In 1981, Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks collaborated on duets featured on their individual albums. Nicks, a long-time admirer of Petty, had hoped he would compose a song for her. To her joy, Petty penned two duets with her in mind. However, he decided to retain the first song, unable to part with it. While Nicks was thrilled with their collaboration, Petty’s bandmates were less enthused. 

Tom Petty’s bandmates didn’t want him to give Stevie Nicks a song

An avid fan of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Nicks approached Petty and requested he write a song for her. He obliged, creating “Insider.” Yet, upon hearing Nicks perform it, Petty found himself unable to relinquish the track.

“She walked back in and said, ‘How was it?’ I said, ‘It’s amazing,’” Petty said in 1981, per Guitar Player. “She said, ‘I can tell by the look on your face, you don’t wanna give me this song. I’m giving it back to you right now.’ I really thought a lot of her for that.”

To make up for this, Petty wrote “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around.” It appeared on Nicks’ debut solo album, Bella Donna. She loved the song, and Petty’s bandmates did too. They thought it was better than “Insider.”

“As a trade-out for ‘Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,’ I didn’t think it was a good bargain at all,” drummer Stan Lynch said. “I remember [the discussion], ‘Well, we got ‘Insider,’ and I’m going, ‘Bad trade!’”

Regardless of the quality of either song, “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” performed better commercially.