ROCK MOMENT - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers 'American Girl'

‘American Girl’ by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers is one of the most enduring songs in rock history, though it wasn’t an immediate hit when it first came out. Released in February 1977 on the band’s self-titled debut album, the track was written by Tom Petty himself and quickly became a cornerstone of his live performances.

Petty crafted ‘American Girl’ during the early days of the Heartbreakers, when they were still defining their sound — a blend of jangly guitars, urgent rhythms, and vivid storytelling. The song is driven by a relentless guitar riff influenced by the Byrds, particularly Roger McGuinn’s chiming 12-string sound, which Petty deeply admired. In fact, McGuinn later covered the song and jokingly claimed he thought Petty had written it for him.

One of the song’s lasting legends is that it was inspired by a girl who jumped from a University of Florida dorm in Gainesville, where Petty grew up. While the story persists, Petty denied it, saying the lyrics were more about longing and the universal search for something better — the “American dream,” in a way. He did, however, admit to writing the song late at night while living in an apartment in Encino, California, near a freeway, which inspired the opening line about cars on the highway.

Though ‘American Girl’ didn’t chart highly in the U.S. initially, it became a cult favorite through constant touring and radio play. Over time, it was embraced as a quintessential Petty anthem — youthful, restless, and timeless. By the time of Petty’s passing in 2017, ‘American Girl’ stood as one of his most iconic tracks, often closing out his concerts with a burst of energy and crowd sing-alongs. Today, it remains a defining piece of American rock heritage.