1976: Tracking Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (with Brad Johs)

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers changed rock and roll forever when they dropped their self-titled debut album on November 9, 1976.

In this episode of “Hangin’ Out with Bob,” podcast host Bob Edholm and his friend Brad Johs take a “deep dive” into the record that started it all—the first of the Heartbreakers’ 13 studio albums that would define a legendary 40-year career.

Brad previously joined Bob on the August 4, 2026 episode to share his wealth of knowledge about the music of Tom Petty. While Petty is best known for his 13 studio albums with the Heartbreakers, his massive catalog also includes three solo albums, two studio albums with the Traveling Wilburys, and two with his original group, Mudcrutch.

But with such a large catalog of work, Bob and Brad only scratched the surface of Tom Petty's timeless music in their first podcast episode. Now, they are taking a series of “deep dives” into each of his original studio albums.

In this episode on Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' self-titled debut album, Bob and Brad go beyond just the iconic singles "Breakdown" and "American Girl." They also dive into the album’s incredible deep cuts, including the bluesy swagger of "Fooled Again (I Don't Like It)," the raw garage-rock energy of "Anything That's Rock 'n' Roll," and the haunting, atmospheric sounds of "Luna."

Whether you've been part of the Tom Petty Nation for life or you're just diving into the Heartbreakers' classic debut, turn up the volume—you won't want to miss this audio journey.