Play it Again, Sam #27a - "Breakdown"

Tweet

And the train keeps a rollin'! We are at #27a in Play it Again, Sam, a two part discussion consisting of an original song followed by a cover of that song. Today's entry is my favorite song by Rock and Roll Hall of Famer's, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: "Breakdown." A slow, bluesy tune, "Breakdown" was the first single released off of Petty's debut album, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, way back in 1976. And nothing happened. Absolutely nothing, both album and single-wise, which must have been disappointing, to say the least. Undaunted, Petty and his merry band from Florida took their act to England, where a tour put the album at #24 on the British charts, and produced a hit single, which wasn't "Breakdown." Some things just take time, and finally, in 1978, the album peaked at #55 on the Billboard 200, with "Breakdown" reaching the Top 40 (#40, in fact) on the Hot 100 (it certainly didn't hurt that the song was included on the soundtrack for the 1978 movie, FM. Movie, meh. Soundtrack, awesome!) Patience, as they say, is a virtue! (Info verified by Wikipedia)