Album of the Day

On this day in 1999, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The band had just unleashed its tenth studio album, ECHO, which would be the Heartbreakers’ last with producer Rick Rubin and longtime bassist Howie Epstein. During recording, Petty's marriage was disintegrating, so it's natural that the Warner Bros. collection is colored by sadness. Hurt and regret underscore tracks like “Swingin',” “Room At The Top” and the jangly “Free Girl Now,” but they're always offset by solid songwriting and muscular performances – resignation just isn't part of Tom Petty's vocabulary. A strong return to form for the group, ECHO reached the Top 10 on the Billboard chart and still reverberates with rock 'n' roll spirit.