When Stevie Nicks went to play “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” at her Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, she needed the right voice to fill the shoes of the late great Tom Petty. Nicks chose Harry Styles, and the chemistry that the young gun showed with his hero that night made for an iconic moment. In somewhat of a surprising twist, the vibes were so clean that Hazza’s appearance actually brought Nicks and Fleetwood Mac to a whole new generation, with Styles’ fans saying the collab made them aware of her music.
On the Tom Petty-written hit, Nicks opened the song with a smoky verse with a whole lotta attitude. Hazza and Nicks dropped a real tasty dual chorus, which showed that Styles has a helluva fine rock ‘n’ roll voice. Styles, who also provided rhythm guitar, really got to shine in the second verse when it came time to drop some husky lead vocals. The Music Man has to say that Nicks was really onto something when she decided to call Styles up for her induction performance!
“Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” was quite the hit on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame YouTube channel, where it clocked 3.1 million views. Fans were digging the vibes, and added comments such as “16 year old Harry would have never imagined being on stage with his idol, singing and playing with her. I’m so proud of him. Also I have discovered Fleetwood Mac because of him” and “I’m 52 years old and a huge Harry Styles fan. He’s making me like Stevie Nicks’ music! Thank you Harry!”
The second most popular upload on Nicks’ channel is an HD remaster of her original cut of “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. There’s no question as to why it was Nicks’ biggest solo hit, as in addition to being a cracking tune, Nicks and Petty’s voices sound like they were made to sing together. There’s just something about Nicks’ husky tone and Petty’s reedier lilt that is sonic perfection – not to mention that The Heartbreakers always kill it.
Nicks released “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” as her debut solo single on July 8, 1981. She recorded the song with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers acting as the backing band, with noted session player Donald “Duck” Dunn filling in for Ron Blair on bass as a one-off. Petty penned the song with his Heartbreakers six-stringer Mike Campbell. “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 and remains Nicks’ biggest solo hit.