The Waiting (song)
| "The Waiting" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:TP - The Waiting single.JPG | ||||
| Single by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers | ||||
| from the album Hard Promises | ||||
| B-side | Nightwatchman | |||
| Released | April 20, 1981 | |||
| Format | 7" | |||
| Recorded | Early 1981 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 4:01 | |||
| Label | Backstreet | |||
| Writer(s) | Tom Petty | |||
| Producer(s) | Tom Petty, Jimmy Iovine | |||
| Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers singles chronology | ||||
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"The Waiting" is the lead single from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' album Hard Promises released in 1981. The song peaked at #19 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and #1 on the magazine's new Rock Tracks chart, where it remained for six consecutive weeks.[1]
Covers
- Linda Ronstadt covered the song on her 1995 album Feels Like Home.
- Natalie Imbruglia covered the song on her album Male released in 2015.
- Nick Barker regularly plays the song in his live set
In popular culture
The song was used in The Simpsons episode "The Cartridge Family" when Homer had to wait five days to buy a handgun. "The Waiting" was also featured prominently in at least one promotional spot for the fifth season of the hit TV comedy series The Office.
The song is used at Philadelphia Flyers home games, when a goal or other play is being reviewed by the official. The song can also be heard during an official review at Wisconsin Badgers sporting events.
Petty performed the song on It's Garry Shandling's Show in 1987.
Personnel
- Tom Petty - rhythm guitar, lead vocals
- Mike Campbell - lead guitar, bass guitar
- Benmont Tench - keyboards, backing vocals
- Stan Lynch - drums, backing vocals
- Phil Jones - percussion
Charts
| Chart (1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Album Rock Tracks | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 19 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 6 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 27 |
References
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications), page 490.
External links
- Music video on YouTube
- Behind the Waiting - Extract from the documentary Runnin' Down a Dream
- YouTube clip - NBC promo for the 5th season of The Office, featuring "The Waiting"
