Tom Petty is known as one of the greatest singer/songwriters of his generation, as well as one of the most noteworthy heartland rock guitarists of all time. Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers songs like “American Girl” and “Don’t Do My Like That” defined the 1970s and still do to this day.
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However, Tom Petty really deserves more love for his vocals. He was an accomplished singer, and some of his best vocal tracks are ignored in favor of the overall instrumentation of his songs. Which isn’t that surprising; his songs are killer.
“Free Fallin’” is one particular song that showcases Petty’s vocal chops. There’s something so classic about this song that it’s kind of shocking that it came out in 1989. “Free Fallin’” has a very 1970s vibe to it. And it also cemented Petty’s status as one of the greats, without The Heartbreakers there to buoy him. This gorgeous folk-rock song was released on his very first solo album, Full Moon Fever.
Tom Petty’s Vocals on “Free Fallin’” Are Gorgeous When Isolated
Between the guitar, bass, and harmonica, Tom Petty also used his vocals to breathe life into his songs. One great example of his singing talents can be found in “Free Fallin’”. Though, between the glittering guitars and distractingly good melody of the tune, few have really listened to how good his voice is on this song.
You can listen to Tom Petty’s isolated vocals on “Free Fallin’” via the video below:
Petty’s sound was distinct, and that applied to his voice as well. Nobody sounded like him. And while his rock and folk contemporaries would often experiment with singing styles, Petty found his voice and stuck with it, all the way to the very end. And what an incredibly strong voice it was.
“Free Fallin’” was quite a bold effort. And according to an interview with Petty from back in the 2000s, it would have been one of his favorites if it didn’t blow up as big as it did. He said himself that it became a “huge anthem” and that kind of got in the way of him liking it. Nevertheless, he often gushed about how magical it was to write the song with Jeff Lynne.
“I got the chords to it and we [Petty and Lynne] both fleshed out the chorus,” said Petty. “It was like ‘Evil Woman’ in that we got a repetitive chord sequence and then the melody turns into a chorus. Everyone who heard it knew it was a hit, and the next song we did was ‘I Won’t Back Down.’”
What a legend.
Photo by Mick Hutson/Redferns
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