America turns 250 this year. That’s not exactly breaking news, but 2026 also marks a momentous anniversary for American music — the 50th anniversary of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. It might seem presumptuous to connect a rock band to such a major historical event, but there is one bit of Tom Petty lore that makes the connection explicit. “American Girl” — an unlikely anthem with a bittersweet lyric and a Bo Diddley beat, and arguably the band’s most iconic song — was recorded on July 4, 1976. The band had only two weeks in the studio to record their debut album, which came out just four months later, so the timing is just as likely a happy coincidence as it was intentional. Half-a-century later, few artists are as embedded in the American cultural experience as Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. They are America’s most agreed-upon band. The Eagles remain the biggest-selling American musical act, but the running joke in The Big Lebowski about hating the Eagles, well, landed because there really are a lot of people who hate the Eagles. Many people might take the music of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers for granted, but virtually no one actively dislikes them. Of course, “agreeableness” is a hard thing to quantify. It is fair to say their initial success was the result of a genuine grassroots appeal. Their first record contract was hard-won after years of gigging in Florida roadhouses and college bars, but the band received little promotional support once the record was done. The first single off their 1976 debut, “Breakdown,” flopped on release. It was rereleased after some extensive touring more than a year later, peaking at number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. The record’s second single, “American Girl,” never even charted. And yet, over time, both songs became more beloved and enduring than a great many No. 1 hits that have since come and gone.