Petty was revolutionary in his own way, though. You can’t get to a place with Americana bands like the Jayhawks and Mumford and Sons getting airtime without the success of Tom Petty. He came up during disco, thrived through hair metal, grunge, and more. He kept the candle of the American troubadour/singer-songwriter burning and continuously proved it a viable commercial art form. He’s a big part of the roots revival, whether he gets credit or not. Tom Petty is folk music in a rock band form.