# What is the best album by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers?

> Their catalog moves from scrappy heartland rock to polished country-tinged pop, with timeless hooks at every turn — the kind of albums that make long drives feel cinematic. Which one hits hardest?

*By YPB Team · Published April 14, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/what-is-the-best-album-by-tom-petty-and-the-heartbreakers*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Damn the Torpedoes**
   Tom Petty's 1979 masterpiece, a fierce and melodic rock album considered one of the genre's most perfectly crafted records.
2. **Full Moon Fever**
   Tom Petty's 1989 solo debut featuring the Heartbreakers, packed with radio-friendly rock classics including 'Free Fallin'' and 'I Won't Back Down'.
3. **Hard Promises**
   A 1981 follow-up matching the sharp songwriting of Damn the Torpedoes with a raw, energetic sound and the hit 'The Waiting'.
4. **Into the Great Wide Open**
   A 1991 concept album following a young rocker's rise, blending pop-rock storytelling with warm, rootsy production.
5. **Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers**
   Their 1976 self-titled debut, a scrappy and timeless introduction to their brand of driving rock featuring 'Breakdown'.
6. **Southern Accents**
   A 1985 ambitious concept album blending Southern rock with pop and orchestral elements, featuring the defiant 'Don't Come Around Here No More'.
7. **Wildflowers**
   Tom Petty's intimate 1994 solo album widely regarded as his most personal and emotionally resonant work, produced by Rick Rubin.
8. **Echo**
   A 1999 album reflecting heartbreak and creative turbulence, darker and more introspective than any prior Heartbreakers record.
9. **Mojo**
   A 2010 blues-inflected album showcasing the band's rootsy credentials with extended jamming, their first number-one album in 20 years.
10. **Hypnotic Eye**
   Tom Petty's final 2014 studio album, a hard-rocking return to a rawer sound that topped the charts on its release week.
11. **Long After Dark**
   A 1982 album delivering concise, hook-filled rock with the band firing on all cylinders, including the hit 'You Got Lucky'.

Tags: music, 80s, rock, 70s, bands