"I Need to Know" is a song written by Tom Petty and recorded by American rock band

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were an American rock band from Gainesville, Florida. Formed in 1976, the band originally comprised lead singer and rhythm guitarist Tom Petty, lead guitarist Mike Campbell, keyboardist Benmont Tench, drummer S ...

. It was released in 1978 as the first single from their second album ''

You're Gonna Get It! ''You're Gonna Get It!'' is the second album by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, released in 1978. Design and art direction Kosh. Originally, the album was to be titled ''Terminal Romance''. It peaked at No. 23 on the ''Billboard'' Top LPs & T ...

''. It peaked at #41 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 singles chart in 1978. This song as well as "Listen to Her Heart" was already being played live in concert as early as June 14, 1977, as is evidenced in a performance on Germany's music television show "Rockpalast". ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' said that it is "hard driving rock 'n' roll" and that "the hook repeats hypnotically as the guitars drive the message home." ''

Record World ''Record World'' magazine was one of the three main music industry trade magazines in the United States, along with '' Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 under the name ''Music Vendor'', but in 1964 it was changed to ''Record Wo ...

'' called it an "energetic rocker."

Other versions

Stevie Nicks Stephanie Lynn Nicks (born May 26, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter, and producer known for her work with the band Fleetwood Mac and as a solo artist. After starting her career as a duo with her then-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham, releasi ...

(of

Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band, formed in London in 1967. Fleetwood Mac were founded by guitarist Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Jeremy Spencer, before bassist John McVie joined the line-up for their epony ...

) has been performing "I Need to Know" live in her solo concerts since 1981. Nicks also performed this song with Tom Petty together on Petty's 30th anniversary concert (which was filmed and released on DVD as '' Runnin' Down a Dream''). In 1981 the Swedish band Gyllene Tider recorded a version of the song with Swedish lyrics, written by singer Per Gessle (the male half of

Roxette Roxette was a Swedish pop rock duo, consisting of Marie Fredriksson (vocals and keyboards) and Per Gessle (vocals and guitar). Formed in 1986, the duo became an international act in the late 1980s, when they released their breakthrough second a ...

), named "Vill ha ett svar!"

Poison Poison is a chemical substance that has a detrimental effect to life. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figuratively, with a broa ...

recorded a cover of the song for their 2007 album '' Poison'd!''. Hour of the Wolf recorded a cover for their 2012 greatest hits album, ''Decompositions Vol. II''. Following Petty's death on October 2, 2017, Local H have been playing the song in concert. In 2020,

Starcrawler Starcrawler is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 2015. The band consists of lead singer Arrow de Wilde, guitarist Henri Cash, bassist Tim Franco, drummer Seth Carolina, and pedal steel/guitar player Bill Cash. They have released ...

previewed a cover of the song for Tom Petty's 70th Birthday Bash on SiriusXM, featuring Mike Campbell on rhythm guitar. The band later officially released the cover as a single on music streaming services.

All appearances

*''

'' *'' Pack Up The Plantation: Live!'' *'' Greatest Hits'' *''

Playback Playback or Play Back may refer to: Film * ''Playback'' (1962 film), a British film in the ''Edgar Wallace Mysteries'' series * ''Playback'', a 1996 film starring Shannon Whirry * ''Playback'' (2012 film), an American horror film by Michael A. N ...

'' *'' Anthology: Through The Years'' *'' The Live Anthology'' *This song is part of the soundtrack in '' Rock Band 3''.

Charts

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:I Need To Know 1978 singles Tom Petty songs Songs written by Tom Petty Song recordings produced by Denny Cordell 1977 songs

Other versions

All appearances

Charts

See also

References