Since his arrival in the 1970s, Tom Petty has proved to be one of rock & roll's most consistent and great hit-making machines, mixing up old AM radio hits, chiming Byrds guitars, Rolling Stones rhythms, and his trademark vocals, which neatly combine Bob Dylan and Roger McGuinn. First penning tales of outcasts and long-suffering lovers, he broadened his thematic range to encompass musings on his Southern heritage and to propagate a very American kind of individualism. Petty's knack for pop architecture has earned him respect from fellow heavy-hitters — not everyone gets to form an informal side project with Bob Dylan, George Harrison, and Roy Orbison.