Review/Preview: 81's Best and Worst Ten Albums Reviewed
By Dan Russell
The Duquesne Duke - December 10, 1981

Winners display solid albums
3. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers/Hard Promises
With Hard Promises, Tom Petty became an American hero this year second to Bruce Springsteen, not bad company to be with at all. Compare his sound to whoever you like, but Petty came into his own on this album and is destined for super-stardom. His songs deal with more than just hard luck love affairs and rock and roll as he chooses here to sing about hope and the future. His title cut duo with Stevie Nicks shows the compassionate side of Tom Petty, but there is still plenty of rock and roll. Petty didn't mellow on Hard Promises but, instead, matured as a rock musician.