southern Accents had a rough start during recording sessions, but The Heartbreakers managed to build up a truly stellar album. One deep cut from that album is “The Best Of Everything”, which many believe is one of Tom Petty’s greatest breakup songs of his career.
It ticks all the boxes of a stellar Petty song. Excellent storytelling, emotional lyrics, and that tell-tale Petty tremble in the vocals. It’s a great tune with a theme that everyone can relate to.
2. “Fault Lines”
Petty was many decades into his career when Hypnotic Eye was released. At a time when other artists of his age would have retired, Petty kept going; and his songwriting ability clearly hadn’t wavered. “Fault Lines” is one of the best and most underrated songs from the album. It has a bluesy sort of vibe, rock elements that Petty hadn’t delved into before, and intense vocal delivery. It’s unique compared to the rest of his discography.
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3. “Something Big”
This Hard Promises track is another Tom Petty deep cut that didn’t get as much attention as road-trip must-haves like “Refugee” and “Even The Losers”. It’s a Southern Gothic tale that grabs the listener’s attention. It also showcases how good Petty was at spinning tales and telling stories through his music.
Photo by Samir Hussein
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