The Last DJ

The Last DJ
Studio album by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Released	October 8, 2002
Recorded	2001–02 at Cello Studios, Hollywood, California
Genre	Rock
Length	47:23
Label	Warner Bros.
Producer	Tom Petty, Mike Campbell, George Drakoulias
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers chronology
Anthology: Through the Years (2000) The Last DJ (2002) Highway Companion (2006)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
Rolling Stone
Metacritic	(61%)

The Last DJ is the eleventh studio album by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The tracks "The Last DJ", "Money Becomes King", "Joe", and "Can't Stop the Sun" are attacks on the greediness of the music industry.

Although he first claimed that the album and title track were both works of fiction, Petty later admitted that both were inspired by Los Angeles DJ Jim Ladd, although he had already claimed this on Ladd's radio show, prior to the album's release.

A "limited edition" digipack version of the album was also released, including a DVD of music videos and other footage shot during the album's production.

The album reached #9 on the Billboard 200 aided by the single "The Last DJ" which hit #22 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks in 2002. As of 2010, The Last DJ has sold 353,000 copies in the U.S. according to Nielsen SoundScan.

In an episode of The Simpsons titled "How I Spent My Strummer Vacation", Homer receives song-writing lessons from Tom Petty, and in the original airing the track "The Last DJ" can be heard playing over the radio in the final scene. The song was changed for syndication.

The album also marks the return of original Heartbreaker Ron Blair on bass, replacing his own replacement, the ailing Howie Epstein. His return was late in the recording process however, and Petty and Campbell contribute most of the bass work themselves.

Track listing

All songs written by Tom Petty except where noted.

1. "The Last DJ" – 3:48
2. "Money Becomes King" – 5:10
3. "Dreamville" – 3:46
4. "Joe" – 3:15
5. "When a Kid Goes Bad" – 4:56
6. "Like a Diamond" – 4:32
7. "Lost Children" – 4:28
8. "Blue Sunday" (Petty, Mike Campbell) – 2:56
9. "You and Me" – 2:57
10. "The Man Who Loves Women" – 2:53
11. "Have Love Will Travel" – 4:05
12. "Can't Stop the Sun" (Petty, Campbell) – 4:59

Personnel

• Tom Petty – guitars, bass, piano, ukulele, vocals
• Mike Campbell – guitars, bass on "Dreamville", "When A Kid Goes Bad", "The Man Who Loves Women"
• Benmont Tench – piano, organ, various keyboards
• Scott Thurston – guitar, lap steel guitar, ukulele, background vocals
• Steve Ferrone – drums
• Ron Blair – bass on "Lost Children", Can't Stop The Sun"
• Lenny Castro – percussion
• Lindsey Buckingham – background vocals on "The Man Who Loves Women"
• Jon Brion – orchestral arrangements and conducting

External links

• Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: The Last DJ (2002): Reviews at Metacritic.