# In 1989, Tom Petty had an entire album rejected. All it took was one song to changed their mind

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-1989-tom-petty-had-an-entire-album-rejected-all-it-took-was-one-song-to-changed-their-mind/
- Published: 2026-11-14T19:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-14T19:19:09+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/1989-tom-petty-had-an-entire-album-rejected/
- Topics: Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- MCA rejected *Full Moon Fever* as too short and without a single.
- Petty added a Byrds cover to lengthen the nine-song album.
- He later referenced the label’s demand for a hit in a song.

## Summary

MCA initially rejected Tom Petty’s *Full Moon Fever*, saying it was too short and lacked a single. Petty added a cover of the Byrds’ “I’ll Feel A Whole Lot Better”, which lengthened the album and helped satisfy the label.

The album had nine songs, and Petty said the growing popularity of CDs was one reason MCA wanted more material. He recalled being grateful for the Gene Clark song, while the article notes that several tracks from *Full Moon Fever* went on to become singles. Petty later alluded to the label’s demand for a hit in “Into the Great Wide Open”.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.