| "The Last DJ" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byTom Petty and the Heartbreakers | ||||
| from the albumThe Last DJ | ||||
| Released | September 23, 2002 (2002-09-23) | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 3:31 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Songwriter | Tom Petty | |||
| Producers |
| |||
| Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Tom Petty singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"The Last DJ" is a song written byTom Petty and recorded by American rock bandTom Petty and the Heartbreakers. It was released in September 2002 as the lead single fromtheir album of the same name. The song had moderate success, reaching number 22 onBillboard'sMainstream Rock Tracks list in 2002.
Petty toldMojo magazine that, in the song, "Radio was just a metaphor. ‘The Last DJ’ was really about losing our moral compass, our moral center."
Petty toldJim DeRogatis that the song is a story "about a D.J. inJacksonville, Florida, who became 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."[1]
The song was banned by many stations owned byClear Channel Communications for being "anti-radio."[2] "I was elated when my song was banned," Petty toldBillboard. "I remember when the radio meant something. We enjoyed the people who were on it, even if we hated them. They had personalities. They were people of taste, who we trusted. And I see that vanishing."[3]
Billboard'sChuck Taylor called it "the most inspiring song in years from a man who has pretty much seen it all."[4]
In theSimpsons episode "How I Spent My Strummer Vacation", Homer receives songwriting lessons from Tom Petty. In the original airing, "The Last DJ" can be heard playing on a radio in the final scene. The song was changed forsyndication.
| Chart (2002) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S.Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks | 22[citation needed] |
