Tom Petty Through the Years: 1976-2017 Photos
Tom Petty wore many hats, and lots of different pairs of sunglasses, over the years. We've collected dozens of great pictures from throughout his incredible career, which spanned more than four decades.
Formed with two members from his previous band Mudcrutch – guitarist Mike Campbell and keyboardist Benmont Tench – in the mid-'70s, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers found success, first in England and then in their native U.S., on the strength of their great live performances and singles such as "Breakdown" and "I Need to Know."
Petty breakthrough moment came with the group's third album, Damn the Torpedoes, in 1979 and then exploded into the mainstream 10 years later with his first solo album, Full Moon Fever, which featured the career-defining hits "Free Fallin'," "I Won't Back Down" and "Runnin' Down a Dream."
All told, he amassed 15 Top 40 hits and placed 18 straight albums in the Top 20 – including 11 records with the Heartbreakers, three solo efforts, two as a member of the Traveling Wilburys (alongside Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne) and two more as leader of a reformed Mudcrutch in the '00s.
Keep scrolling to find live photos, promotional shots and scenes from Petty's most famous and influential music videos in the following collection of Tom Petty Through the Years: 1976-2017 Photos, alongside some of his most iconic album covers.