October 20, 1950: Tom Petty was born.

I’ve been a huge fan of Tom Petty for more than thirty years. I love his work with the Heartbreakers, the Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch, as well as his solo stuff.

I remember when he exploded onto the scene with Damn the Torpedos, which was released 30 years ago yesterday. Although the Heartbreakers already had two excellent albums out, this is the one that catapulted them to superstardom. I’ve always felt this one was almost a greatest hits, with a slew of classic tunes including “Refugee,” “Here Comes My Girl,” “Don’t Do Me Like That” and “Even the Losers.”

Petty is one of those cats that I’ve seen at least fifteen times, so I’m really looking forward to the Live Anthology that’s coming out next month. It’s gonna be 48 tracks culled from 30 years of touring. As much as I’ve enjoyed his shows through the years, I’m betting this one will be an instant Desert Island Disc.