Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

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  • Year:
    2002
  • Inducted by:
    Jakob Dylan
  • Category:
    Performers

Introduction

Tom Petty made us all believe by singing about ordinary experience in an extraordinary way.

His vocals captured our soul with songs that sounded like hits the first time we heard them. He made his mark on music and our lives.

Hall of Fame Essay

2002

Bill Flanagan

It’s a rare thing to combine mainstream success with musical substance. To do it while fiercely standing up for personal principles - to the point of waging public war with your record company - is rarer. To do it for twenty-five years is flat-out remarkable.

A common reaction to the news that Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has been “They’re a great band, but aren’t they too young to qualify?” It’s a shock to realize that it has been twenty-five years since “Breakdown” and “American Girl.” Petty and the Heartbreakers have never stopped long enough to look back. They win new audiences with every record they make.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Program Cover 2002
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Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers - Quote Image
all of his songs are bursting with his unique spirit
Jakob Dylan

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Collection

Ron Blair of the Heartbreakers Jacket
Ron Blair of the Heartbreakers Jacket

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Gallery

Photography: Janet Macoska; Kevin Mazur, WireImage

Backstage

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