The Last DJ (song)
Encyclopedia
"The Last DJ" is the title of a song written by Tom Petty
and recorded by American rock band, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
. It was released in September 2002 as the lead single from their album of the same name
. This song had moderate success reaching #22 on the Billboard's
Mainstream Rock Tracks
in 2002. The song was banned by many stations owned by Clear Channel Communications
for being "anti-radio."
magazine that in this song, "Radio was just a metaphor. ‘The Last DJ’ was really about losing our moral compass, our moral center.” Petty told Jim DeRogatis that the song is a story "about a D.J. who becomes so frustrated with his inability to play what he wants that he moves to Mexico and gets his freedom back. The song is sung by a narrator who's a fan of this D.J."
http://www.americana-uk.com/auk/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=232&theme=Printer
magazine reviewed the song favorably, calling it "the most inspiring song in years from a man who has pretty much seen it all."
titled "How I Spent My Strummer Vacation
", Homer receives song-writing lessons from Tom Petty, and in the original airing the track "The Last DJ" can be heard playing over the radio in the final scene. The song was changed for syndication.
Tom Petty
Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
and recorded by American rock band, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers are an American rock band from Gainesville, Florida. They were formed in 1976 by Tom Petty , Mike Campbell , Benmont Tench , , Ron Blair and Stan Lynch...
. It was released in September 2002 as the lead single from their album of the same name
The Last DJ
The Last DJ is the eleventh studio album by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The tracks "The Last DJ", "Money Becomes King", "Joe", and "Can't Stop the Sun" are attacks on the greediness of the music industry....
. This song had moderate success reaching #22 on the Billboard's
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Mainstream Rock Tracks
Mainstream Rock Tracks
Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue...
in 2002. The song was banned by many stations owned by Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
for being "anti-radio."
Background and writing
Petty told MojoMojo (magazine)
MOJO is a popular music magazine published initially by Emap, and since January 2008 by Bauer, monthly in the United Kingdom. Following the success of the magazine Q, publishers Emap were looking for a title which would cater for the burgeoning interest in classic rock music...
magazine that in this song, "Radio was just a metaphor. ‘The Last DJ’ was really about losing our moral compass, our moral center.” Petty told Jim DeRogatis that the song is a story "about a D.J. who becomes so frustrated with his inability to play what he wants that he moves to Mexico and gets his freedom back. The song is sung by a narrator who's a fan of this D.J."
http://www.americana-uk.com/auk/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=232&theme=Printer
Content
This song is an attack on corporate takeover of radio stations in the late 1990s. Radio stations would have one DJ record shows and have it broadcast over many stations, saving money but also losing the local connection with audiences. Since the DJ is not local and is recording the show ahead of time, he cannot refer to timely events and must make an effort to connect with an audience he does not know.Critical reception
Chuck Taylor, of BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine reviewed the song favorably, calling it "the most inspiring song in years from a man who has pretty much seen it all."
In popular culture
In an episode of The SimpsonsThe Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
titled "How I Spent My Strummer Vacation
How I Spent My Strummer Vacation
"How I Spent My Strummer Vacation" is the second episode of The Simpsons fourteenth season. The episode was first broadcast on November 10, 2002. It was intended to be the season premiere, but "Treehouse of Horror XIII" was moved ahead for Halloween. This episode was heavily promoted due to its...
", Homer receives song-writing lessons from Tom Petty, and in the original airing the track "The Last DJ" can be heard playing over the radio in the final scene. The song was changed for syndication.
Charts
| Chart (2002) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks | 22 |
External links
- Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: The Last DJ (2002): Reviews at MetacriticMetacriticMetacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
.