4 Tom Petty Classics That Were Co-Written With Mike Campbell

Mike Campbell quietly became a guitar legend. I say quietly because he’s known more for serving the song rather than flashy guitar solos. But isn’t serving the song the whole point of the guitar anyway? Tom Petty’s right-hand man understands the importance of a good tune because he’s a great songwriter, too. And many Tom Petty classics, as noted below, began with Mike Campbell.

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“Love Is A Long Road”

“This feels like a motorcycle shifting gears,” said Campbell. The guitarist was inspired by his motorcycle, and “Love Is A Long Road” distills the freedom one might experience on an open stretch of highway. The kind of rocker you might crank on a long road trip. It’s in the title as a metaphor for how challenging romantic entanglements can be. Petty’s character rises at noon and can’t settle down. He’s moving on. Maybe he can borrow Campbell’s fast bike.

“You Wreck Me”

Though most of the Heartbreakers appear on Wildflowers, Petty wanted the flexibility of rotating musicians. In the end, the only band member absent from the sessions was drummer Stan Lynch. But Petty was smart enough to realize the one Heartbreaker that most certainly needed to be there was Mike Campbell. “You Wreck Me” features the simple genius of Campbell—something most guitarists miss. The unteachable instinct to prioritize the song over showing off your skills. Other guitarists might play a hundred notes. But Campbell mops the floor with them using only a few.

“I Should Have Known It”

Perhaps Campbell’s second-best riff after “Runnin’ Down A Dream”. This is Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers hooked on a heavy dose of Led Zeppelin. The Heartbreakers’ familiar jangle gets traded for the voodoo blues of Jimmy Page. Also, Petty excels at the you-done-me-wrong numbers. And if you’re going to lay some grievance on the lyric sheet, it’s a good idea to have handy something like this snaking riff by Campbell.

“Runnin’ Down A Dream”

Petty was on a prolific songwriting run during the Full Moon Fever period. Everything seemed to flow easily, and maybe it had to do with the freedom he felt from his band. Though, like with Wildflowers, every Heartbreaker but Lynch appears on his solo debut. Jeff Lynne co-wrote this heartland standard with Petty and Campbell, and if you were to play someone only one track to showcase the guitarist, this is it. The descending riff is one of the most identifiable in rock history. But the highlight remains the extended outro solo. Campbell is famous for his minimalism, but finally lets loose here.

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