March 3, 2023     —–     Chart #185

Hello Music Friends,

Hey music fans, welcome to another edition of Chart of the Week. This week we are in 1978 with an artist that has so many hits I could feature his songs for weeks on end and still have room to continue. So let’s get right to it. “Listen to Her Heart” is a song recorded by American rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. It was released in August 1978 as the second single from their second album, You’re Gonna Get It!. It peaked at number 59 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in October 1978. This song as well as “I Need to Know” was already being played live as early as June 14, 1977 as is evidenced in Germany’s music television show, Rockpalast.

Petty wrote the song as a response to Ike Turner making advances toward Petty’s wife at the time. ABC Records pushed for the mention cocaine in the opening lyrics to be changed to the more radio-friendly lyric “champagne”, but Petty refused. As a result, the song received limited airplay.

“Listen to Her Heart” is considered one of Petty’s greatest songs. It was ranked number five on Billboard’s list of Petty’s 20 greatest songs and on Rolling Stone’s list of Petty’s 50 greatest songs.[6][7] Cash Box said it has “an emphatic guitar opening” and “the story of an independent woman.”[8] Record World said the song “sounds a bit like Buddy Holly and has all the elements of a pop natural.”

Check out Tom Burns son with The Wild Feathers:  https://youtu.be/IUnj1coX2zo

Have fun rockin’ out to this one. What song would you like me to feature in a future post? Gimme a shout. 

Keep Rockin,

Stan Bradshaw