Tom Petty Plays The Super Bowl, Delights All Six Tom Petty Fans
February 4th, 2008 at 16:15 by Stuart Heritage
The Super Bowl Halftime show is a chance for the biggest names in music to either perform a bulletproof collection of world-conquering hits or whap a big wobbly booby out and make everyone choke on their tea.
Which one happened at yesterday's Super Bowl? Well, none. Tom Petty performed you see.
Tom Petty. You know. From Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. Oh, come on, you know who Tom Petty is - he did that song that was on for about 20 seconds during that one episode of Scrubs once. At least we think that was Tom Petty.
Even though it ended with the shock result of the New York Dolphins beating the New England Billygoats by over two points, nobody watches the Super Bowl for the sport. They watch it for two things - one is to gawp at adverts for stuff and the other is to shuffle to the edge of their seats during the Super Bowl halftime show and hope to hell that someone exposes their knockers again.
Of course, that hasn't for a few years, so to make up for it the Super Bowl organisers lined up some of the biggest names in music to play tome of their most-loved hits - The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and Prince. Of course, these didn't pass off without controversy of their own - Prince made his guitar look a bit like a penis, the Rolling Stones said "cum" and Paul McCartney's doughy face sent 14 viewers blind - but it's still a huge trio to top.
So which almighty megastar did the Super Bowl halftime show organisers decide to book for yesterday's show? Tom Petty, that's who.
That's right, Tom Petty - the man with a solid UK chart history of one top-30 song from 19 years ago. The man who can look himself in the eye and know that the most extreme reaction he's ever provoked in anyone at all was that time when Free Fallin' made a Mojo reader tap his fingers on his corduroy trousers for 12 seconds. The man whose band is called The Heartbreakers even though they don't so much break hearts as occasionally cause some superficial rusting.
But was Tom Petty any good at the Super Bowl halftime show? The Associated Press seems to think he was. A bit. If you like that sort of thing. Which, to be fair, you most likely don't:
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' surprisingly subdued Super Bowl halftime show was as uncomplicated in person as it looked on television. There were no wardrobe — or any other kind — of malfunctions. Moments before the performance, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers calmly waited on the Patriots' side of the field. Once given the go signal, the musicians quickly took the stage, picked up their instruments and started performing. They made playing a concert for about 100 million people look almost effortless.
And when the most exciting thing a report can mention is the way that the band walked to the stage, that can't be a great sign.
But, still, nobody was offended, nobody showed anyone their breast and nobody said any bad words, so in that respect the performance was a success. But if Tom Petty was the most famous name that the Super Bowl organisers could convince to perform at this year's halftime show, who does that leave for next year?
We don't know. But we hear that Kevin Federline is polishing his microphone already.
Read more:
Tom Petty Plays It Cool at Super Bowl - AP
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February 4th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Best Super Bowl half time show I have EVER seen.
The band was good, and they appeared so happy and joyful.
Musicians without all the gimmicks and hangups.
So refreshing.
February 4th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
Excuse me, but if you didn’t know, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers have sold MILLIONS of records, and not just for ‘Free Fallin’. They have written many of the best (and most successful) songs in history, toured with Bob Dylan, been a part of the Traveling Wilbury’s, and have inspried thousands of artists worldwide. Can Janet Jackson say the same? If the T.V. show “Scrubs” is the first Tom Petty you ever heard, you probably shouldn’t be writing about him.
February 4th, 2008 at 6:29 pm
Stuart Heritage does not know what he is talking about - Tom Petty is truly one of the all time greats of rock and roll. He is like a cross between the Beatles and Bob Dylan, and his songwriting is on a genius level. Musicians really appreciate what Petty does, but people who don’t know much about music except what’s in the top 40 usually don’t get it.
February 4th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
Sounds to me like someone has an axe to grind. But then, I shouldn’t be surprised when the cultural reference used to put Tom Petty in perspective was that one of his songs was used once on the TV show Scrubs. The statement that “nobody watches the Super Bowl for the sport” makes me wonder why Stuart Heritage tuned in at all. If it was to for the sole purpose of watching the ads, then Tom Petty MUST have been a disappointment. Egads. It must have been a shock to see a musician standing in the place of an entertainer. Why, he didn’t even have tassels on his nipples or anything.
February 4th, 2008 at 8:19 pm
TP’s got a song for you haters! It’s called “Even the Losers”. Sounds like you might understand the gist of that song.
As for the talented and loyal class act that TP is, well, you’ll never get that.
February 4th, 2008 at 9:37 pm
Petty has sold over 50 million records. He’s had 10 albums reach the top 10; his most recent album (2006) hit number 4 in the US. He’s reached number 1 on the US Rock charts ten different times (more than Prince and the Stones combined).
Just FYI.
February 4th, 2008 at 10:10 pm
What’s the matter with you heritage? Like my brother Paul Fuge says, Tom Petty is like Bob Dylan and the Beatles combined but better. that may sound like the words of a raving lunatic to you and perhaps many others, but If you prefer music with ‘artistic integrity’ or some level of ‘talent’ or whatever it is you snobs go for, then go listen to that sort of music, leave petty out of it.
it’s quite funny that you hate petty so much when you are indeed petty yourself. LMAO!
February 5th, 2008 at 3:09 am
[...] me, not everyone was a fan of having Tom Petty perform at halftime at the Superbowl. That’s right, Tom Petty [...]
February 5th, 2008 at 10:16 am
How can you slate Tom Petty Mr Herritage? Do you know nothing about the man or about music?! DO you not realise that Tom Petty has sold a billion records? That in Russia doctors actually prescribe his albums for expecting mothers to play to their unborn children? Do you not know that Tom Petty was instrumental in the Berlin Wall coming down? Why are you such a snob? Why are you such a hater?! Haters only know one thing, hate. Those who live by the sword die by the sword, think about it. Tom Petty doesn’t hate. He’s like Jesus. He loves everyone. He even loves you Stuart.
February 5th, 2008 at 10:28 am
Sorry Stuart, I normally find myself agreeing with you on most things, but this is one where we differ I think!
You have to bear in mind that, although Tom Petty may not be as popular in the UK, the Superbowl is an American event and so they pick acts for the HT show who are well known over there. (You wouldn’t see Oasis doing the Superbowl HT show, despite the fact that the sell-out everywhere in Britain).
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers are big enough in the States to merit getting Pearl Jam as their support act (which I’m guessing is not much in your opinion as well, but they are still a relatively big band!), and their back catalogue really is well worth an investigation - no pretentions of being ground-breaking, but great rock and roll fun nonetheless.
This one aside, keep up the good work!
Matt
February 5th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
The generation gap here, is almost as wide as the crack of your ass or should I say your mangina. How old are you Stuart….15, you would think you would enjoy seing a real “Guitar Hero” band. Thank you NFL for letting us enjoy a snapshot of something that sooner than we know, will be gone forever. This show was the “real thing”.
February 5th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Stuart, I was wondering if we could have a serious discussion of an issue that you have obviously not taken seriously. You see, Stuart, I have determined through my humorless reading of of a satirical website that you are either a) a small child, b) fat, c) dumb, d) jealous, or e) all of the above. Yes, I think e: a fat dumb jealous small child. Plus your penis is small.
February 5th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
A fat dumb jealous small child? How dare you - I’ll have you know I’m a dumb jealous small fat child. Is this normal?
February 5th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
For the internet, yes.
February 5th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
I wisht I had sed that. Grrrrr. *burp*
February 5th, 2008 at 6:11 pm
Don’t come around here no more