The Best of Everything (album)

The Best of Everything is a 2019 greatest hits album with recordings made by Tom Petty, with his backing band The Heartbreakers, as a solo artist, and with Mudcrutch. It was released on March 1.^[1]

The Best of Everything
Greatest hits album by Tom Petty
Released	March 1, 2019 (2019-03-01)
Recorded	1976–2016
Studio	Various
Genre	Heartland rock
Length	146:04
Language	English
Label	Geffen Universal Music Enterprises
Producer	Various
Compiler	Mike Campbell Adria Petty Dana Petty Benmont Tench Ryan Ulyate
Tom Petty chronology
An American Treasure (2018) The Best of Everything (2019) Wildflowers & All the Rest (2020)
Singles from The Best of Everything
"The Best of Everything" Released: October 5, 2018 "For Real" Released: February 15, 2019

Release and promotion

The compilation was originally due to be released in 2018, immediately following An American Treasure and the alternative take of the title track, released as the first single, for digital streaming.^[2] "For Real" was released as the second single.

"For Real" was recorded in August 2000 when Petty and the Heartbreakers went to Bill Bottrell’s studio to record a new version of "Surrender". "Surrender" was placed on Anthology: Through the Years, while "For Real" remained unissued until 2019.^[3]

Reception

Writing for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine says the album is "the best overall overview of—and perhaps introduction to—Tom Petty assembled to date".

"The Best of Everything"

The title track of the compilation, "The Best of Everything" was originally released in 1985 on the album Southern Accents; the song was later released in two different versions on the posthumous compilations An American Treasure (2018), and this album. The latter extended alternate version, which contains an extra verse, was released as a single in 2018, before the release of the album.^[4] The posthumous released versions have a more rocking arrangement and sound more organic (the synths were substituted with the piano), while the one on Southern Accents is more soul/pop-oriented.^[4]

"For Real"

"For Real" was the previously unreleased track on the compilation, and was described as a gritty autobiographical acoustic track. It was recorded in 2000. It was released as the second single from the compilation and charted on the Adult Alternative Songs chart, peaking at #28.^[5]

Track listing

All songs were written by Tom Petty, except where noted.

Disc 1

1. "Free Fallin'" (Petty, Jeff Lynne) (from Full Moon Fever, 1989) – 4:15
2. "Mary Jane's Last Dance" (from Greatest Hits, 1993) – 4:32
3. "You Wreck Me" (Petty, Mike Campbell) (from Wildflowers, 1994) – 3:23
4. "I Won't Back Down" (Petty, Lynne) (from Full Moon Fever) – 2:56
5. "Saving Grace" (from Highway Companion, 2006) – 3:45
6. "You Don't Know How It Feels" (from Wildflowers) – 4:47
7. "Don't Do Me Like That" (from Damn the Torpedoes, 1979) – 2:41
8. "Listen to Her Heart" (from You're Gonna Get It!, 1978) – 3:02
9. "Breakdown" (from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, 1976) – 2:43
10. "Walls (Circus)" (from Songs and Music from "She's the One", 1996) – 4:24
11. "The Waiting" (from Hard Promises, 1981) – 3:57
12. "Don't Come Around Here No More" (Petty, David A. Stewart) (from Southern Accents, 1985) – 5:04
13. "Southern Accents" (from Southern Accents) – 4:43
14. "Angel Dream (No. 2)" (from Songs and Music from "She's the One") – 2:26
15. "Dreamville" (from The Last DJ, 2002) – 3:47
16. "I Should Have Known It" (from Mojo, 2010) – 3:39
17. "Refugee" (Petty, Campbell) (from Damn the Torpedoes) – 3:20
18. "American Girl" (from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) – 3:33
19. "The Best of Everything" (alternate version, original version from Southern Accents) – 5:26

Disc 2

20. "Wildflowers" (from Wildflowers) – 3:11
21. "Learning to Fly" (Petty, Lynne) (from Into the Great Wide Open, 1991) – 4:01
22. "Here Comes My Girl" (Petty, Campbell) (from Damn the Torpedoes) – 4:24
23. "The Last DJ" (from The Last DJ) – 3:30
24. "I Need to Know" (from You're Gonna Get It!) – 2:23
25. "Scare Easy" (from Mudcrutch, 2008) – 4:36
26. "You Got Lucky" (Petty, Campbell) (from Long After Dark, 1982) – 3:32
27. "Runnin' Down a Dream" (Petty, Lynne, Campbell) (from Full Moon Fever) – 4:22
28. "American Dream Plan B" (from Hypnotic Eye, 2014) – 3:00
29. "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" (with Stevie Nicks) (Petty, Campbell) (from Nicks' album Bella Donna, 1981) – 4:03
30. "Trailer" (from Mudcrutch 2, 2016) – 3:19
31. "Into the Great Wide Open" (Petty, Lynne) (from Into the Great Wide Open) – 3:42
32. "Room at the Top" (from Echo, 1999) – 5:01
33. "Square One" (from Highway Companion) – 3:26
34. "Jammin' Me" (Petty, Campbell, Bob Dylan) (from Let Me Up (I've Had Enough), 1987) – 4:03
35. "Even the Losers" (from Damn the Torpedoes) – 3:35
36. "Hungry No More" (from Mudcrutch 2) – 5:56
37. "I Forgive It All" (from Mudcrutch 2) – 4:14
38. "For Real" (previously unreleased, recorded in August 2000) – 3:52

The vinyl edition has 4 LPs:

1. LP 1: A side (disc 1, tracks 1–5)/B side (disc 1, tracks 6–10)
2. LP 2: A side (disc 1, tracks 11–15)/B side (disc 1, tracks 16–19)
3. LP 3: A side (disc 2, tracks 1–5)/B side (disc 2, tracks 6–10)
4. LP 4: A side (disc 2, tracks 11–15)/B side (disc 2, tracks 16–19)

Personnel

• Tom Petty – lead and backing vocals, rhythm and lead guitars, harmonica, piano, keyboards, drums on "Saving Grace", bass guitar on "Scare Easy", "Hungry No More", and "I Forgive It All"

The Heartbreakers

• Mike Campbell – lead and rhythm guitars
• Benmont Tench – keyboards, backing vocals
• Ron Blair – bass guitar, backing vocals
• Steve Ferrone – drums, percussion
• Scott Thurston – guitars, keyboards, harmonica, backing vocals
• Howie Epstein – bass guitar, backing vocals
• Stan Lynch – drums, percussion, backing vocals

Mudcrutch

• Mike Campbell – lead guitar
• Tom Leadon – guitar and backing vocals on "Scare Easy", "Hungry No More", and "I Forgive It All"
• Randall Marsh – drums, percussion and backing vocals on "Scare Easy", "Hungry No More", and "I Forgive It All"
• Benmont Tench – keyboards, backing vocals

Additional musicians

• Lindsey Buckingham – backing vocals on "Walls (Circus)"
• Lenny Castro – percussion
• Donald "Duck" Dunn – bass guitar on "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around"
• George Harrison – backing vocals and acoustic guitar on "I Won't Back Down"
• Phil Jones – percussion, drums on "Full Moon Fever" tracks
• Jeff Jourard - electric guitar on "Breakdown", "American Girl"
• Jeff Lynne – bass guitar, guitar, keyboards and backing vocals on Full Moon Fever, Into The Great Wide Open, and Highway Companion tracks
• Stevie Nicks – lead and backing vocals on "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around"
• Lori Perry, Sharon Celani - backing vocals on "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around"

Production

• Bill Bottrell
• Mike Campbell
• Denny Cordell
• George Drakoulias
• Jimmy Iovine
• Jeff Lynne
• Tom Petty
• Robbie Robertson
• Dave Stewart
• Rick Rubin
• Noah Shark

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance of The Best of Everything Chart (2019) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA)^[6] 73 Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)^[7] 60 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)^[8] 55 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)^[9] 42 Canadian Albums (Billboard)^[10] 45 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)^[11] 24 Irish Albums (IRMA)^[12] 22 Scottish Albums (OCC)^[13] 10 Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)^[14] 52 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)^[15] 42 UK Albums (OCC)^[16] 38 US Billboard 200^[17] 16 US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)^[18] 3

Year-end charts Year-end performance of The Best of Everything Chart (2019) Position US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)^[19] 40

Certifications

Certifications for The Best of Everything

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)^[20]	Silver	60,000^‡
^‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

1. Graff, Gary (February 27, 2019). "Tom Petty's Daughters, Bandmate on Stewarding His Legacy". Billboard. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
2. Korstanje, Emma (October 5, 2018). "Career-Spanning Tom Petty Greatest Hits Collection The Best of Everything Coming in November". Paste. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
3. Greene, Andy (February 15, 2019). "Hear Previously Unreleased Tom Petty Song 'For Real'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 18, 2019.
4. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Best of Everything: The Definitive Career-Spanning Hits Collection – Tom Petty". AllMusic. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
5. "Tom Petty and the Heartbreakser Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
6. "ARIA Chart Watch #515". auspOp. March 9, 2019. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
7. "Austriancharts.at – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – The Best of Everything – The Definitive Career Spanning Hits Collection 1976–2016" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
8. "Ultratop.be – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – The Best of Everything – The Definitive Career Spanning Hits Collection 1976–2016" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
9. "Ultratop.be – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – The Best of Everything – The Definitive Career Spanning Hits Collection 1976–2016" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
10. "Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
11. "Offiziellecharts.de – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – The Best of Everything – The Definitive Career Spanning Hits Collection 1976–2016" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
12. "Irish Albums Chart: 8 March 2019". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
13. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
14. "Top 100 Albumes – Semana 10: del 1.3.2019 al 7.3.2019" (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
15. "Swisscharts.com – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – The Best of Everything – The Definitive Career Spanning Hits Collection 1976–2016". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
16. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
17. "Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
18. "Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
19. "Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2019". Billboard. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
20. "British album certifications – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – The Best Of Everything - The Definitive". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved March 5, 2023.