"Learning to Fly" is a song by American rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. It was written in 1991 by Tom Petty and his writing partner Jeff Lynne for the band's eighth studio album, Into the Great Wide Open (1991). The entire song is based on four simple chords, (F, C, A minor, and G). Released in June 1991 by MCA, it became a top hit for Petty and the Heartbreakers, topping the US Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart and peaking at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Release

"Learning to Fly" was released as the first single from Into the Great Wide Open and reached number 28 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also became his most successful single on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart, reaching the top of the chart and remaining at the summit for six weeks. The song was released in the United Kingdom on June 17, 1991, debuting at number 65 on the UK Singles Chart six days later. It rose to its peak of number 46 the following week and stayed on the UK chart for two more weeks before leaving the top 75. The song was played and was a headline for an NBA home video documentary of the 1990–91 Chicago Bulls season.

Track listing

Personnel

Credits sourced from Sound On Sound Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Others

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

Cover version

Petty's Traveling Wilburys bandmate Bob Dylan covered the song live in concert in Broomfield, Colorado on October 21, 2017, one day after what would have been Petty's 67th birthday. Critic Jack Whatley later cited the performance as one of the seven best covers of a Petty song.