How Tom Petty Made a Quick Return on 'Long After Dark'

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers had already racked up an impressive string of hits that included such future classics as "American Girl," "Refugee" and "The Waiting." As proved on Long After Dark, however, they were just getting started.

Released on Nov. 2, 1982, a scant 18 months after Hard Promises, this fifth album found Petty and the Heartbreakers cementing their radio-friendly blend of Southern rock riffs and Anglo-pop hooks. They also welcomed new bassist Howie Epstein, thus solidifying a lineup that would help propel them to the top of the charts for the rest of the decade.

But as far as the kids of 1982 were concerned, Long After Dark was arguably most noteworthy for spinning off one of the most memorable videos of the year: The Mad Max-inspired clip for the lead-off single "You Got Lucky," which featured post-apocalyptic versions of the lineup riding hovercars and rocking out in a desert wasteland.

Watch Tom Petty Perform 'You Got Lucky'

One of a handful of short film-type videos released during MTV's early years, "You Got Lucky" proved Petty and the Heartbreakers could take advantage of an emerging medium while paving the way for more imaginative clips – like the band's treatment for "Don't Come Around Here No More" in 1985.

No matter what, though, the music was what people really responded to – and the fans certainly turned out for Long After Dark, sending the record into the Billboard Top 10 and extending the band's hot streak on the radio, where it spun off a pair of Top 40 pop singles ("You Got Lucky" and "Change of Heart") and a number of rock hits (including "Between Two Worlds," "One Story Town" and "We Stand a Chance").

It's a good thing it was such a fan favorite, too, because the fans would have to wait awhile before they got another studio release from Petty and the Heartbreakers: Their sixth LP, Southern Accents, wouldn't arrive until 1985.