Learning to Fly (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers song)#Chart history
{{Short description|1991 single by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers}}
{{Other uses|Learning to fly (disambiguation){{!}}Learning to fly}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Learning to Fly
| cover = Tom petty the heartbreakers-learning to fly s.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
| album = Into the Great Wide Open
| B-side = Too Good to Be True
| released = {{start date|1991|6|17}}
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre =
- Heartland rock{{cite web|url=https://www.soundonsound.com/people/classic-tracks-tom-petty-learning-fly|title=Classic Tracks: Tom Petty 'Learning To Fly'|last=Buskin|first=Richard|date=February 2014|website=Sound on Sound|access-date=February 21, 2020}}
- {{nowrap|country rock{{cite web|url=https://www.spin.com/2018/10/watch-kurt-vile-cover-tom-pettys-learning-to-fly/|title=Watch Kurt Vile Cover Tom Petty's 'Learning to Fly'|last=Burks|first=Tosten|date=October 10, 2018|website=Spin|access-date=December 24, 2019}}}}
- jangle pop{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/9-of-our-favorite-tom-petty-songs-1819105637|title=9 of our favorite Tom Petty songs|last1=Chavez|first1=Danette|last2=Adams|first2=Erik|date=October 3, 2017|website=The A.V. Club|access-date=December 21, 2019|last3=Ihnat|first3=Gwen|last4=Pang|first4=Kevin|last5=Modell|first5=Josh|last6=Ryan|first6=Kyle|last7=Garcia|first7=Leonardo Adrian|last8=Zaleski|first8=Annie|last9=Murray|first9=Noel}}
| length = 4:05
| label = MCA
| writer =
| producer =
- Tom Petty
- Jeff Lynne
| prev_title = Yer So Bad
| prev_year = 1990
| next_title = Into the Great Wide Open
| next_year = 1991
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|s5BJXwNeKsQ|"Learning to Fly"|link=no}}}}
}}
"Learning to Fly" is a song by American rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. It was written in 1991 by Tom Petty and his writing partner Jeff Lynne for the band's eighth studio album, Into the Great Wide Open (1991). The entire song is based on four simple chords, (F, C, A minor, and G). Released in June 1991 by MCA Records, it became a hit for Petty and the Heartbreakers, topping the US Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart and peaking at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Release
"Learning to Fly" was released as the first single from Into the Great Wide Open and reached number 28 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also became his most successful single on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart, reaching number one and remaining there for six weeks. The song was released in the United Kingdom on June 17, 1991,{{cite magazine|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=21|date=June 15, 1991}} debuting at number 65 on the UK Singles Chart six days later. It rose to its peak of number 46 the following week and stayed on the UK chart for two more weeks before leaving the top 75.
Track listing
- 7-inch vinyl
:A. "Learning to Fly"
:B. "Too Good to Be True"
Personnel
Personnel are sourced from Sound on Sound.{{cite magazine |last=Buskin |first=Richard |title=Classic Tracks: Tom Petty 'Learning To Fly' |magazine=Sound on Sound |date=February 2014 |url=https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/classic-tracks-tom-petty-learning-fly}}
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
- Tom Petty – lead and backing vocals, acoustic guitar
- Mike Campbell – 12-string electric guitar, electric and acoustic guitars, backing vocals
- Howie Epstein – backing vocals
- Stan Lynch – drums (w/o kick drum)
Others
- Jeff Lynne – Oberheim OB-Xa synthesizer, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, Oberheim DMX drum machine, sampler, backing vocals
Charts
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=Weekly charts=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
| Chart (1991)
!Peak |
|---|
| {{single chart|Australia|44|artist=Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers|song=Learning to Fly|rowheader=true|access-date=August 8, 2022}} |
| {{single chart|Canadatopsingles|5|chartid=1618|rowheader=true|access-date=August 8, 2022}} |
| {{single chart|Germany|31|artist=Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers|song=Learning to Fly|songid=14357|rowheader=true|access-date=August 8, 2022}} |
| {{single chart|New Zealand|28|artist=Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers|song=Learning to Fly|rowheader=true|access-date=August 8, 2022}} |
| {{single chart|Sweden|35|artist=Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers|song=Learning to Fly|rowheader=true|access-date=August 8, 2022}} |
| {{single chart|Switzerland|75|artist=Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers|song=Learning to Fly|rowheader=true|access-date=August 8, 2022}} |
| {{single chart|UK|46|date=19910706|rowheader=true|access-date=August 8, 2022}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardhot100|28|artist=Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers|rowheader=true|access-date=August 8, 2022}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardadultcontemporary|36|artist=Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers|rowheader=true|access-date=August 8, 2022}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardmainstreamrock|1|artist=Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers|rowheader=true|access-date=August 8, 2022|refname="usmr"}} |
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=Year-end charts=
{{col-end}}
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers|title=Learning to Fly|award=Silver|relyear=2004|certyear=2022|id=18428-98-1|access-date=October 7, 2022}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}
Release history
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
!scope="col"|Region !scope="col"|Date !scope="col"|Format(s) !scope="col"|Label(s) !scope="col"|{{abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |
| scope="row"|Europe
|June 11, 1991 |Radio |rowspan="3"|MCA |{{cite magazine|title=MCA Rolls Out Red Carpet for Tom Petty's 10th Album|last=Bakker|first=Machgiel|magazine=Music & Media|volume=8|issue=26|page=3|date=June 29, 1991|quote=The first single, Learning To Fly, was serviced to European radio on June 11.}} |
|---|
| scope="row" rowspan="2"|United Kingdom
|June 17, 1991 |{{hlist|7-inch vinyl|CD1|cassette}} |
| June 24, 1991
|CD2 |{{cite magazine|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=19|date=June 22, 1991}} |
Cover version
Petty's Traveling Wilburys bandmate Bob Dylan covered the song live in concert in Broomfield, Colorado, on October 21, 2017, one day after what would have been Petty's 67th birthday.{{Cite magazine|last=Kreps|first=Daniel|date=October 22, 2017|title=Watch Bob Dylan Cover Tom Petty's 'Learning to Fly' at Colorado Concert|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/watch-bob-dylan-cover-tom-pettys-learning-to-fly-at-colorado-concert-120791/|access-date=September 21, 2021|magazine=Rolling Stone}} Critic Jack Whatley later cited the performance as one of the seven best covers of a Petty song.{{Cite web|last=Whatley|first=Jack|date=September 18, 2021|title=The 7 best Tom Petty covers of all time|url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/best-tom-petty-covers/|work=Far Out Magazine|access-date=September 21, 2021}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{TPHeartbreakers}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Black-and-white music videos
Category:Music videos directed by Julien Temple
Category:Song recordings produced by Jeff Lynne