Into the Great Wide Open

Featured on the album's cover is the (slightly-cropped) painting Autumn Landscape (1921) by Czech artist Jan Matulka. The original is owned by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

The album's first single, "Learning to Fly", was released on June 17, 1991, two weeks prior to the album,{{cite magazine|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=21|date=June 15, 1991}} and was a substantial hit for Petty. The second single, the title track, was released just over two months after the album's release, and also became one of the band's biggest hits. Both songs were top 10 singles on various charts. The third single, "Out in the Cold", was a minor hit, not achieving the commercial success of the first two. Throughout 1992, four additional singles were released: "Makin' Some Noise", "All Or Nothin'", "Too Good To Be True", and "King's Highway".

{{Album ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite web |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r15156|tab=review|pure_url=yes}} |title=Into the Great Wide Open - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers |first=Stephen Thomas |last=Erlewine |author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine |website=AllMusic |access-date=July 11, 2011}}

|rev2 = Blender

|rev2score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite magazine|url=http://www.blender.com:80/guide/reviews.aspx?ID=5172|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080615225037/http://www.blender.com/guide/reviews.aspx?ID=5172|archive-date=June 15, 2008|title=Tom Petty: Into the Great Wide Open|magazine=Blender|access-date=November 5, 2017|url-status=dead}}

| rev3 = Chicago Tribune

| rev3score = {{Rating|3|4}}{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1991/09/01/through-the-years-with-tom-petty/|last=Kot|first=Greg|work=Chicago Tribune|title=Through The Years With Tom Petty|date=September 1, 1991|access-date=May 1, 2014}}

|rev4 = Encyclopedia of Popular Music

|rev4Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite book|editor-first=Colin|editor-last=Larkin|year=2011|title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th edn)|location=London|publisher=Omnibus Press|isbn=978-0-85712-595-8|page=2005}}

| rev5 = Entertainment Weekly

| rev5Score = B+{{cite magazine |last=DiMartino |first=Dave |date=July 19, 1991 |title=Into the Great Wide Open Review |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |issue=75 |issn=1049-0434 |access-date=July 11, 2011 |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,314892,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090421202745/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,314892,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 21, 2009}}

| rev6 = Los Angeles Times

| rev6score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-06-30-ca-2268-story.html|last=Cromelin|first=Richard|work=Los Angeles Times|title=SUMMER ALBUM ROUNDUP : A Wilbury's Further Travels|date=June 30, 1991|access-date=May 1, 2014}}

|rev7 = MusicHound

|rev7score = 2.5/5{{cite book|editor1=Graff, Gary|editor2=Durchholz, Daniel |title=MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide|publisher=Visible Ink Press|location=Farmington Hills, MI|year=1999|isbn=1-57859-061-2|page=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781578590612/page/870 870]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781578590612/page/870}}

| rev8 = Music Story

| rev8Score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{CN|date=December 2023}}

| rev9 = The New York Times

| rev9Score = (favorable){{cite news |last=Schoemer |first=Karen |date=January 1, 1992 |title=The Pop Life; Top 12's, or So |work=The New York Times |access-date=January 2, 2013 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/01/01/arts/the-pop-life-top-12-s-or-so-196392.html}}

| rev10 = People

| rev10score = (favorable){{cite web|url=http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20115663,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141226160853/http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20115663,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 26, 2014|work=People|title=Picks and Pans Review: Full Moon Fever|date=1991-12-08|access-date=May 1, 2014}}

| rev11 = Q

| rev11Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web |title=Tom Petty / Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Into the Great Wide Open CD Album |publisher=CD Universe |access-date=January 2, 2013 |url=http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=1103440&style=music}}

| rev12 = Rolling Stone

| rev12Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite magazine |last=Puterbaugh |first=Parke |date=July 11, 1991 |title=Into the Great Wide Open |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=July 11, 2011 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/into-the-great-wide-open-19910711 |archive-date=January 4, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130104175545/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/into-the-great-wide-open-19910711 |url-status=dead }}

}}

Into the Great Wide Open was warmly received by critics. Dave DiMartino, reviewing the album for Entertainment Weekly, called it the closest thing to a "classic" album that Petty and the Heartbreakers had made in 15 years, and a return to the quality of their first two albums. He felt this was likely due to the involvement of Jeff Lynne, and commented that he felt the songs on Into the Great Wide Open are "obviously" better than those on Full Moon Fever, which had also been created in collaboration with Lynne. Rolling Stone critic Parke Puterbaugh said the album features Petty's best lyrics and is like a cross between Full Moon Fever and Damn the Torpedoes (1979), and much better than Let Me Up (I've Had Enough) (1987), the most recent album credited to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic was less impressed, calling the album "pleasant", but not Petty at his best, and saying that it sounds too much like Full Moon Fever. In his Consumer Guide, Robert Christgau gave the album a one-star honorable mention,{{cite web |last=Christgau |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Christgau |title=CG: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers |publisher=RobertChristgau.com |access-date=May 1, 2014|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=tom+petty+and+the+heartbreakers}} which indicates a "worthy effort consumers attuned to its overriding aesthetic or individual vision may well like".{{cite web |last=Christgau |first=Robert |title=CG 90s: Key to Icons |publisher=RobertChristgau.com |access-date=January 2, 2013 |url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/bk-cg90/grades-90s.php}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Side one

| title1 = Learning to Fly

| writer1 = {{hlist|Tom Petty|Jeff Lynne}}

| length1 = 4:02

| title2 = Kings Highway

| writer2 = Petty

| length2 = 3:08

| title3 = Into the Great Wide Open

| writer3 = {{hlist|Petty|Lynne}}

| length3 = 3:43

| title4 = Two Gunslingers

| writer4 = Petty

| length4 = 3:09

| title5 = The Dark of the Sun

| writer5 = {{hlist|Petty|Lynne}}

| length5 = 3:23

| title6 = All or Nothin{{'-}}

| writer6 = {{hlist|Petty|Lynne|Mike Campbell}}

| length6 = 4:07

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Side two

| title1 = All the Wrong Reasons

| writer1 = {{hlist|Petty|Lynne}}

| length1 = 3:46

| title2 = Too Good to Be True

| writer2 = Petty

| length2 = 3:59

| title3 = Out in the Cold

| writer3 = {{hlist|Petty|Lynne}}

| length3 = 3:40

| title4 = You and I Will Meet Again

| writer4 = Petty

| length4 = 3:42

| title5 = Makin' Some Noise

| writer5 = {{hlist|Petty|Lynne|Campbell}}

| length5 = 3:27

| title6 = Built to Last

|writer6 = {{hlist|Petty|Lynne}}

| length6 = 4:00

|total_length = 43:55

}}

As a tongue-in-cheek reference to the "Hello, CD Listeners" interlude on compact disc releases of Full Moon Fever, on cassette tape releases of this album there is a brief spoken interlude at the end of Side One. In it, Petty instructs cassette listeners how to properly flip over their tape and prepare it for Side Two.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

• Tom Petty – lead and backing vocals, rhythm guitars (acoustic, electric, 12-string), keyboards, percussion
• Mike Campbell – guitars (lead, 12-string, baritone, bass, resonator, slide), keyboards, bouzouki, mandolin, hammer dulcimer, backing vocals on "Learning to Fly"
• Benmont Tench – electric and upright pianos, accordion
• Howie Epstein – harmony and backing vocals, bass
• Stan Lynch – drums, percussion

Additional musicians

• Jeff Lynne – guitars, bass, backing vocals, piano, synthesizer, percussion, sound effects
• Roger McGuinn – backing vocals on "All The Wrong Reasons"
• Richard Tandy – synthesizer on "Two Gunslingers"

Additional personnel{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Tom-Petty-And-The-Heartbreakers-Into-The-Great-Wide-Open/release/930891|title=Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers - Into The Great Wide Open|website=Discogs|language=en|access-date=2019-04-04}}

• Jeff Lynne – producer
• Tom Petty – producer
• Mike Campbell – producer
• Richard Dodd – engineer

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{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for Into the Great Wide Open}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|title=Into the Great Wide Open|artist=Tom Petty|type=album|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=1991}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Germany|title=Into the Great Wide Open|artist=Tom Petty|type=album|award=Gold|relyear=1991}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Sweden|title=Into the Great Wide Open|artist=Tom Petty|type=album|award=Platinum|certyear=1991|relyear=1991}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Switzerland|title=Into the Great Wide Open|artist=Tom Petty|type=album|award=Gold|relyear=1991}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|title=Into the Great Wide Open|artist=Tom Petty|type=album|award=Gold|relyear=1991|certyear=1992|id=3363-3028-2}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|title=Into the Great Wide Open|artist=Tom Petty|type=album|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=1991}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=yes}}

{{Reflist}}

{{TPHeartbreakers}}

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Category:Tom Petty albums

Category:Albums produced by Jeff Lynne

Category:Albums produced by Tom Petty

Category:1991 albums

Category:MCA Records albums