Title: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Damn the Torpedoes
Year/Genre: 1979, Classic Rock
Matrix #: MCA-5105
Condition: Near Mint
Cultural Facts:

1. The album’s title references Admiral David Farragut’s famous command “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead,” reflecting the band’s legal and creative battle with MCA Records over publishing rights and label control.

2. This was the band’s first release on the boutique Backstreet Records imprint (distributed by MCA), following MCA’s purchase of their previous label, which triggered the dispute. 

3. The album peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and remained there for seven weeks—kept from No. 1 by The Wall by Pink Floyd—marking a commercial breakthrough for the band. 

4. Co-produced by Jimmy Iovine and the band, the album’s sharper sound and tighter songwriting often place it alongside heartland rock acts like Bruce Springsteen and Bob Seger for fans of that style. 
   Price Suggestions:
   NM: $60–$80
   VG+: $40–$50
   VG: $25–$35
   G: $12–$18
   
   

1/31/25 - EK   (sold 2/4/25) 10/24/25sc