A rebel without a clue: Tom Petty's Into The Great Wide Open at 30

On July 2nd, 1991, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers released their eighth studio album Into The Great Wide Open . This was the first album Petty did with his legendary backing band since their 1987 release Let Me Up (I've Had Enough) . I've always preferred this album over Full Moon Fever because of the quality of the songs and because The Heartbreakers were once again backing up Tom Petty. This album as a whole is a testament to not only the band but to heartland rock itself. At the time of the release, 1991 was the year that grunge skyrocketed into the mainstream . Bands like Pearl Jam (Ten), Nirvana (Nevermind), and Soundgarden (Badmotorfinger) were cementing their own legacy into society and each album is a cornerstone of the movement. Into The Great Wide Open proves that good old fashioned Americana/hearltand rock and roll music was and is still as relevant. Not only does this album have great hit singles , the album itself is flawless. For starters , you have "Learning to Fly" which is an uplifting anthem with a classic chord progression and a killer slide solo from Mike Campbell. The title track has a Springsteen style narrative about a young kid named Eddie who after graduating high school heads out to Hollywood to make a name for himself in the music scene. Petty's lyrical are autobiographical as Eddie "made a record and it went in the charts" and how the "A&R man said I don't hear a single". To accommodate to the times with MTV dominating the small screen, the band also accompanied the song with a now iconic music video which features a young Johnny Depp. The album is also packed with hidden gems like the rollocking "Kings Highway" and the laid back Byrds influenced "Two Gunslingers" and cements the fact that Tom Petty was an incredible songwriter. It's hard to believed this album is 30 as it still sounds fresh every time I listen to it and I always seem to find something new to love about. If you haven't given the album a listen in its entirety , I highly say you should do so.