“Petty Country” and Coffee — a Review

Tom Petty made excellent coffee by doing it right — how do these songs do?

The new Country tribute album Petty Country has been out for a few days now, and it’s time to reflect on what we have here.

As Tom Petty was famously known for making excellent coffee as well as excellent music — and thanks, some think, to the same mindset — we’ve rated the songs in terms of coffee.

You don’t have to approve . . .

1. “I Should Have Known It” by Chris Stapleton — strong dark roast, no cream or sugar

2. “Wildflowers” by Thomas Rhett — mild, aromatic, a little sweet

3. “Runnin’ Down A Dream” by Luke Combs — a good cup of joe

4. “Southern Accents” by Dolly Parton — a fancy and flavorful latte

5. “Here Comes My Girl” by Justin Moore — nothing special, and good

6. “American Girl” by Dierks Bentley — a little bitter and lukewarm

7. “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” by Lady A — rich and robust

8. “I Forgive It All” by Jamey Johnson — a light roast, no strong flavors

9. “I Won’t Back Down” by Brothers Osborne — medium roast, some zing

10. “Refugee” by Wynonna Judd feat. Lainey Wilson — a strong cup, excellent

11. “Angel Dream No. 2” by Willie Nelson & Lukas Nelson — perfection

12. “Learning To Fly” by Eli Young Band — hits hard at the start, then flavorful

13. “Breakdown” by Ryan Hurd feat. Carly Pearce — good cup with frothy swirls

14. “Yer So Bad” by Steve Earle — Irish coffee

15. “Ways To Be Wicked” by Margo Price feat. Mike Campbell — amazing brew

16. “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” by Midland — good but a little diluted

17. “Free Fallin’” by The Cadillac Three feat. Breland — possibly reheated

18. “I Need To Know” by Marty Stuart And His Fabulous Superlatives — tasty!

19. “Don’t Come Around Here No More” by Rhiannon Giddens feat. Silkroad Ensemble and Benmont Tench — campfire coffee from the bayou, with a little moonshine in it

20. “You Wreck Me (Live)” by George Strait — a bracing cup of java!

Of course, there are songs we wish had been covered — “Square One” and “Even the Losers” spring to mind — but overall this is a massive triumph, and it is keeping Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers and their great songs in the public mind, as the coverage via CBS News shows:

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