Damn the Torpedoes
To refer toDamn the Torpedoesas Tom Petty's breakthrough album is to seriously understate the case. His first two albums had already sold pretty decently and endeared him to America's rock press, but it took the success ofDamn the Torpedoesto really establish Petty as one of the top names in mainstream rock. Though "Don't Do Me Like That" was the record's lone top 10 smash, nearly every song on it sounds like a hit; thanks to their timeless mix of Byrdsy jangle and Stonesy rock, "Refugee," "Here Comes My Girl," and "Even the Losers" still get plenty of classic-rock radio play, while "Shadow of a Doubt (Complex Kid)," "Century City," and "Louisiana Rain" are all minor classics in their own right.--Dan Epstein