Bands Across America: Florida (Miami Sound Machine & Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers)

Esplicito

Bands Across America: Florida

Miami Sound Machine – Primitive Love (1985) & Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Damn the Torpedoes (1979)

Our summer album road trip rolls into Florida—the land of sunshine, Latin pop crossovers, and resilient American rock. This week, we spin through two defining Florida albums and highlight what else we’ve been “diggin’.”

What’s Inside

Miami Sound Machine – Primitive Love (August 1985)

Produced by Emilio Estefan Jr., this is the record that propelled Miami Sound Machine—and Gloria Estefan—onto the American pop stage. The album’s romantic, hypnotic energy comes through both in the high-energy club cuts and the gentle emotional ballads.

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Damn the Torpedoes (October 1979)

Gainesville’s own Tom Petty ancho ...