Like most songwriters, Tom Petty was influenced by the Beatles – but his favorite Beatles tune might surprise you.
Tom Petty admired George Harrison’s songwriting, particularly the first Beatles song he ever wrote, “Don’t Bother Me”.
Petty once said “I thought it was just the coolest song, like nothing I’d heard in rock.
“Don’t Bother Me” influenced Tom Petty’s music, serving as a blueprint for the moody side of The Heartbreakers’ sound.
Harrison himself, however wasn’t a fan of the track, which he says was an exercise to see if he could write a song
