This morning I was thinking about how it had been a few days since I wrote a blog post, but after the news out of Las Vegas, I couldn’t justify writing about anything.
But then I heard about Tom Petty being rushed to the hospital, and subsequently passing away, and immediately I wanted to listen to his music and cry. The numbness I felt this morning about Las Vegas is now coming out in utter sadness.
When I’m sad, or happy, or wanting to celebrate, or wanting to relax, or wanting to feel something, I listen to music. And to lose a musician adds this bittersweet layer to their songs.
Tom Petty’s music was for hanging out, for driving, for singing along. It reminds me of growing up watching his whacked out videos on MTV and makes me think of my aunt Mary. He’s a musical artist I always had hoped to see, but never had the chance.
Here are my top five favorite Tom Petty songs. Whether they made me laugh, sing at the top of my lungs, or cry, they made me feel something.
And an honorable mention for the holidays… one of our guilty pleasure Christmas favorites: