Wildflowers, Ranked
In his lifetime, Tom Petty released 13 studio albums with his Heartbreakers, three solo albums, and two with his original band, Mudcrutch. That’s 18 records where he was the primary singer-songwriter. But if you ask critics (or, more importantly, fans) their favorites of the 18, there’s a not-so-surprising chance that Wildflowers will be named number one. The Rick Rubin-produced classic was released nearly two years before Petty’s divorce from his first wife, Jane, but this was the break-up record – melancholy and substantially darker than much of the man’s work, but with an uplift before it’s over. And even though the hits were front-loaded, two of its best tracks were on the back end. In celebration of this all-time great record being around for 30-plus years (and with a special One-Step vinyl, as well as an expanded documentary and a limited edition book all being released), I’ve taken on the dubious task of ranking all 15 songs on the original Wildflowers LP. Bear in mind, this was planned by Petty as a double album, and as we saw in 2020’s massive box set, some of his best songs – gems like “Harry Green” and “Confusion Wheel” – were kept away from listeners for over a quarter century. Here we go…
15) “A House in the Woods” – The problem with ranking songs on a classic record isn’t choosing #1 – it’s deciding which is your least favorite. Maybe it’s because I’m so anxious to get to those last two songs when this is on. On the other hand, it contains an all-time great Petty line, “What can I do but love you?” that turns out to be pretty damn poignant.
14) “Hard on Me” – As I implied, I love the melancholy on this record, so it’s odd that this one isn’t higher on the list, especially with Benmont Tench’s lovely organ part. This is a very good song that just happens to be on a record full of classics.
13) “You Wreck Me” – OK, maybe the first controversial pick. It’s one of the biggest hits on the record, but as a young man who listened to tons of rock radio in the mid 90s, I heard this song a LOT. Great riffs, to be sure. But, when it comes up on Tom Petty Radio, I’m likely to switch to something else.
12) “A Higher Place” – This one leans more toward 60s rock even more than most of Petty’s songs. I realize it’s an odd thing for a Petty fan to say, but…I’m more of a 70s rock guy.
11) “Cabin Down Below” – GREAT, grimey guitar intro, but the remote cabin motif is a little too…claustrophobic, shall we say.
10) “Only a Broken Heart” – Top 10, time to get serious! The best of Petty’s 60s, Beatles-ish inclinations are here – eerie harmonies, along with Tench’s Mellotron and harmonium. But few phrases in Petty’s catalog match the depth of the simple, seemingly tossed-off line, “It’s only a broken heart.”
9) “You Don’t Know How It Feels” – This was another endlessly replayed mid-90s rocker (seriously, you younger folks are SO lucky to grow up with infinite musical sources). But it’s catchy as hell, and when I hear that harmonica, I flash back to the censored “So let’s get to the point, let’s roll another mmmhhhhmmmm.” Seriously glad must of us have collectively grown up regarding that particular plant – now we can rhyme properly!
8) “To Find a Friend” – This deceptively upbeat track pokes fun at middle aged men and their toys (seemingly inspiring a good chunk of MJ Lenderman’s Manning Fireworks), but it’s pretty apparent that was already looking ahead to his post-divorce life. And, ultimately, he’s right – when starting over, at that age, it’s damn hard to find a friend.
7) “It’s Good to Be King” – Five years ago, I probably wouldn’t have had this in my top half, partially because I’ve never been a fan of the video (yes – that’s a thing that used to matter). But the live versions of this song that I’ve heard since then – most notably on 2022’s Live at the Fillmore 1997 collection – has unearthed some of Petty’s and Mike Campbell’s best guitar work, often stretching well beyond 10 minutes. That, in turn, has re-opened my ears to the absolute personal desolation in Petty’s lyrics.
6) “Don’t Fade on Me” – This is one of those “sucked in from the first line” kinda songs – “I remember you so clearly/The first one through the door.” Those memories have soured some, but Petty asks for one last chance – “Don’t fade on me.” The music is so intricate that it’s hard to believe that it’s only Petty and Campbell playing acoustic guitar for the entire track.
5) “Time to Move On” – Even though it’s third on the record, it pairs thematically with the album’s last song, “Wake Up Time,” but it’s much quieter – it’s almost over before you know it, and you need to double back to catch every bit of meaning. When Petty says, “But under my feet, baby, grass is growing,” you understand his urgency in getting the song out – where he is isn’t where he wants to be. Time to get going.
4) “Wake Up Time” – That last song on the album shows what happens when Petty, well, wakes up and begins to move on in earnest. The lyrics are full of burgeoning self-awareness – “You never dreamed you’d go down on one knee, but now/Who could’ve seen you’d be so hard to please somehow?” But the album ends with Petty showing the kindness to himself that he’d so often given others – “Time to open up your eyes/And rise and shine.”
3) “Crawling Back to You” – Before that enlightenment comes rock bottom – judgey chambermaids, bar fights and overwhelming exhaustion. But in the middle of all that despair, one of Petty’s most famous lines gives a sliver of hope – “Most things I worry about/Never happen anyway.” This tune is also the source of my favorite alternate take – the version on Finding Wildflowers has an early 90s alt-rock feel.
2) “Honey Bee” – Amid all the grown-up seriousness on Wildflowers, let’s make a little room for Horny Tom. This big, gleefully dumb Southern rocker has Petty casting himself as ”a boy in short pants” and throwing around borderline nonsense all because, well, that’s what happens when you see a pretty girl. It’s a loose, fun, honest sexuality that’s missing in, say, a song one might write about one’s tight end boyfriend. Bonus – track down the clip of the band playing this on SNL with a fresh-out-of-Nirvana Dave Grohl bludgeoning his drum kit into submission.
1) “Wildflowers” – Come on, now – what else would it be? This was a love-at-first-listen for me – one that’s never faded. Even with the gorgeous orchestral swells conducted by Michael Kamen (the French horn toward the end always gets me), this still feels, deep down, like an acoustic Tom Petty tune. There’s a reason for that – Petty said that he “wrote” it as he was recording it in a single take in his home studio. Best adlib ever.
Go here to order the One-Step Wildflowers vinyl: https://store.tompetty.com/products/wildflowers-because-sound-matters-one-step
Order Somewhere You Feel Free: The Making of Wildflowers Blu-Ray here: https://store.tompetty.com/products/somewhere-you-feel-free-blu-ray
Order the Wildflowers book from Genesis Publications here: https://www.genesis-publications.com/books/9781917734011/wildflowers
Enjoy our previous rankings here: Born in the U.S.A.- Ranked