Learning to Fly (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers song)

"Learning to Fly"
"Learning to Fly"
Single by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
from the album Into the Great Wide Open
B-side	"Too Good to Be True"
Released	June 17, 1991
Genre	Heartland rock; country rock; jangle pop;
Length	4:05
Label	MCA
Songwriter(s)	Tom Petty; Jeff Lynne;
Producer(s)	Tom Petty; Jeff Lynne;
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers singles chronology
Music video
	"Learning to Fly" on YouTube

"Learning to Fly" is a song by American rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. It was written in 1991 by Tom Petty and his writing partner Jeff Lynne for the band's eighth studio album, Into the Great Wide Open (1991). The entire song is based on four simple chords, (F, C, A minor, and G). Released in June 1991 by MCA Records, it became a hit for Petty and the Heartbreakers, topping the US Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart and peaking at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Release

"Learning to Fly" was released as the first single from Into the Great Wide Open and reached number 28 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also became his most successful single on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart, reaching number one and remaining there for six weeks.^[4] The song was released in the United Kingdom on June 17, 1991,^[5] debuting at number 65 on the UK Singles Chart six days later. It rose to its peak of number 46 the following week and stayed on the UK chart for two more weeks before leaving the top 75.

Track listing

7-inch vinyl

A. "Learning to Fly"

B. "Too Good to Be True"

Personnel

Personnel are sourced from Sound on Sound.^[6]

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Tom Petty – lead and backing vocals, acoustic guitar
Mike Campbell – 12-string electric guitar, electric and acoustic guitars, backing vocals
Howie Epstein – backing vocals
Stan Lynch – drums (w/o kick drum)

Others

Jeff Lynne – Oberheim OB-Xa synthesizer, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, Oberheim DMX drum machine, sampler, backing vocals

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1991)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)^[7]	44
Canada Top Singles (RPM)^[8]	5
Germany (GfK)^[9]	31
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[10]	28
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)^[11]	35
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)^[12]	75
UK Singles (OCC)^[13]	46
US Billboard Hot 100^[14]	28
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)^[15]	36
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)^[4]	1

2025 weekly chart performance for "Learning to Fly"
Chart (2025)	Peak position
Israel International Airplay (Media Forest)^[16]	18

Year-end charts

Chart (1991)	Position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)^[17]	46
Europe (European Hit Radio)^[18]	100
US Album Rock Tracks (Billboard)^[19]	10

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)^[20]	Silver	200,000^‡
^‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
Europe	June 11, 1991	Radio	MCA	^[21]
United Kingdom	June 17, 1991	7-inch vinyl CD1 cassette		^[5]
United Kingdom	June 24, 1991	CD2		^[22]

Cover version

Petty's Traveling Wilburys bandmate Bob Dylan covered the song live in concert in Broomfield, Colorado, on October 21, 2017, one day after what would have been Petty's 67th birthday.^[23] Critic Jack Whatley later cited the performance as one of the seven best covers of a Petty song.^[24]

References

^ Buskin, Richard (February 2014). "Classic Tracks: Tom Petty 'Learning To Fly'". Sound on Sound. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
^ Burks, Tosten (October 10, 2018). "Watch Kurt Vile Cover Tom Petty's 'Learning to Fly'". Spin. Retrieved December 24, 2019.
^ Chavez, Danette; Adams, Erik; Ihnat, Gwen; Pang, Kevin; Modell, Josh; Ryan, Kyle; Garcia, Leonardo Adrian; Zaleski, Annie; Murray, Noel (October 3, 2017). "9 of our favorite Tom Petty songs". The A.V. Club. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
^ ^a ^b "Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
^ ^a ^b "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. June 15, 1991. p. 21.
^ Buskin, Richard (February 2014). "Classic Tracks: Tom Petty 'Learning To Fly'". Sound on Sound.
^ "Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Learning to Fly". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1618." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
^ "Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Learning to Fly" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
^ "Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Learning to Fly". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
^ "Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Learning to Fly". Singles Top 100. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
^ "Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Learning to Fly". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
^ "Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
^ "Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
^ "מדיה פורסט – המצעד הבינלאומי השבועי – Week 30 – 20/07 – 26/07/2025" [Media Forest – International Weekly Chart – Week 30 – 20/07 – 26/07/2025] (Select the year 2025 and the option "30 20-07-25 26-07-25" from the stretched lists, then click "שירים מובילים - רדיו - בינלאומי" to see the chart.) (in Hebrew). Media Forest. July 27, 2025. Retrieved July 27, 2025.
^ "RPM 100 Hit Tracks of 1991". RPM. Retrieved November 23, 2017 – via Library and Archives Canada.
^ "EHR Year-End Top 100" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 8, no. 51–52. December 21, 1991. p. 20. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
^ "The Year in Music: Top Album Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 103, no. 51. December 21, 1991. p. YE-41.
^ "British single certifications – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Learning to Fly". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
^ Bakker, Machgiel (June 29, 1991). "MCA Rolls Out Red Carpet for Tom Petty's 10th Album". Music & Media. Vol. 8, no. 26. p. 3. The first single, Learning To Fly, was serviced to European radio on June 11.
^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. June 22, 1991. p. 19.
^ Kreps, Daniel (October 22, 2017). "Watch Bob Dylan Cover Tom Petty's 'Learning to Fly' at Colorado Concert". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
^ Whatley, Jack (September 18, 2021). "The 7 best Tom Petty covers of all time". Far Out Magazine. Retrieved September 21, 2021.

[1] Buskin, Richard (February 2014). "Classic Tracks: Tom Petty 'Learning To Fly'". Sound on Sound. Retrieved February 21, 2020.

[2] Burks, Tosten (October 10, 2018). "Watch Kurt Vile Cover Tom Petty's 'Learning to Fly'". Spin. Retrieved December 24, 2019.

[3] Chavez, Danette; Adams, Erik; Ihnat, Gwen; Pang, Kevin; Modell, Josh; Ryan, Kyle; Garcia, Leonardo Adrian; Zaleski, Annie; Murray, Noel (October 3, 2017). "9 of our favorite Tom Petty songs". The A.V. Club. Retrieved December 21, 2019.

[usmr-4] "Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved August 8, 2022.

[ukrel-5] "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. June 15, 1991. p. 21.

[Buskin-6] Buskin, Richard (February 2014). "Classic Tracks: Tom Petty 'Learning To Fly'". Sound on Sound.

[sc_Australia_Tom_Petty_&_The_Heartbreakers-7] "Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Learning to Fly". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved August 8, 2022.

[sc_Canadatopsingles_-8] "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1618." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 8, 2022.

[sc_Germany_Tom_Petty_&_The_Heartbreakers-9] "Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Learning to Fly" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved August 8, 2022.

[sc_New_Zealand_Tom_Petty_&_The_Heartbreakers-10] "Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Learning to Fly". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved August 8, 2022.

[sc_Sweden_Tom_Petty_&_The_Heartbreakers-11] "Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Learning to Fly". Singles Top 100. Retrieved August 8, 2022.

[sc_Switzerland_Tom_Petty_&_The_Heartbreakers-12] "Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Learning to Fly". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved August 8, 2022.

[sc_UK_-13] "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 8, 2022.

[sc_Billboardhot100_Tom_Petty_and_the_Heartbreakers-14] "Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 8, 2022.

[sc_Billboardadultcontemporary_Tom_Petty_and_the_Heartbreakers-15] "Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved August 8, 2022.

[16] "מדיה פורסט – המצעד הבינלאומי השבועי – Week 30 – 20/07 – 26/07/2025" [Media Forest – International Weekly Chart – Week 30 – 20/07 – 26/07/2025] (Select the year 2025 and the option "30 20-07-25 26-07-25" from the stretched lists, then click "שירים מובילים - רדיו - בינלאומי" to see the chart.) (in Hebrew). Media Forest. July 27, 2025. Retrieved July 27, 2025.

[17] "RPM 100 Hit Tracks of 1991". RPM. Retrieved November 23, 2017 – via Library and Archives Canada.

[18] "EHR Year-End Top 100" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 8, no. 51–52. December 21, 1991. p. 20. Retrieved February 24, 2024.

[19] "The Year in Music: Top Album Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 103, no. 51. December 21, 1991. p. YE-41.

[United_KingdomTom_Petty_&_The_HeartbreakersLearning_to_FlysingleCertRef-20] "British single certifications – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Learning to Fly". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved October 7, 2022.

[21] Bakker, Machgiel (June 29, 1991). "MCA Rolls Out Red Carpet for Tom Petty's 10th Album". Music & Media. Vol. 8, no. 26. p. 3. The first single, Learning To Fly, was serviced to European radio on June 11.

[22] "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. June 22, 1991. p. 19.

[23] Kreps, Daniel (October 22, 2017). "Watch Bob Dylan Cover Tom Petty's 'Learning to Fly' at Colorado Concert". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 21, 2021.

[24] Whatley, Jack (September 18, 2021). "The 7 best Tom Petty covers of all time". Far Out Magazine. Retrieved September 21, 2021.

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G	F	C	Am	G
Well it	started	out,

G	F	C	Am	G
Down a	dirty	road.

G	F	C	Am	G
And the	sun went	down,

G	F	C	Am	G
as I	crossed the	hill.

G	F	C	Am	G
And the	town lit	up,

Learning to Fly – Tom Petty

Song Data (From the Spotify API)

YouTube Video

Karaoke Video

Wikipedia