Into the Great Wide Open

Into the Great Wide Open
Into the Great Wide Open
Studio album by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Released	July 2, 1991
Recorded	1990−91
Studio	Rumbo Studio C (Canoga Park, California); M.C. Studios;
Genre	Heartland rock; roots rock;
Length	43:55
Label	MCA
Producer	Jeff Lynne; Tom Petty; Mike Campbell;
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers chronology
Tom Petty chronology
Singles from Into the Great Wide Open
	"Learning to Fly"; Released: June 17, 1991; "Into the Great Wide Open"; Released: September 9, 1991; "Too Good to Be True"; Released: March 23, 1992 (UK and Germany); "Kings Highway"; Released: 1992 (UK); "All or Nothin'"; Released: 1992 (Germany);

Into the Great Wide Open is the eighth studio album by American rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers but ninth overall for Tom Petty. Released in July 1991, it was the band's last with MCA Records and the last with drummer Stan Lynch who left in 1994. The album was the second that Petty produced with Jeff Lynne, following the successful Full Moon Fever (1989).

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers recorded the album in Studio C at Rumbo Recorders, which charged a rate of $600 per day. The studio was equipped with a 24-input Trident 80 B console and an Otari MTR90 MkII two-inch, 24-track machine.^[3]

"Learning to Fly", the first single from the album, spent six weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, tying "The Waiting" (1981) for the band's longest run atop the chart. The album's second single, "Out in the Cold", also topped the Mainstream Rock chart, though for two weeks.

The music video for the title track stars Johnny Depp as "Eddie", who moves to Los Angeles as a teenager to seek rock stardom, along with Gabrielle Anwar, Faye Dunaway, Matt LeBlanc, Terence Trent D'Arby, and Chynna Phillips.

Artwork

Featured on the album's cover is the (slightly-cropped) painting Autumn Landscape (1921) by Czech artist Jan Matulka. The original is owned by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Singles

The album's first single, "Learning to Fly", was released on June 17, 1991, two weeks prior to the album,^[4] and was a substantial hit for Petty. The second single, the title track, was released just over two months after the album's release, and also became one of the band's biggest hits. Both songs were top 10 singles on various charts. The third single, "Out in the Cold", was a minor hit, not achieving the commercial success of the first two. Throughout 1992, four additional singles were released: "Makin' Some Noise", "All Or Nothin'", "Too Good To Be True", and "King's Highway".

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[2]
Blender	^[5]
Chicago Tribune	^[6]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music	^[7]
Entertainment Weekly	B+^[8]
Los Angeles Times	^[9]
MusicHound	2.5/5^[10]
Music Story	^{[citation needed]}
The New York Times	(favorable)^[11]
People	(favorable)^[12]
Q	^[13]
Rolling Stone	^[14]

Into the Great Wide Open was warmly received by critics. Dave DiMartino, reviewing the album for Entertainment Weekly, called it the closest thing to a "classic" album that Petty and the Heartbreakers had made in 15 years, and a return to the quality of their first two albums. He felt this was likely due to the involvement of Jeff Lynne, and commented that he felt the songs on Into the Great Wide Open are "obviously" better than those on Full Moon Fever, which had also been created in collaboration with Lynne.^[8] Rolling Stone critic Parke Puterbaugh said the album features Petty's best lyrics and is like a cross between Full Moon Fever and Damn the Torpedoes (1979), and much better than Let Me Up (I've Had Enough) (1987), the most recent album credited to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.^[14]

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic was less impressed, calling the album "pleasant", but not Petty at his best, and saying that it sounds too much like Full Moon Fever.^[2] In his Consumer Guide, Robert Christgau gave the album a one-star honorable mention,^[15] which indicates a "worthy effort consumers attuned to its overriding aesthetic or individual vision may well like".^[16]

Track listing

Side one
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Learning to Fly"	Tom Petty Jeff Lynne	4:02
2.	"Kings Highway"	Petty	3:08
3.	"Into the Great Wide Open"	Petty Lynne	3:43
4.	"Two Gunslingers"	Petty	3:09
5.	"The Dark of the Sun"	Petty Lynne	3:23
6.	"All or Nothin'"	Petty Lynne Mike Campbell	4:07

Side two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"All the Wrong Reasons"	Petty Lynne	3:46
2.	"Too Good to Be True"	Petty	3:59
3.	"Out in the Cold"	Petty Lynne	3:40
4.	"You and I Will Meet Again"	Petty	3:42
5.	"Makin' Some Noise"	Petty Lynne Campbell	3:27
6.	"Built to Last"	Petty Lynne	4:00
Total length:			43:55

Spoken interlude

As a tongue-in-cheek reference to the "Hello, CD Listeners" interlude on compact disc releases of Full Moon Fever, on cassette tape releases of this album there is a brief spoken interlude at the end of Side One. In it, Petty instructs cassette listeners how to properly flip over their tape and prepare it for Side Two.

Personnel

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Tom Petty – lead and backing vocals, rhythm guitars (acoustic, electric, 12-string), keyboards, percussion
Mike Campbell – guitars (lead, 12-string, baritone, bass, resonator, slide), keyboards, bouzouki, mandolin, hammer dulcimer, backing vocals on "Learning to Fly"
Benmont Tench – electric and upright pianos, accordion
Howie Epstein – harmony and backing vocals, bass
Stan Lynch – drums, percussion

Additional musicians

Jeff Lynne – guitars, bass, backing vocals, piano, synthesizer, percussion, sound effects
Roger McGuinn – backing vocals on "All The Wrong Reasons"
Richard Tandy – synthesizer on "Two Gunslingers"

Additional personnel^[17]

Jeff Lynne – producer
Tom Petty – producer
Mike Campbell – producer
Richard Dodd – engineer

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for *Into the Great Wide Open*
Chart (1991)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)^[18]	28
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)^[19]	7
Canadian Albums (RPM)^[20]	4
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)^[21]	53
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)^[22]	8
Japanese Albums (Oricon)^[23]	96
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)^[24]	12
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)^[25]	5
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)^[26]	2
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)^[27]	12
UK Albums (OCC)^[28]	3
US Billboard 200^[29]	13

Year-end charts

1991 annual chart performance for *Into the Great Wide Open*
Chart (1991)	Position
Canadian Albums (RPM)^[30]	21
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)^[31]	53
US Billboard 200^[32]	71

1992 annual chart performance for *Into the Great Wide Open*
Chart (1992)	Position
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)^[33]	90

Certifications

Certifications for *Into the Great Wide Open*
Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)^[34]	2× Platinum	200,000^{^}
Germany (BVMI)^[35]	Gold	250,000^{^}
New Zealand (RMNZ)^[36]	Gold	7,500^‡
Sweden (GLF)^[37]	Platinum	100,000^{^}
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)^[38]	Gold	25,000^{^}
United Kingdom (BPI)^[39]	Gold	100,000^{^}
United States (RIAA)^[40]	2× Platinum	2,000,000^{^}
^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone. ^‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

^ Reynolds, Wyoming (July 2, 2025). "'Into The Great Wide Open': When Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers' Soared Again". uDiscover Music. Retrieved July 28, 2025.
^ ^a ^b ^c Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Into the Great Wide Open - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers". AllMusic. Retrieved July 11, 2011.
^ Buskin, Richard (February 2014). "Classic Tracks: Tom Petty 'Learning To Fly'". Sound on Sound. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. June 15, 1991. p. 21.
^ "Tom Petty: Into the Great Wide Open". Blender. Archived from the original on June 15, 2008. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
^ Kot, Greg (September 1, 1991). "Through The Years With Tom Petty". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
^ Larkin, Colin, ed. (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th edn). London: Omnibus Press. p. 2005. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
^ ^a ^b DiMartino, Dave (July 19, 1991). "Into the Great Wide Open Review". Entertainment Weekly. No. 75. ISSN 1049-0434. Archived from the original on April 21, 2009. Retrieved July 11, 2011.
^ Cromelin, Richard (June 30, 1991). "SUMMER ALBUM ROUNDUP : A Wilbury's Further Travels". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
^ Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel, eds. (1999). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Farmington Hills, MI: Visible Ink Press. p. 870. ISBN 1-57859-061-2.
^ Schoemer, Karen (January 1, 1992). "The Pop Life; Top 12's, or So". The New York Times. Retrieved January 2, 2013.
^ "Picks and Pans Review: Full Moon Fever". People. December 8, 1991. Archived from the original on December 26, 2014. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
^ "Tom Petty / Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Into the Great Wide Open CD Album". CD Universe. Retrieved January 2, 2013.
^ ^a ^b Puterbaugh, Parke (July 11, 1991). "Into the Great Wide Open". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 4, 2013. Retrieved July 11, 2011.
^ Christgau, Robert. "CG: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
^ Christgau, Robert. "CG 90s: Key to Icons". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved January 2, 2013.
^ "Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers - Into The Great Wide Open". Discogs. Retrieved April 4, 2019.
^ "Australiancharts.com – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Into the Great Wide Open". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
^ "Austriancharts.at – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Into the Great Wide Open" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
^ "100 Albums (CDs & Cassettes)". RPM. Vol. 54, no. 12. August 24, 1991. ISSN 0315-5994. Archived from the original (PHP) on April 19, 2014. Retrieved July 11, 2011.
^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Into the Great Wide Open" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Into the Great Wide Open" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
^ "トム・ペティ＆ザ・ハートブレイカーズ-リリース-ORICON STYLE-ミュージック" [Highest position and charting weeks of Into the Great Wide Open by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers] (in Japanese). Oricon Style. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
^ "Charts.nz – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Into the Great Wide Open". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Into the Great Wide Open". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
^ "Swedishcharts.com – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Into the Great Wide Open". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
^ "Swisscharts.com – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Into the Great Wide Open". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
^ "Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
^ "Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
^ "RPM 100 Albums (CDs & Cassettes) of 1991". RPM. December 21, 1991. Archived from the original on April 8, 2014. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
^ "Canadian album certifications – Tom Petty – Into the Great Wide Open". Music Canada.
^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Tom Petty; 'Into the Great Wide Open')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
^ "New Zealand album certifications – Tom Petty – Into the Great Wide Open". Radioscope. Retrieved July 28, 2025. Type Into the Great Wide Open in the "Search:" field.
^ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 17, 2011.
^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Into the Great Wide Open')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
^ "British album certifications – Tom Petty – Into the Great Wide Open". British Phonographic Industry.
^ "American album certifications – Tom Petty – Into the Great Wide Open". Recording Industry Association of America.

[1] Reynolds, Wyoming (July 2, 2025). "'Into The Great Wide Open': When Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers' Soared Again". uDiscover Music. Retrieved July 28, 2025.

[AMR-2] Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Into the Great Wide Open - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers". AllMusic. Retrieved July 11, 2011.

[3] Buskin, Richard (February 2014). "Classic Tracks: Tom Petty 'Learning To Fly'". Sound on Sound. Retrieved November 18, 2024.

[4] "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. June 15, 1991. p. 21.

[5] "Tom Petty: Into the Great Wide Open". Blender. Archived from the original on June 15, 2008. Retrieved November 5, 2017.

[6] Kot, Greg (September 1, 1991). "Through The Years With Tom Petty". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 1, 2014.

[7] Larkin, Colin, ed. (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th edn). London: Omnibus Press. p. 2005. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.

[EW-8] DiMartino, Dave (July 19, 1991). "Into the Great Wide Open Review". Entertainment Weekly. No. 75. ISSN 1049-0434. Archived from the original on April 21, 2009. Retrieved July 11, 2011.

[9] Cromelin, Richard (June 30, 1991). "SUMMER ALBUM ROUNDUP : A Wilbury's Further Travels". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 1, 2014.

[10] Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel, eds. (1999). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Farmington Hills, MI: Visible Ink Press. p. 870. ISBN 1-57859-061-2.

[NYT-11] Schoemer, Karen (January 1, 1992). "The Pop Life; Top 12's, or So". The New York Times. Retrieved January 2, 2013.

[12] "Picks and Pans Review: Full Moon Fever". People. December 8, 1991. Archived from the original on December 26, 2014. Retrieved May 1, 2014.

[CDU-13] "Tom Petty / Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Into the Great Wide Open CD Album". CD Universe. Retrieved January 2, 2013.

[RS-14] Puterbaugh, Parke (July 11, 1991). "Into the Great Wide Open". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 4, 2013. Retrieved July 11, 2011.

[RC-15] Christgau, Robert. "CG: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved May 1, 2014.

[16] Christgau, Robert. "CG 90s: Key to Icons". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved January 2, 2013.

[17] "Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers - Into The Great Wide Open". Discogs. Retrieved April 4, 2019.

[ac_Australia_Tom_Petty_&_The_Heartbreakers-18] "Australiancharts.com – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Into the Great Wide Open". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 8, 2021.

[ac_Austria_Tom_Petty_&_The_Heartbreakers-19] "Austriancharts.at – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Into the Great Wide Open" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 8, 2021.

[20] "100 Albums (CDs & Cassettes)". RPM. Vol. 54, no. 12. August 24, 1991. ISSN 0315-5994. Archived from the original (PHP) on April 19, 2014. Retrieved July 11, 2011.

[ac_Netherlands_Tom_Petty_&_The_Heartbreakers-21] "Dutchcharts.nl – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Into the Great Wide Open" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 8, 2021.

[ac_Germany_Tom_Petty_&_The_Heartbreakers-22] "Offiziellecharts.de – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Into the Great Wide Open" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved April 8, 2021.

[23] "トム・ペティ＆ザ・ハートブレイカーズ-リリース-ORICON STYLE-ミュージック" [Highest position and charting weeks of Into the Great Wide Open by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers] (in Japanese). Oricon Style. Retrieved May 1, 2014.

[ac_New_Zealand_Tom_Petty_&_The_Heartbreakers-24] "Charts.nz – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Into the Great Wide Open". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 8, 2021.

[ac_Norway_Tom_Petty_&_The_Heartbreakers-25] "Norwegiancharts.com – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Into the Great Wide Open". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 8, 2021.

[ac_Sweden_Tom_Petty_&_The_Heartbreakers-26] "Swedishcharts.com – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Into the Great Wide Open". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 8, 2021.

[ac_Switzerland_Tom_Petty_&_The_Heartbreakers-27] "Swisscharts.com – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Into the Great Wide Open". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 8, 2021.

[ac_UK_Tom_Petty_&_The_Heartbreakers-28] "Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved April 8, 2021.

[ac_Billboard200_Tom_Petty_And_The_Heartbreakers-29] "Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 8, 2021.

[30] "RPM 100 Albums (CDs & Cassettes) of 1991". RPM. December 21, 1991. Archived from the original on April 8, 2014. Retrieved May 1, 2014.

[31] "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved April 8, 2021.

[32] "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1991". Billboard. Retrieved April 8, 2021.

[33] "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved April 8, 2021.

[CanadaTom_PettyInto_the_Great_Wide_OpenalbumCertRef-34] "Canadian album certifications – Tom Petty – Into the Great Wide Open". Music Canada.

[GermanyTom_PettyInto_the_Great_Wide_OpenalbumCertRef-35] "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Tom Petty; 'Into the Great Wide Open')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.

[New_ZealandTom_PettyInto_the_Great_Wide_OpenalbumCertRef-36] "New Zealand album certifications – Tom Petty – Into the Great Wide Open". Radioscope. Retrieved July 28, 2025. Type Into the Great Wide Open in the "Search:" field.

[SwedenTom_PettyInto_the_Great_Wide_OpenalbumCertRef-37] "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 17, 2011.

[SwitzerlandTom_PettyInto_the_Great_Wide_OpenalbumCertRef-38] "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Into the Great Wide Open')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.

[United_KingdomTom_PettyInto_the_Great_Wide_OpenalbumCertRef-39] "British album certifications – Tom Petty – Into the Great Wide Open". British Phonographic Industry.

[United_StatesTom_PettyInto_the_Great_Wide_OpenalbumCertRef-40] "American album certifications – Tom Petty – Into the Great Wide Open". Recording Industry Association of America.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]

[27]

[28]

[29]

[30]

[31]

[32]

[33]

[34]

[35]

[36]

[37]

[38]

[39]

[40]

v t e Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Tom Petty Mike Campbell Benmont Tench Ron Blair Stan Lynch Howie Epstein Scott Thurston Steve Ferrone
Studio albums	Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers You're Gonna Get It! Damn the Torpedoes Hard Promises Long After Dark Southern Accents Let Me Up (I've Had Enough) Into the Great Wide Open Songs and Music from "She's the One" Echo The Last DJ Mojo Hypnotic Eye
Live albums	Official Live 'Leg Pack Up the Plantation: Live! The Live Anthology Mojo Tour 2010 Kiss My Amps Kiss My Amps, Vol. 2 Live at the Fillmore 1997
Compilations	Greatest Hits Playback Anthology: Through the Years An American Treasure The Best of Everything
Videography	Pack Up the Plantation: Live! Hard to Handle w/ Bob Dylan Playback Live at the Olympic: The Last DJ Runnin' Down a Dream
Songs	"Breakdown" "American Girl" "Anything That's Rock 'n' Roll" "I Need to Know" "Listen to Her Heart" "Don't Do Me Like That" "Refugee" "Here Comes My Girl" "Even the Losers" "The Waiting" "A Woman in Love (It's Not Me)" "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" "You Got Lucky" "Change of Heart" "Don't Come Around Here No More" "Rebels" "Southern Accents" "Make It Better (Forget About Me)" "Needles and Pins "Jammin' Me" "Learning to Fly" "Into the Great Wide Open" "Something in the Air" "Mary Jane's Last Dance" "Walls (Circus)" "Change the Locks" "Free Girl Now" "Room at the Top" "Surrender" "The Last DJ" "I Should Have Known It"
Related articles	Discography Songs Awards Mudcrutch Blue Stingrays Unchained Petty Country: A Country Music Celebration of Tom Petty

Into the Great Wide Open

Hub talks

Into the Great Wide Open

Into the Great Wide Open

Into the Great Wide Open

Hub overview

Add your contribution

Inside this hub

Media Collections

Timelines

Articles

Notes collections

Notes

Days in Chronicle

Root Wikipedia Article

Into the Great Wide Open

Artwork

Singles

Critical reception

Track listing

Spoken interlude

Personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

References

Add your contribution

Related Hubs

Into the Great Wide Open

Hub talks

Welcome to #general!