Hannah Anders Releases Emotional Country Ballad “Means More Now” Honoring Life’s Quiet Wisdom

May 10, 2025

Nashville country artist Hannah Anders releases new single “Means More Now.” The single is now available on all digital streaming platforms. “Means More Now” delivers the timeless feel of an early 2000s country ballad, driven by raw feeling and strong lyrical storytelling.

The song reflects on how simple advice or a phone call can take on deeper meaning with time, shattering and healing our hearts all at once. Standout lyrics like: “Call your people on the phone while you got time / doesn’t take too long before you call the line / just to hear the voicemail sound / you pray that someone never comes along and takes it down / ’cause they ain’t around / and it means more now,” depict the vast wave of emotion Anders makes us feel with this new track.

When asked about her new single, Anders states, “‘Means More Now’ is one of those songs that felt special from the moment it was written. As we journey through life, we gain wisdom, lose loved ones, and experience moments that shape who we are. Things that once seemed ordinary – like the advice of a friend, a simple phone call to someone you love, or a word of comfort when you needed it most – are the moments that end up meaning the most. “Means More Now” is a tribute to those small, but invaluable, gems of wisdom, love, and connection that hold us together. It’s a reminder that the things we often take for granted are the things that truly matter.”

Rifflandia 2025 Unveils Stacked 15th Anniversary Lineup With Public Enemy, Alessia Cara, NxWorries & More

May 10, 2025

The countdown is over—Rifflandia Festival is back and bigger than ever! They’re thrilled to unveil the full lineup for our 15th anniversary edition, happening September 11–14, 2025, on the beautiful Matullia Lands at Rock Bay.

FULL LINEUP BY DAY:

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11
Maribou State
TroyBoi • The Victoria Symphony Performs Daft Punk
AHEE • Mary Droppinz • Mat The Alien • Pigeon Hole
Abstrakt Sonance • Prayer Handz • Dust Cwaine

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12
Public Enemy
Descendents • The Funk Hunters feat. Chali 2na
Shakey Graves • Macy Gray
WHIPPED CREAM • Hollow Coves
ProbCause (DJ Set) • OMBIIGIZI • Handsome Tiger
Thomas Anthony • Return Of The Jaded • Canadian Beauty

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13
NxWorries (Anderson .Paak & Knxwledge)
Sleater-Kinney • The Dead South • JP Saxe
Billianne • Phibes • TVBOO • Krafty Kuts
Fort Knox Five • Mood Swing & Chevy Bass • Wyatt C. Louis
Westwood In The Dome • Control Room
The Choirs YYJ Perform Radiohead
Frog Eyes • Stund • Naturalist • T3MPR
S@M I @M b2b Steph Tsunami

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 14
Alessia Cara
Charlotte Cardin • Walk Off The Earth
William Prince • Taiki Nulight
Dirtwire • Honeycomb • Hoang
Jake Vaadeland & The Sturgeon River Boys
Cadence Weapon (DJ Set)
The Choirs YYJ Perform Divas
oncor • GRIIMM • DJ Boitano • DJ Dabbler

Plus Lafflandia 2025 and more surprises to come!

This year’s lineup is stacked with iconic throwbacks, pulse-pounding beats, and standout indie acts—something for every music lover. Whether you’re dancing at the front of the stage or soaking in the vibes with friends, Rifflandia 2025 promises to be an unforgettable weekend.

TICKETS ON SALE: May 9 at 8:00 AM PT

New This Year:

Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday Single Day Tickets – Full-day access for your chosen day.
Super Pass – Access to all four days.
VIP Pass – Premium perks and access to all four days.
Kid Pass – Ages 2–12 get access all weekend (2 and under are free).
Friend Pack – Buy 5 Super Passes, get 1 FREE.
Family Pack – Buy 2 Super Passes, get 2 Kid Passes FREE.

Jessie Murph Announces ‘Worldwide Hysteria’ Tour Ahead Of New Album, With Stops Across North America, Europe, Australia & More

May 10, 2025

Today, 20-year- old breakout vocal powerhouse Jessie Murph reveals the dates for her upcoming WORLDWIDE HYSTERIA tour in support of her new album out this summer. The global tour will visit major cities across North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, building on the success of 2024’s In The Sticks run, which sold over 85,000 tickets and included a sold-out hometown show at the Von Braun Center arena in Huntsville, Alabama.

Fresh off a standout debut at Coachella, Jessie stunned fans again this past weekend with surprise appearances during Jelly Roll and Koe Wetzel’s sets at Stagecoach and joined Diplo on Sunday to perform her explosive new single “Blue Strips”—which is currently dominating charts worldwide, WATCH HERE.

Produced by Live Nation, The WORLDWIDE HYSTERIA tour kicks off July 27th in Phoenix, AZ and wraps the US leg at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, CA on September 27th. She heads overseas to Amsterdam in October with stops in Germany, Paris, London, Ireland before finishing up in Australia in November.

With her upcoming new album, Jessie delivers her rawest and realest era yet, doubling down on the emotional honesty and genre-blending edge that’s earned her a devoted and fast-growing audience. The Worldwide Hysteria tour will bring that new era to stages around the globe.

Jessie Murph WORLDWIDE HYSTERIA Tour Dates:

Papa Roach Brings ‘Rise Of The Roach Tour’ To Canada With The Used And Sleep Theory

May 10, 2025

Get ready, Canada! Following the #1 success of their new single “Even If It Kills Me” this month, Papa Roach is bringing the RISE OF THE ROACH TOUR north of the border for an unforgettable run of 10 shows across seven provinces, featuring an epic lineup with The USED and special guests Sleep Theory. This marks Papa Roach’s longest trek of Canada in 9 years.

“Canada! —we heard you loud and clear,” says Papa Roach frontman Jacoby Shaddix. “This is the most stacked lineup we’ve ever brought your way, and we’re beyond stoked to hit cities we haven’t played in years—This is going to be a night you won’t want to miss!

The Used frontman Bert McCracken adds “Hey Canada, we’re really stoked to see you again! We have toured with Papa Roach in the past and we love them and we are beyond excited to tour with them again! It’s been a long time coming and we can’t wait to see you there!”

Kicking off November 25 in Vancouver, BC, and wrapping December 10 in Halifax, NS, this high-octane show marks a major milestone as Papa Roach celebrates 25+ years of rock legacy, joined by genre powerhouses The Used and hot up and comers, Sleep Theory, it will be the band’s biggest-ever production for a once-in-a-generation tour. Additionally, $1 per ticket on the Rise of the Roach tour will benefit a Suicide Prevention organization in each show’s local province, as the band continues their work to raise awareness for 9-8-8 Canada, the Suicide Crisis Helpline.

Tickets, including a limited supply priced at a commemorative $25, will be available starting on Friday, May 2nd. At 10am local time at RiseOfTheRoach.com.

The Rise of Roach Tour began in Europe in January followed by America with 30 shows and 180,000 tickets sold to date.

November
25 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
26 – Kelowna, BC – Prospera Place
28 – Calgary, AB – Scotiabank Saddledome
29 – Edmonton, AB – Rogers Place

December
01 – Saskatoon, SK – SaskTel Centre
02 – Winnipeg, MB – Canada Life Centre
05 – Toronto, ON – Coca-Cola Coliseum
06 – Kitchener, ON – The Aud
08 – Laval, QC – Place Bell
10 – Halifax, NS – Scotiabank Centre

20 Bands with Married Members: Love and Music in Perfect Harmony

May 10, 2025

Sometimes, the secret ingredient to a band’s chemistry is… marriage. When the tour bus becomes your honeymoon suite and the setlist is your shared love language, you get something special. Here are 20 bands where matrimony and melody collide—and the music is all the better for it.

ABBA
Swedish supergroup ABBA included two married couples: Agnetha Fältskog and Björn Ulvaeus, and Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. Their personal lives were as intertwined as their harmonies—until the divorces came. Still, the music? Timeless.

Ambrosia
Drummer Burleigh Drummond and keyboardist Mary Harris bring their marriage into the rhythm section. Whether in Ambrosia or their side project Tin Drum, they prove that syncing up on stage starts with love off it.

Arcade Fire
Win Butler and Régine Chassagne aren’t just the creative center of Arcade Fire—they’re husband and wife. Their dynamic fuels some of the band’s most intimate and grand moments, from kitchen-sink ballads to arena anthems.

Fleetwood Mac
This band’s marriage history is famously dramatic. John and Christine McVie were married, and while Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks were never married, their romantic turbulence powered some of rock’s most emotional music.

How to Destroy Angels
Trent Reznor (yes, Nine Inch Nails’ frontman) and Mariqueen Maandig formed this eerie, experimental project after tying the knot. Industrial love never sounded so haunting—or compelling.

Little Big Town
Karen Fairchild and Jimi Westbrook kept their relationship quiet at first, but fans eventually found out the two members of Little Big Town were married. Their shared vocals and stage presence make every chorus hit harder.

Mates of State
Husband-and-wife duo Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel made being married in a band look like the coolest thing ever. With their infectious indie pop melodies and onstage energy, they turned domestic life into one long, joyful hook.

New Order
Synth-pioneers Stephen Morris and Gillian Gilbert took their rhythm section connection all the way to the altar. Their music—and marriage—has lasted longer than most of the post-punk bands they came up with.

Over the Rhine
Linford Detweiler and Karin Bergquist are the heart and soul of Over the Rhine, a married duo whose indie folk sound feels like a warm, candlelit conversation. Their music, often about love, longing, and home, is a direct extension of their relationship.

Plastic Ono Band
Few couples in music are more iconic than John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Their avant-garde group blurred the lines between life, art, and activism—fueled by a marriage the world couldn’t stop talking about.

Skillet
Christian rock powerhouse Skillet is fronted by John Cooper, with wife Korey Cooper shredding on keys and guitar. Their faith, family, and music all tour together—literally.

Spiritbox
Courtney LaPlante and Mike Stringer are married and front the ferocious metal band Spiritbox. Their music is heavy, intense, and proof that headbanging together keeps the love alive.

Tedeschi Trucks Band
Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks are blues royalty—and a married couple. Their band is a family affair, blending guitar heroics, soulful vocals, and road-tested partnership.

The Mastersons
Chris Masterson and Eleanor Whitmore write, record, and tour side by side. Whether in The Mastersons or backing Steve Earle, their harmonies always come with history.

The Mamas & the Papas
John and Michelle Phillips were one-half of this 1960s vocal group. Their harmonies made history, even when the marriage hit turbulence.

The Stellas
Canadian country duo Brad and MaryLynne Stella are partners in music and marriage. Bonus trivia? They’re the parents of Lennon and Maisy from the TV show Nashville.

The White Stripes
Jack and Meg White claimed to be siblings for years—but they were actually a divorced couple. That myth-making only added to the raw mystery of their minimalist garage rock.

Tin Drum
Burleigh Drummond and Mary Harris of Ambrosia fame made a side project just for the two of them. Tin Drum is all about personal expression—and marital collaboration.

Tom Tom Club
Talking Heads offshoot Tom Tom Club was formed by married bandmates Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz. Their funky, danceable sound was built on a bedrock of real-life partnership.

Yo La Tengo
Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley are the indie rock power couple behind Yo La Tengo. Their low-key marriage has lasted through decades of albums, side projects, and late-night jams.

20 of the Best Indie Folk Rock Albums Since the 2000s (for People Who Don’t Know What to Listen To)

May 10, 2025

If you’re standing in front of your speakers not knowing what to play, craving something a little earthy, a little raw, a little “I left the city for a cabin and wrote an album about heartbreak and humanity” — this is for you. Indie folk rock has a way of making you feel like you’ve just gone for a walk in the woods, even if you’re actually curled up in bed at 2 a.m. with a cup of tea and some thoughts. These albums aren’t just background music. They’re the backdrop for your quarter-life crisis, your quiet mornings, your healing. These are the albums that whispered, “You’re not alone,” right when you needed it most.

Andy Shauf – ‘The Party’
A concept album where every awkward glance and half-hearted conversation is a cinematic masterpiece. Shauf’s storytelling turns small-town parties into emotional epics.

Angus & Julia Stone – ‘Down the Way’
This sibling duo made an album that sounds like salt air, heartbreak, and every romantic moment you swore you’d forget. Tender, haunting, and stunning.

Band of Horses – ‘Everything All the Time’
The sound of being both wildly in love and terribly lost. “The Funeral” alone will get you. The rest? It stays with you.

Bear’s Den – ‘Islands’
A warm, sincere blend of folk instrumentation and emotional clarity. It’ll hurt in the best way.

Big Thief – ‘Capacity’
Adrianne Lenker’s voice cracks open the mundane and shows you the beauty inside. These songs sound like secrets, confessions, and grace.

Bon Iver – ‘For Emma, Forever Ago’
The origin story of cabin-core heartbreak. A breakup, a blizzard, and one man’s falsetto changed indie music forever.

Bright Eyes – ‘I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning’
Conor Oberst at his poetic best, singing like he’s seen the future and it’s both beautiful and terrible.

Feist – ‘Let It Die’
It’s folk, it’s jazz, it’s pop, it’s something else entirely. Feist makes longing feel elegant and easy.

Fleet Foxes – ‘Fleet Foxes’
The sonic equivalent of a sunbeam through cathedral windows. Rich, layered harmonies and melodies that feel like ancient hymns.

First Aid Kit – ‘The Lion’s Roar’
Swedish sisters channeling cosmic Americana. There’s power in the beauty here, and sorrow in the strength.

Frightened Rabbit – ‘The Midnight Organ Fight’
Scott Hutchison wrote about depression and desire like he was etching it into your bones. Unforgettable.

Indigo Girls – All That We Let In
A masterclass in harmony and humanity. This 2004 gem blends activism, intimacy, and acoustic magic in a way only Amy and Emily can. It’s folk rock that fights for something and still finds time to hold space for love, grief, and memory.

Iron & Wine – ‘The Creek Drank the Cradle’
This is the dusty back porch album, lo-fi and lovely, with melodies that settle into your soul.

Laura Marling – ‘I Speak Because I Can’
At 20 years old, she delivered songs with the wisdom of a weathered poet. Classical folk tradition meets millennial clarity.

Lord Huron – ‘Lonesome Dreams’
Expansive, cinematic, mysterious. Feels like riding west on horseback with a broken heart and a journal full of sketches.

Mumford & Sons – ‘Sigh No More’
Before the banjo backlash, this was the album that brought folk rock back to the big stage with anthemic earnestness.

Of Monsters and Men – ‘My Head Is an Animal’
An Icelandic explosion of joy and myth and melancholy. It’s a debut that still sounds like a storm rolling in.

Phoebe Bridgers – ‘Stranger in the Alps’
Soaked in sadness and stars, Bridgers writes like the saddest person at the party and sings like she’s the one holding it together.

Ray LaMontagne – ‘Trouble’
A voice made of gravel and honey. These songs will break you, but gently.

The Tallest Man on Earth – ‘The Wild Hunt’
A Swedish Dylan with a voice like splintered wood and songs that cut with precision. Sparse and soul-deep.

15 Songs About Hangovers (That’ll Hurt So Good Tomorrow Morning)

May 10, 2025

pexels-pixabay-416528 — Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/fluid-pouring-in-pint-glass-416528/

Some songs are written from the heart. Others are written from the floor of a bathroom at 8 a.m. with the lights off and a splitting headache. These are the ones for after the party—songs that know the pain, the regrets, the mystery bruises, and the promises you probably won’t keep. Here’s your unofficial hangover recovery playlist, alphabetized for your convenience but in no way approved by your liver.

AC/DC – “Ride On”
Bon Scott trades swagger for solitude on this moody slow-burner. It’s the morning after, and the room is still spinning, but it’s the loneliness that really hurts.

Alice Cooper – “From the Inside”
Cooper doesn’t just flirt with rock bottom—he checks in, unpacks, and writes a concept album about it. This title track captures a life where hangovers outnumber healthy days.

Billy Joel – “Big Shot”
Brutal and biting, Joel calls out a friend for their wild night—and their even wilder ego. Sympathy? Not here. This is piano-driven scorn in its finest form.

Black Sabbath – “Trashed”
Ian Gillan turns a near-death drunken joyride into the loudest PSA ever recorded. Flipping a car into a pool? That’s not just a hangover—that’s a legend.

George Thorogood & The Destroyers – “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer”
This blues-rock classic is less about the hangover and more about the buildup. Eviction notices and heartbreak go down smooth with the right liquor, until reality hits.

Janis Joplin – “What Good Can Drinkin’ Do?”
Joplin saw through the illusion. Booze doesn’t fix anything—it just delays the pain until sunrise. A raw, bluesy lament that still hits hard decades later.

Katy Perry – “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)”
If hangovers could wear glitter and lip gloss, they’d sound like this. A bubblegum recounting of mayhem, mystery bruises, and decisions best left in the dark.

Max Webster – “Hangover”
This Canadian prog-rock opener says it all in the title. A slow-burning riff, a plea for mercy, and the bitter taste of too much fun.

Peter Frampton – “Do You Feel Like We Do”
Written with a wine glass still in reach, Frampton turns confusion into an epic jam. Memory loss never sounded so smooth—or so full of wah-wah pedal.

Pink – “Sober”
Pink brings both vulnerability and power to this modern post-party confession. It’s the internal hangover that hits hardest, and she doesn’t flinch from facing it.

The Who – “Who Are You”
Piecing together a foggy night, Roger Daltrey channels Pete Townshend’s drunken mess into rock history. If you’ve ever blacked out mid-argument, this one’s for you.

Toby Keith – “I Love This Bar”
Keith’s hangover is still in progress. He’s not leaving the scene of the crime—he’s just topping off the same glass and calling it tradition.

Van Halen – “Take Your Whiskey Home”
David Lee Roth might be numb, but his girlfriend’s done. This acoustic-to-electric rocker captures the exact moment when booze stops being funny.

ZZ Top – “Cheap Sunglasses”
You can’t cure a hangover, but you can hide it. Billy Gibbons’ advice? Put on your shades, fake a strut, and get through the day in style.

Bonus Tip: Don’t take life advice from rock stars—but absolutely take the playlist.

These songs might not fix your pounding headache, but they’ll at least keep you company while the coffee brews and the regrets settle in. Got a favorite hangover anthem? There’s always room on the list—right next to your Advil.

10 Music-Inspired Ways To Tune Your Life Toward Peace and Happiness

May 10, 2025

c-d-x-PDX_a_82obo-unsplash — Photo by C D-X on Unsplash

When you think about the soundtrack of your life, what’s playing right now? Is it chaotic noise, or something that gives you goosebumps and grace? Just like the best albums, your daily routine, your thoughts, your choices — they all make up a mixtape that either brings you peace… or static. Here are 10 music-inspired reminders to help you turn up the volume on joy and dial down the drama:

1. When Miles Davis said, “Don’t play what’s there, play what’s not there,” he wasn’t just talking about jazz.
That’s also the secret to peace — it’s not in the loudest moments, but in your response. Take a pause. Play the space between. That’s where the magic lives.

2. Imagine starting your day like Johnny Cash: black coffee, a deep breath, and a promise to move forward.
One small step. One little “thank you.” That’s the rhythm. That’s the first track on the album of your day.

3. You don’t need to crank it to 11 to be heard.
Start filtering out the noise. Not every voice deserves a mic in your mind. Listen for truth. It’s the quiet ones that stick, like a Springsteen lyric in a silent room.

4. You can’t remix your life in a day, but you can press play onone small habit.
That’s how Bowie became Bowie. It starts in the bedroom studio of your mind. Fifteen minutes of honesty can lead to a chorus of change.

5. Stop comparing yourself to other bands.
The Beatles didn’t sound like the Stones. Nirvana didn’t sound like REM. Be your own kind of rock star. Let your verses be yours. Let your album be weird and wonderful.

6. Sometimes peace sounds like silence between notes.
Like the hush before a chorus. A walk. A meal. A breath. That’s the music of your life. Don’t miss it scrolling through someone else’s.

7. Freddie Mercury didn’t wait for permission to love what he did.
Start giving without expecting applause. Joy is the encore you don’t see coming. Do what’s right because it feels good in your soul, not because the crowd is watching.

8. Put down the phone.
Be present like a vinyl crackle. Like watching Paul Simon tell a story with six chords and the truth. The best conversations never happen in the comments section.

9. Let life teach you the way punk rock did: loud, messy, full of lessons.
You won’t always hit the right notes. But if you’re trying, you’re alive. That’s more than enough to make a damn good song.

10. You can’t control the charts, the critics, or the crowd.
But you can control your setlist. Choose the songs that matter. Play them loud. Rewrite the ones that no longer serve you.

You don’t need to have it all figured out to feel better. You just need to pick one track. One beat. One line that feels true. Life isn’t a greatest hits album — it’s a work in progress. So tune your instruments, find your groove, and play it your way.

5 Surprising Facts About Shania Twain’s ‘Come On Over’

May 9, 2025

In 1997, country music met its biggest plot twist: Come On Over, a rhinestone-studded, genre-bending, chart-smashing masterpiece by Shania Twain. Packed with attitude, empowerment, and enough hooks to lasso every pop and country fan within earshot, it rewrote the charts and records. Selling over 40 million copies worldwide, it became the best-selling album by a solo female artist, the top-selling country album in U.S. history, and the gold standard for crossover success. But beyond the Grammy wins, pop remixes, and iconic music videos lies a whole lot of fascinating history you probably haven’t heard—until now.

1. It Almost Had a Totally Different Name
Before Come On Over became the blockbuster title we know today, Shania Twain considered naming the album No Inhibitions. The idea was to reflect her bold, free-spirited themes—but ultimately, she went with Come On Over for its warmth and accessibility. The title track was one of her personal favorites, and the phrase felt like an open invitation. It wasn’t just an album title—it was a welcome mat to the new face of country pop.

2. Shania and Mutt Wrote Songs Anywhere and Everywhere
Twain and then-husband/producer Mutt Lange didn’t write songs in boardrooms or cabins in the woods—they wrote them in the car, at the grocery store, even during bathroom breaks. Shania kept a notebook and a mini recorder on her at all times to capture sudden bursts of inspiration. “I’d sing the melody all the way home if I didn’t have a recorder,” she said. That relentless creativity turned everyday phrases and observations into anthems for millions.

3. It Was So Good, They Made Two Versions
If Come On Over sounded a little more pop in London than it did in Nashville, that’s no accident. Mutt Lange spent four months remixing 15 of the 16 tracks for international release—removing steel guitar twangs, softening the fiddles, and swapping in pop beats and keyboards. It was one of the first major examples of a country artist reworking their album to suit global audiences. One album, two sonic blueprints, endless success.

4. “That Don’t Impress Me Much” Was Inspired by Brad Pitt’s Naked Photo
Yes, really. Twain has confirmed that the lyric “Okay, so you’re Brad Pitt” was written shortly after tabloids went wild over leaked nude photos of the actor. Shania’s reaction? “I just thought, ‘Well, that don’t impress me much.’” The song quickly became a universal anthem for rejecting self-obsessed suitors—and delivered one of the most iconic pop culture name drops of the 1990s in the process.

5. The Album’s Empowerment Anthems Came from Personal Pain
While Come On Over is filled with upbeat hooks and playful lyrics, many of its most powerful moments are rooted in struggle. “Black Eyes, Blue Tears” tackles domestic abuse, while “If You Wanna Touch Her, Ask!” promotes consent—topics rarely tackled in mainstream country music at the time. Even “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!”—a celebration of feminine joy—was inspired by Twain’s experience watching drag performers while working at a resort in Huntsville, Ontario. The glamour had depth. The glitter came with grit.

Come On Over gave country a new face, pop a new attitude, and women everywhere a soundtrack to strut, laugh, cry, and live by. And decades later, the impact of that red-shirted, lyric-slinging, genre-hopping masterpiece is still being felt in every empowered chorus and stadium stomp across music today. Let’s go girls? She already did—and she took over the charts doing it.

5 Surprising Facts About Tom Petty’s ‘Full Moon Fever’

May 9, 2025

When Tom Petty released Full Moon Fever on April 24, 1989, the world got a solo debut that didn’t just match his work with the Heartbreakers—it redefined it. Packed with unforgettable hits, Beatlesque production from Jeff Lynne, and guest appearances from fellow Traveling Wilburys like George Harrison and Roy Orbison, the album became an instant classic. But behind the platinum plaques and eternal radio play lies a treasure trove of strange, sweet, and downright surprising stories that most fans have never heard—until now.

1. The Album That MCA Initially Shelved
You know Free Fallin’, you know I Won’t Back Down, and you know Runnin’ Down a Dream—but what you might not know is that MCA Records didn’t even want to release the album at first. Label exec Irving Azoff thought it didn’t have any hits (oops) and shelved it. Azoff later resigned, and once new management gave it a proper listen, they greenlit it. Moral of the story? Never underestimate a guy with a guitar, a cold, and George Harrison in the studio boiling ginger.

2. “Free Fallin’” Was Written in a Flash—and Almost Didn’t Make the Album
Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne wrote Free Fallin’ in just two days. Lynne suggested the phrase, Petty ran with it, and before they knew it, they had the album’s opening track and biggest hit. But Petty worried it was too straightforward and almost left it off the record. Good thing he didn’t—it’s now his most iconic solo song, ranked #219 on Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Songs of All Time.” Ventura Boulevard has never been the same since.

3. George Harrison Wasn’t Just a Guest—He Was a Home Remedy Hero
During the recording of “I Won’t Back Down,” Petty was battling a nasty cold and couldn’t sing. Enter George Harrison. The quiet Beatle whipped up a ginger steam treatment, had Petty breathe it in, and then boom—Tom nailed the take. It’s rock and roll meets grandma’s kitchen, and somehow it worked. Harrison’s backing vocals are all over the track, making it part anthem, part old-school Beatles reunion.

4. There’s a Hidden Track You’ve Probably Never Heard
If you owned Full Moon Fever on CD back in the day, you might remember a cheeky little moment between tracks. Right before “Feel a Whole Lot Better,” Petty’s voice appears with barnyard sounds (credited to Del Shannon, because why not?) and says: “Hello, CD listeners…” It’s a joke for those who didn’t have to flip a tape or vinyl record. The track was hidden in the pregap of track 6—something you couldn’t even skip to. Truly, Petty was doing Easter eggs before streaming made it cool.

5. “Runnin’ Down a Dream” Was a Love Letter to Del Shannon—and a Guitar Clinic
“Me and Del were singin’ ‘Little Runaway’…” That line from Runnin’ Down a Dream was more than name-dropping—it was Tom Petty paying tribute to one of his biggest influences, Del Shannon. The song’s signature fuzz-drenched riff and nearly two-minute guitar solo (recorded in one take by Mike Campbell) turned it into an instant classic. And if you’re keeping score, that’s a nod to rock history, a killer groove, and a free guitar lesson all in one song.

More than three decades later, Full Moon Fever still sounds like it was made for late-night drives, sunlit afternoons, and anyone who ever chased a dream down a long highway. It’s an album full of heart, hooks, and history—and like Petty himself, it never stops revealing something new with each listen. You’re hearing the sound of a guy who wouldn’t back down—even when the label did.

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That Eric Alper

Hannah Anders Releases Emotional Country Ballad “Means More Now” Honoring Life’s Quiet Wisdom

Rifflandia 2025 Unveils Stacked 15th Anniversary Lineup With Public Enemy, Alessia Cara, NxWorries & More

FULL LINEUP BY DAY:

TICKETS ON SALE: May 9 at 8:00 AM PT

Jessie Murph Announces ‘Worldwide Hysteria’ Tour Ahead Of New Album, With Stops Across North America, Europe, Australia & More

Papa Roach Brings ‘Rise Of The Roach Tour’ To Canada With The Used And Sleep Theory

20 Bands with Married Members: Love and Music in Perfect Harmony

20 of the Best Indie Folk Rock Albums Since the 2000s (for People Who Don’t Know What to Listen To)

15 Songs About Hangovers (That’ll Hurt So Good Tomorrow Morning)

10 Music-Inspired Ways To Tune Your Life Toward Peace and Happiness

5 Surprising Facts About Shania Twain’s ‘Come On Over’

5 Surprising Facts About Tom Petty’s ‘Full Moon Fever’

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