"Breakdown" is the first single by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' self-titled debut album. It became a Top 40 hit in the United States and Canada.
Played live, Petty sometimes incorporated "Breakdown" with Ray Charles' "Hit the Road Jack". A live recording of this variation appears on The Live Anthology.
7" Single (US, 1976)A. "Breakdown" – 2:39 = background vocals were sung by fellow
Shelter Records artist
Phil Seymour who also sang on American Girl.B. "The Wild One, Forever" – 3:01
7" Single (US, 1977)A. "Breakdown" – 2:39B. "Fooled Again (I Don't Like It)" – 3:54
7" Single (Germany, 1977)A. "Breakdown" – 2:42B. "Luna" – 3:59
7" Single (Spain, 1978)A. "Breakdown" – 2:42B. "Strangered in the Night" – 3:32
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (1976)FM (1978)Pack Up the Plantation: Live! (1985)Greatest Hits (1993)Playback (1995)Anthology: Through the Years (2000)Mojo Tour 2010 (2010)Jamaican singer Grace Jones recorded a reggae re-imagining of the song on her 1980 album Warm Leatherette. For Grace Jones' recording, Petty wrote a third verse: "It's OK if you must go / I'll understand if you don't / You say goodbye right now / I'll still survive somehow / Why should we let this drag on?" The song was edited from its full, 5:30 album version to a 3-minute-long track on single release. It was released as a US-only single in July 1980 but didn't chart.
7" singleA. "Breakdown" – 3:00B. "
Warm Leatherette" – 4:24
12" singleA. "Breakdown" – 5:30B1. "Breakdown" (edit) – 3:10B2. "
Warm Leatherette" – 4:24
7" promotional singleA. "Breakdown" (stereo edit) – 3:00B. "Breakdown" (mono edit) – 3:00
"Breakdown" was covered by Suzi Quatro on her album If You Knew Suzi... (1978).The Replacements on their 1985 live album The Shit Hits the Fans.A live acoustic version of "Breakdown" appeared on Missy Higgins' 2009 More Than This EP featuring Brett Dennen.Flaw performed a live cover of "Breakdown" while touring 2010.The song was performed live by Foo Fighters while on their 2011 Wasting Light World Tour.Christina Perri performed this song on her 2011-2012 Lovestrong Tour.Austin Allsup covered this song on The Voice Season 11.Gary Allan regularly sings this in concert.