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Damn the Torpedoes

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Work

Damn the Torpedoes is the third album by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was released in October 1979. It came about in the midst of a legal battle. When Petty's record company was sold to MCA, he felt that his contract had lapsed as a result. MCA sued him, Petty declared himself bankrupt, and in the end he signed with Backstreet Records, a subsidiary of MCA. The record was made at Sound City in Van Nuys and Cherokee Studios in Hollywood, with co-producer Jimmy Iovine.

Iovine brought a considerable step forward in the production. The album became the band's first top 10 record and reached number 2 in America; only Pink Floyd's The Wall kept it from first place. Don't Do Me Like That and Refugee became hits. Rolling Stone wrote enthusiastically on its release, and AllMusic later called it one of the great records of the album rock era.

Listening

Listening tip. In Refugee, listen to the guitar and the organ and notice how the song sounds both tense and compelling at the same time.

Track list

  1. 1Refugee3:20Apple Music ↗
  2. 2Here Comes My Girl4:23Apple Music ↗
  3. 3Even the Losers3:59Apple Music ↗
  4. 4Shadow of a Doubt (A Complex Kid)4:24Apple Music ↗
  5. 5Century City3:42Apple Music ↗
  6. 6Don't Do Me Like That2:42Apple Music ↗
  7. 7You Tell Me4:34Apple Music ↗
  8. 8What Are You Doin' In My Life?3:25Apple Music ↗
  9. 9Louisiana Rain5:52Apple Music ↗

30-second previews via Apple Music. Listen to the whole album on Apple Music ↗

Categories: Albums and songs