Remembering When Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne Got Together One Last Time for a Standout Album in 2006
Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne reunited in 2006 to make *Highway Companion*, their final album together. The collaboration mattered because it brought back a successful creative partnership while giving Petty’s more reflective songwriting room to lead.
They had first worked together on Petty’s solo debut, *Full Moon Fever*, and later on *Into the Great Wide Open* and the Traveling Wilburys albums. After a 15-year gap, Lynne and Heartbreaker Mike Campbell joined Petty, who also played drums on the record. Its songs range from rockers such as “Saving Grace” to quieter reflections, with Petty and Lynne harmonising on “Damaged By Love”.
In short
- Petty and Lynne reunited for *Highway Companion* in 2006.
- It was their last album together.
- The record paired reflective songs with a few rockers.
Explained simply
Tom Petty was an American singer and songwriter best known for leading the Heartbreakers, while Jeff Lynne was a British musician and producer who fronted the band Electric Light Orchestra. They first worked together on Petty’s solo album Full Moon Fever and later collaborated on Into the Great Wide Open and with the supergroup Traveling Wilburys.
Highway Companion was part of Petty’s solo career, alongside his work with the Heartbreakers. Mike Campbell, the Heartbreakers’ guitarist, also took part in the recording. The album combined rock songs with more reflective writing, showing how Petty’s songwriting and Lynne’s production worked together.
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