Full Moon Fever: History and Key Facts

Full Moon Fever is the debut solo studio album by American musician Tom Petty, released on April 24, 1989, by MCA Records. It features contributions from members of his band the Heartbreakers, notably Mike Campbell, as well as from Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison (who died prior to its release), and George Harrison, three of Petty's bandmates in the Traveling Wilburys. The record showcases Petty exploring his musical roots with nods to his influences. The songwriting primarily consists of collaborations between Petty and Lynne, who was also a producer on the album. Full Moon Fever became a commercial and critical success, peaking at No. 3 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and being certified 5× platinum in the United States and 6× platinum in Canada.

MCA Records under Irving Azoff originally refused to issue the album, believing it did not contain any hits. Azoff resigned within a few months and, with new label management reviewing the album positively, they decided to release it. In 2019, the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Rolling Stone magazine ranked the album number 298 on its 2020 list of the "500 Greatest Albums of all Time".

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