Erin Osmon’s rollicking Won’t Back Down tells the story of the origins, chart-topping development and tangled legacy of Heartland Rock, the 1980s music that remains instantly recognisable to millions today. Osmon delves into the making of its classic albums and songs, including Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run”, Bob Seger’s “Against the Wind”, John Mellencamp’s “Small Town” and Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down”. She demonstrates the centrality of often-overlooked women, including Melissa Etheridge, Bonnie Raitt and Lucinda Williams. She traces the genre’s connections to country and Americana and shows how its success revitalised the careers of figures like Bob Dylan and Neil Young. And she argues that the music played a vital role in opposition to eighties conservatism, and in support of LGBTQ rights, labour issues and the environmental movement. As Osmon makes clear, Heartland Rock at its best connected with millions of overlooked people longing to be heard.
