5 Tracks You Didn’t Know Feature Mike Campbell

Tom Petty had a nickname for Mike Campbell: “co-captain.” Campbell was more than The Heartbreakers’ lead guitarist; he co-produced and co-wrote many of Petty’s biggest hits. Though the quiet guitarist is famous for a minimalist approach to the instrument, his effect on the recordings he’s appeared on is undeniable. A song-oriented lead guitarist—rarer than you think—whose signature licks in “Breakdown”, “Runnin’ Down A Dream”, and “Refugee” are as memorable as Petty’s iconic lyrics.

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Apart from his work with Petty and Petty-adjacent projects like Traveling Wilburys, Campbell has appeared on classic albums by Johnny Cash, Don Henley, Stevie Nicks, and many others. But here are five tracks you might not know that also feature Mike Campbell.

“Beyond Here Lies Nothin’” by Bob Dylan

Campbell often talks about drawing from his influences when he’s thinking of what to play on a session. He crafted a signature sound with Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers, which felt immediate and classic. On “Beyond Here Lies Nothin’”, Campbell supports Bob Dylan and Robert Hunter’s noir with echoes of Peter Green’s blues in Fleetwood Mac’s “Black Magic Woman”, but with a sound distinctly his own.

“Los Angeles Is Burning” by Bad Religion

You don’t often associate Campbell with punk rock. However, with Tom Petty, the Florida natives joined the Eagles as transplants who helped define California roots music. Here, Campbell’s guitar solo helps propel Bad Religion’s fiery media critique. You can hear how another of his influences, Chuck Berry, not only pioneered rock and roll but also the indelible guitar licks favored by punk bands.

“Arkansas” by Chris Stapleton

In 2024, Big Machine released Petty Country, which features some of country music’s biggest stars covering Tom Petty. The album opens with Chris Stapleton ripping through Petty’s Mojo-era banger, “I Should Have Known It”. But this wasn’t Stapleton’s first connection to The Heartbreakers. Stapleton and Campbell co-wrote “Arkansas”, a dusty blues tune featuring Campbell leaning into his Southern rock roots.

“Something To Be” by Rob Thomas

The title track to Rob Thomas’s solo debut features an all-star guitar cast: Wendy Melvoin from Prince’s Revolution band, Matchbox Twenty’s Kyle Cook, and Tom Petty’s “co-captain.” Melvoin is most known for writing the iconic guitar riff in “Purple Rain”, while Cook has been Thomas’s own “co-captain” in Matchbox Twenty. Campbell’s contribution to this recording is subtle, but listen closely as the track fades out and you’ll hear his familiar slide playing.

“Love Song” by The Dandy Warhols

Portland psych-legends The Dandy Warhols released Earth To The Dandy Warhols in 2008. It was the group’s first studio release since leaving Capitol Records. “Love Song” features both Campbell and Mark Knopfler. “Love Song” is The Dandys getting high on nostalgia as Courtney Taylor-Taylor namechecks Violent Femmes’ “Blister In The Sun” over jangly strings and a bluegrass groove by way of PDX psychedelia.

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