In 1985, Stevie Nicks was forced to dismiss her song. Tom Petty took it and sold 1,000,000 records
Stevie Nicks missed the chance to record “Don’t Come Around Here No More” after Dave Stewart sent her the song and Tom Petty took it on. Nicks said she was furious at first but later accepted the outcome as “destiny”; the episode shows how songs can change hands and take shape through collaboration.
Petty and the Heartbreakers released their version in 1985, and it became a million-selling hit. The article also recalls Nicks’s earlier collaboration with Petty on “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” and describes how missed opportunities helped spur her own songwriting.
In short
- Dave Stewart’s song went to Tom Petty instead of Stevie Nicks.
- Petty’s 1985 recording sold a million records.
- Nicks later saw the missed chance as destiny.